The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Inquiry into boy’ s death in River Tay
The death of a 12-year-old boy in the River Tay will form part of a joint fatal accident inquiry (FAI) examining regulations around water activities. Kayden Walker, from the Bridgeton area of Glasgow, drowned during a boogie boarding session near...
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Family fame:
Scots star of California Schemin’ has his feet firmly on the ground
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Alleged Stone of Destiny display vandal believed to have fled the country
An Australian man accused of smashing the display case of the Stone of Destiny may have now left the country. Arnaud Hercules Harixcalde Logan was charged by police following chaotic scenes at Perth Museum on July 12 last year. Visitors were...
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Businessman brings Mediterranean cuisine to banks of the Tay
A new Mediterranean bar and restaurant will be coming to Dunkeld this spring. Perthshire businessman Zsolt Balogh, who has several restaurants across the region, is behind the plans for Azura. The new venue, located by the River Tay, will bring the...
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MSPS call for pause in baby unit downgrade
A powerful committee has called for a pause to the downgrading of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Ninewells Hospital, amid concerns over the impact on patients in remote and rural areas. The Dundee hospital, along with Victoria Hospital in...
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Schools likely to close if teachers back strike
It is “highly likely” schools in Perth and Kinross will close if teachers agree to strike this month, the council has warned. The largest teachers’ union, the EIS, is in a dispute with Perth and Kinross Council over workload and has issued a formal...
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Panic buying prompts restriction of fuel sales
A Perthshire filling station has implemented a strict limit of 20 litres of petrol or diesel due to “panic buying” brought about over fears of a fuel shortage. Crieff Fuel Station owner Sai Elaprolu says a healthy supply of petrol and diesel remains...
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Jobs lost at Innis & Gunn brewery
Jobs have been lost at the Perth brewery of Innis & Gunn as the craft beer firm enters administration. The brand and its intellectual property has been included in a £4.5 million sale to Tennent’s lager owner C&C Group. However, the Perth brewery at...
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TRAUMA:
Former staff at a Perth hotel say they are still traumatised three years on from the devastating blaze that killed three people. Sisters Donna Janse Van Rensburg, 44, and Sharon Mclean, 47, from Aberdeen, and 38-year-old Keith Russell, originally from...
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Company backtracks on diesel spill theft theory
An energy firm has backtracked on claims the Loch Tay diesel spill was caused by an attempted theft at one of its garages. Certas Energy originally blamed a botched theft at its Lix Toll garage near Killin for the spill – termed an environmental...
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£15m earmarked to tackle potholes and road repairs
An extra £15 million could be spent on tackling potholes and repairing roads in Perth and Kinross for the next three years. The council’s SNP administration will unveil the plans as part of the party’s proposed budget for 2026-27. If agreed by the...
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Cleared former council leader lands new top job
Former Perth and Kinross council leader Grant Laing has made a return to power, months after seeing embezzlement charges against him dropped. Mr Laing, pictured, has been appointed convener of the council’s economy and infrastructure committee, and...
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Teenager caught carrying machete at city nightspot
Quick-thinking door staff prevented a drunken teenager from entering a busy Perth nightspot with a machete in his trousers. Perth Sheriff Court heard Charlie Mcgregor, pictured, was caught with the massive blade outside The Bank bar. A sheriff...
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Plea for FM John Swinney to meet Perthshire publican facing crippling bills
A Scone pub could be in line for closure, with the landlord left “sick” at the prospect of 26 job losses. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has challenged John Swinney to join him at Brown & Blacks, in the first minister’s constituency,...
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LOCH TAY:
A major diesel spill in Loch Tay yesterday was allegedly caused by an attempted robbery at a nearby fuel station. Residents in Killin were advised not to drink tap water amid concerns about contamination. Local reports say thousands of litres of fuel...
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Calls to put ex-council offices back on market PERTH:
Councillors are calling for the former local authority office building in Perth to go back on the market over concerns about a controversial hotel deal. The council’s former city centre offices at 1-5 High Street were offered to Londonbased developer...
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Perthshire holiday park’ s £10m extension approved
A Perthshire holiday park is hoping to cash in on the staycation boom with a £10 million expansion of its Loch Tay site. Plans by Loch Tay Highland Lodge Park, near Killin, for 62 lodges, six glamping pods, four holiday cabins and eight stilted...
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Estate owner asked for legal help from Epstein
EXCLUSIVE BY ALASDAIR CLARK A Perthshire estate owner caught in an alleged prostitution sting sought legal help from paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. John Paul Havens, pictured, owner of Tullybeagles Estate, near Perth, was indicted in 2019 over...
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Trial told victim would have died ‘within minutes’
A pathologist has told the High Court how she escalated the post-mortem examination of Brian Low after spotting signs he had been shot. Dr Tamara Mcnamee of Dundee University gave evidence on the ninth day of David Campbell’s trial in Glasgow. She...
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Attack dog on death row has cost taxpayer £15k
A dog which attacked a mother and child in Perth has cost the taxpayer more than £15,000 to be housed on death row. Since carrying out the attack – that left a nine-year-old scarred for life – the akita, Lucky, has been kept in £25-per-day kennels for...
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PERTH:
The leader of anti-immigration rallies outside hotels in Perth is “pushing” for Reform UK and has lobbied senior local party members ahead of the upcoming Holyrood election. After talks at Almond Valley Bowling Club, Lee Stronach claims Nigel Farage’s...
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Wife of murder accused denies any ‘grievances’
The wife of a former head gamekeeper told jurors she was not aware of any “grievances” he had with the man he allegedly murdered near Aberfeldy. Despite previously stating to police there were “one or two” issues when her husband David Campbell and...
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Murder trial told CCTV shut off on day of shooting
CCTV at the home of a man accused of murdering Brian Low in Aberfeldy was manually switched off on the morning of the shooting, a court has heard. David Campbell is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, accused of killing his former colleague with a...
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SNP aide calls baby unit downgrade ‘inhumane’
A staff member in John Swinney’s office described the proposed downgrade of Ninewells Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as “deeply inhumane” in response to a letter from a grieving Perthshire father. The letter to the first minister is in...
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£50m plans for new leisure hub on hold
Plans for a £50 million leisure hub, fourstar hotel and museum on the outskirts of Perth have been put on ice until further notice. Morris Leslie Group first announced the ambitious plans for the land neighbouring its headquarters at West Kinfauns in...
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Runners tackle 10k Bertha Park course
Dozens turned out for the challenge as Bertha Park Trail Run Winter 10k took place in Perth yesterday. Runners completed a marked 10km trail around Bertha Park Loch, heading toward Almondbank and returning along the river. The course featured...
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CID officer admits to cause of death error
The CID detective who wrongly assessed shotgun victim Brian Low’s death as a medical incident has admitted his error did not “show Police Scotland in its finest”. DC Mark Chance assessed Mr Low’s body after it was found on a track at the edge of...
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Shooting victim’ s dog stayed beside his body
A murder trial heard how shooting victim Brian Low’s dog stayed by his side until he was discovered lying “cold and stiff ” on a rural spot near his Aberfeldy home. The 65-year-old was found dead in an area known as Leafy Lane on the morning of...
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Murder accused made threats to kill, trial told
A man accused of murdering a former Perthshire groundsman allegedly made threats to shoot or kill multiple people in the Aberfeldy area over a 30-year period, including the owner of a puppy, and her daughter. David Campbell, 77, is accused of killing...
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Businessman plans ‘Gleneagles for dogs’ resort
APerthshire family have revealed plans to develop a new dog resort and veterinary facility near Auchterarder. Charlie Thorburn has run Mordor Gundogs in Path of Condie for the past 20 years, having operated the business since 2003. The 45-year-old,...
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Tayside mother shares baby unit survival story in her new book
ATayside mum whose baby daughter’s life was saved at the neonatal intensive care unit at Ninewells Hospital is planning a book inspired by her experience. Lauren Webster, originally from Blairgowrie but who now lives in Dundee, wrote her first book as...
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Perth pupil transport costing £78k per day EXPENSES: Council also spends £3.5m annually to subsidise public buses
Private companies are receiving £78,000 every school day from Perth and Kinross Council to provide pupil transport. According to council leader Eric Drysdale, a further £3.5 million a year is spent by subsidising public bus services. Communities may...
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Perth Rangers fan dies on Europa trip PORTUGAL:
The family of a Perth Rangers fan have led tributes to him after his death in Portugal while following his team. James Scrimgeour, 65, died in his sleep during a trip abroad to see Rangers in their Europa League clash. A club statement confirmed Jim,...
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Watchdog inquiry into wildlife park
A charities watchdog is launching a fresh investigation into a Perthshire wildlife park after “concerns” were raised. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) confirmed there was an “ongoing inquiry” into Auchingarrich, near Comrie. It...
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Voyeur’ s sex addiction help service for pupils Offender launched ‘educational’ business days before guilty plea
A window cleaner from Perth convicted of spying on a naked child in a bathroom set up an “educational” company aiming to work with schools to raise awareness of sex and pornography addiction. Kevin Gray, pictured, established his new firm just days...
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Tenant left with no toilet as ceiling ‘leaked urine’ CRIEFF: Wheelchair user lodges complaint over unhelpful emergency line
A woman with a progressive neurological disorder was unable to use her own toilet for a day as urine poured through the ceiling of her housing association flat. Wheelchair user Rachael Roy, 29, has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a condition similar to MS,...
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Fire chiefs suspect blaze caused by Dyson vacuum
Fire chiefs believe a house blaze that left a 73-year-old Perthshire woman homeless was caused by a battery exploding in her cordless Dyson vacuum cleaner. Janet Thomson lost everything when fire broke out in her Rattray home in November. An internal...
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Compensation call over treatment of Travellers HOUSING:
A woman whose family were forced to live in an old hut without running water and electricity during the so-called “Tinker Experiment” has said local authorities should “start seriously looking at reparations for those most affected”. Roseanna Mcphee’s...
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‘Postcode lottery’ to cost mum £3k in nursery fees Son’s date of birth misses cut-off for free place starting in April
A Perth mum was shocked to discover that due to her son’s birth date, she will pay almost £3,000 more than she expected in nursery fees. Caitlin Ripley’s son, Ali, turns three in early April. However, while other threeyear-olds begin their free...
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PERTH:
A former deputy lieutenant of Perth and Kinross, whose quiet dedication helped shape Perth’s cultural, charitable and civic life for more than half a century, has died aged 92. Tributes have been paid to Mary Cairncross, pictured, who played a pivotal...
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Calls to reverse £1.9m hotel deal
Perth and Kinross Council’s chief executive has admitted the authority did receive other expressions of interest in its former High Street offices, despite councillors being told there was not. Now those same councillors are asking if the...
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Hotel buffer zones called for after asylum protests
Perthshire MSP John Swinney will consider “buffer zones” around hotels housing asylum seekers after “disgusting” antiimmigration protests in Perth. Protesters rushed towards the Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday and banged on the windows. The...
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City asylum seeker hotel targeted by angry mob
Anti-immigration protesters charged a hotel during a tense two-hour protest near Perth city centre at the weekend. Protesters were seen banging on windows of the Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday morning. The hotel has been targeted by a series of...
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Travellers in line for apology over ‘Tinker’ project PERTHSHIRE: Children were taken away for adoption
Perth and Kinross Council is set to formally apologise to the Scottish Gypsy/traveller community for its role in the so-called “Tinker Experiment” of the 20th Century. The controversial series of social policies attempted to forcibly settle groups...
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Hockey players enjoy frosty fun on frozen pond
As free]ing temperatures hit Tayside people headed out to make the most of the winter weather. 6ome took advantage of the conditions to have an impromptu game of ice hockey on the 6wannie 3onds in 'undee, while others in .irriemuir and 3itlochry dug...
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Flurry of fun at Glenshee
Wintry weather continued yesterday with heavy snowfall hitting many areas as the mercury plummeted. The big freeze swept across many areas of Perth and Kinross, Tayside and Fife, resulting in travel disruption. Many took advantage of the opportunity...
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Perth park and ride hits 1,000 drivers with fines
Perth Broxden Park and Ride users have been slapped with more than 1,000 parking fines in the last four years. The figures were obtained by The Courier through a freedom of information request made to Perth and Kinross Council. Some 1,090 parking...
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Anti-violence plea from ex-hooligan
A former football hooligan has warned young fans against getting involved in violence at matches. Andy Blance, pictured, served a five-year jail sentence for mobbing and violence involving Dunfermline casuals in 1990 and a prison term for assaulting...
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Family of missing man still hopeful for return PERTH:
The family of a Perth man missing for two weeks is hoping they will still get their son home safely. Declyn Cunningham was last seen at the city’s Smeaton’s Bridge in the early hours of Thursday December 18. Extensive searches have taken place along...
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Council boss’ s tribute to wife after flu death
The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has paid tribute to “the wind beneath his wings” after the death of his wife, aged 62. Following complications brought on by a bout of flu, Elizabeth Drysdale died in Ninewells Hospital on Boxing Day. The...
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Man charged after fire guts Carse house
$ man has been charged after a house in the &arse of *owrie was allegedly set on fire. 7he bla]e broke out in a detached house at :est *range, near (rrol, just before 4am yesterday. Six fire engines and a height appliance attended and seyeral crew...
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FM says families need answers on fatal hotel blaze
First Minister John Swinney, pictured, is pressing Scotland’s police chief for answers over what caused a fatal hotel fire in Perth. Three people died in the New County Hotel blaze on January 2 2023 – sisters Donna Janse Van Rensburg, 44, and Sharon...
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Speeder tore along path in city centre
An “idiot” banned driver was lucky not to have mown down pedestrians as he tore along a pavement during a hair-raising highspeed chase through Perth city centre, a court heard. John Buchan drove away from police and down several streets at well above...
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Roads around scene of fatal fire likely to reopen in February
Roads surrounding the scene of a fatal fire in Perth city centre could finally reopen in mid-february, the local authority has said. Sections of South Street and Scott Street have remained closed since June, when a major fire tore through a block of...
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Race for waste deal as landfill ban imminent
Perth and Kinross Council is scrambling to complete an 11th-hour deal for a waste contractor just days before a national landfill ban kicks in. The local authority had signed a £50m, 10-year contract with Paprec Energies Binn in 2023 to turn...
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Full steam ahead to Christmas on Polar Express
Dozens turned out as The Polar Express Train Ride took place in Brechin. The event on Sunday December 14 saw families and children board the festive train experience at Caledonian Railway, enjoy hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies, meet dancing...
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NHS shredding ban after Eljamel fiasco
NHS Tayside bosses have issued an urgent notice to all staff banning the shredding of documents after theatre logbooks that may have proved crucial to the Eljamel public inquiry were destroyed. The health board sparked fury among victims of disgraced...
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Businesses fear for the future in aftermath of fatal fire
Several Perth business owners are fearing for the future six months on from a fatal fire that decimated their trade. Scott Street and South Street have remained closed since the blaze in June, leaving business owners describing the remainder of the...
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Perth cabbies claim 24 new licences will ‘devastate’ city trade
Perth cabbies have warned a scheme to allocate 24 new taxi licence plates in the city could be “devastating” for local trade and residents. Councillors on Perth and Kinross licensing committee unanimously voted in favour of the plan this week, in a...
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Jeweller blames shop closure on roads disruption
The owner of a Perth jewellery shop has blamed the store’s impending closure on a lack of footfall since a fatal fire in June. Amoha, a Celtic jewellery and gemstone shop, pictured, has operated on South Street for more than a year. Owner Ishane Vali...
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Council group leader ousted after hotel row
The Liberal Democrat leader of Perth and Kinross Council has been ousted, along with his wife, in a row over the hotel plan for the former council chambers building. Peter Barrett, pictured, left the public “astonished” when he spoke in favour of the...
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Perth fan sees match for first time with VR headset
A partially-sighted football fan from Perth has described the “emotional” moment he saw his team play for the first time through his own eyes. Jon Attenborough, pictured, who has no sight in his right eye and limited vision in his left, was at...
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Only One Great Thing:
Big Country lead guitarist stakes a claim on band’s sound
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Nurse to appeal as tribunal decision blunder revealed
Nurse Sandie Peggie broke her silence yesterday as she revealed why she is appealing the judgment in her trans row with NHS Fife – on the day the document was amended to remove a bogus quote. The tribunal judgment, published on Monday, had found that...
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