The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Perth World Cup Festival to ‘breathe life into city’
Pipe bands, prizes and parties are being promised by Perth businesses organising a World Cup festival for the city. A group of city centre traders are joining forces to ensure shoppers and residents enjoy a summer to remember – regardless of how...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Controversial developer may buy more property
A leaked report has revealed council officers are in favour of selling additional publicly-owned buildings to a controversial Perth “hotel” developer, despite widespread public opposition. London-based developer Lock Terrace Ltd wants to buy part of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gran left homeless after campervan is set on fire
A Perth grandmother has been left homeless after the campervan she lived in was set on fire as she slept inside. Tracey “Turi” Moffat, pictured, was at Bertha Park when she awoke to a “popping noise” last week before noticing a strange smell. “When I...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Greens say vote mix-up lost them election seat
The election fallout in the Mid Scotland and Fife seat has intensified after the Scottish Greens claimed they lost crucial votes to an alleged Holocaust denier. Green candidate Mags Hall lost out on a seat at Holyrood by 869 votes, and the party...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Swinney reveals election has taken toll on family
John Swinney, pictured, has opened up about the personal strain behind his election win, revealing concerns over his wife’s health, his son’s exams and security fears that have rattled his family ahead of his return to Bute House. The SNP leader spoke...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Swinney aiming for ‘respect’ and ‘co-operation’ with Downing St
John Swinney has said Downing Street has “a lot of listening to do” as he called for respect between the two governments. Speaking to the BBC as his party claimed it had “emphatically” won the Holyrood election yesterday, the first minister said...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Search begins for new museum cafe operator
Bosses at Perth Museum have finally admitted defeat in running the venue’s controversial cafe and will instead seek an external operator. Culture Perth and Kinross issued a statement yesterday announcing the change of direction. It follows mounting...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SNP poised for big wins but no overall majority
The SNP looks set for convincing wins in Tayside and Fife in today’s election – but could fall short of a majority. A final poll last night suggests the SNP will win each first-past-the-post constituency in Courier Country by a tidy margin, except in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Overall majority ‘within touching distance’ for SNP
John Swinney has claimed the SNP is “within touching distance” of winning an overall majority at Holyrood ahead of tomorrow’s election. In an open letter to voters ahead of Thursday’s Scottish Parliament ballot, the MSP for Perthshire North urged the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Protesters leave neo-nazi flag on war memorial
Anti-immigration protesters abused praying man and placed a neo-nazi flag over a war memorial in Blairgowrie over the weekend. Around 25 anti-immigration protesters played music through a speaker, shouted at the public and waved flags. The group –...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Dangerous dog owners could face kennel fees
Owners of dangerous dogs could face the bill for kennelling costs after it emerged taxpayers footed a near-£20,000 bill to house a pet that was on death row after mauling a nine-year-old girl in Perth. A sheriff has called for a more robust protocol...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Magazine: Epic ocean journey:
Fife rower tells of solo 3,000-mile adventure across Atlantic
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lifetime dog ban after girl of 9 mauled by pet
A woman has been banned for life from keeping dogs after her pet mauled a nine-year-old girl and left her permanently scarred. Suetau Ping Yau, pictured, allowed her Japanese fighting dog to escape the house and attack the youngster at Tulloch...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
St Johnstone heroes to be celebrated at Salute
The last time St Johnstone fans and players had reason to celebrate, Covid denied them the party they deserved. But now this year’s Championshipwinning heroes could finally get the freedom of Perth ceremony their predecessors missed out on. Council...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Residents vow to fight renewed quarry plans
Residents living next to a slate quarry on the edge of Dunkeld say they will battle on after controversial expansion plans resurfaced. A bid by Perth-based Mills Contractors to extend its operations at Newtyle Hill slate quarry was refused by Perth...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
We’re back!
See sport for reaction, match report and pictures of glory night
Read Full Story (Page 1)
No cash for creditors of Perth air training firm
Businesses and staff owed thousands from a UHI Perth-owned engineering firm have been told not to expect a penny. Air Service Training Engineering was a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHI Perth. It collapsed into administration in April 2025 with debts of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fair City toasts Championship glory
Job done at the first time of asking. St Johnstone secured an immediate return to the Premiership with a 2-0 victory over Dunfermline Athletic on Tuesday evening, with goals from Reece Mcalear and Ruari Paton sealing the triumph. More than 3,000...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New £135m expansion of EV charger network
A £135 million contract to more than double the number of public EV chargers across Perth and Kinross and Angus is up for grabs. Council bosses are overseeing a major expansion of available units, with a particular focus on more rural areas. Perth...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Perth Theatre staff braced for job losses
Several jobs could be lost at Perth Theatre and Concert Hall as bosses seek to “manage the changing financial environment”. Up to seven jobs could go as a result of the restructuring. Christopher Glasgow, Perth Theatre and Concert Hall director, told...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Police watchdog to probe fatal crash
A police watchdog will investigate a crash that killed two men near Kinross. Emergency services were called to a serious collision on the M90 near Milnathort at around 11pm on Friday. A grey Ford Kuga was seen driving northbound on the southbound...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COURT: Foster mother and her son assaulted children
Two siblings who were among a number of children abused by a foster mother and her son have described their tormentors’ sentences as “utterly insulting”. Jennifer Robertson, 79, subjected children as young as 10 months old to “quite appalling” abuse...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
£500m Perth West plan could create 3,000 jobs
Details of a £500 million masterplan to transform a huge area of land outside Perth have been revealed. The Perth West Masterplan outlines proposals for up to 1,500 new houses, plus business units, shops, restaurants and hotels. It allocates land for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lifelong SNP voters bin party over Eljamel row
A Perth couple who voted SNP for more than 50 years will refuse to back the party at the Holyrood election following a row linked to disgraced Dundee surgeon Sam Eljamel. Dougie Pymm’s wife, Annemarie, was left paralysed after the shamed EXNHS Tayside...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Tayside officers ‘bullied, harassed and understaffed’
A scathing survey of Tayside police officers has revealed complaints over bullying, staff shortages and unmanageable workloads. More than 320 officers and 11 staff members in D Division were asked for their views on working for Police Scotland in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Entrepreneur finds where there’ s muck there’ s brass
A Perthshire schoolboy has launched a new business picking up other people’s dog poo. Young entrepreneur Leatham Bilsland is aiming to prove that where there’s muck there’s brass. His Doggy Doo Doo business offers weekly visits, or one off-deep...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Museum’ s cafe makes no donation to charity
The trading company that runs Perth Museum’s controversial cafe made no money for its parent charity last year. Accounts show that the trading division of Official Culture Perth and Kinross made an operating profit of just £46 between April 2024 and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Council sees red over pink homes
A proposal to build two homes near a Perthshire village have been rejected by Perth and Kinross Council – because they are pink. An application for the two detached properties to be built next to existing homes on land near Dunning was deemed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Siblings to sue council over foster care abuse
A brother and sister are set to sue Perth and Kinross Council over abuse they suffered at the hands of their foster mother. Young people suffered at the hands of Jennifer Robertson, 79, who carried out a string of assaults at locations in Perthshire...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pilot feared crash in skies over Perthshire
A report has revealed a pilot feared his plane would be involved in a mid-air collision in the skies over Perthshire. The incident involving a Diamond DA42 plane and a Mentor plane occurred near Coupar Angus on October 11 2025. It was reported to the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Eljamel police seek out more harmed patients
Detectives probing Sam Eljamel are working to track down more patients harmed by the disgraced Dundee doctor. In an update to victims of the former NHS Tayside medic, a senior police superintendent said “additional cases” worth investigating have been...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FAILURE:
The cause of a plane crash that killed a Perthshire pilot has been revealed. Nicholas Denison-pender, 50, was killed when his four-seater light aircraft crashed after losing power near Kinglassie, Fife, on December 23 2024. A preliminary Air...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Partner’ s death leaves footballer heartbroken
Rachel Borthwick, the partner of former St Johnstone player Graham Carey, has died from cancer at the age of 36. The midfielder revealed yesterday that Rachel, pictured, died on Sunday with her parents by her side. She received a fourth breast cancer...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Showjumper in coma
The family of an international eventer from Kinross say they “remain positive” after a fall during a competition left her in a coma. Louisa Milne Home, 46, fell at a British Showjumping competition at Bogenraith Equestrian in Aberdeenshire on February...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Plans for permanent Traveller site unveiled
and amenity block, as well as 21 parking spaces. The site would occupy 7,465sq m of vacant land at site seven to the north of Islay Place and would border the River Tay. The site would also have a “centrally managed CCTV system” and access...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Ex-top officer slams leaked-data apology
A former assistant chief constable has blasted Police Scotland’s public apology to an officer whose intimate images were leaked to the colleague she accused of rape. The force’s response to DC Lianne Gilbert has been described as “pathetic” and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Legal action on loch diesel spill possible
Sepa has not ruled out enforcement action over last month’s Loch Tay diesel spill, it has been confirmed. The environment protection organisation has remained at the site of the Lix Toll fuel station near Killin to try to reduce the “pollution...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reform candidate spread school asylum rumours
A Reform UK Scottish election candidate was among the people spreading false rumours of asylum seekers moving into a former school in Perthshire. Rachael Wright, from Auchterarder, shared an online petition last October calling on authorities to stop...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Saints player and firefighter flies the flag for females in service
Aleading Perthshire firefighter and St Johnstone footballer says she aims to inspire the next generation. Frankie Shepherd, 32, moved to Dunkeld from Shropshire in 2015 to join the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). She now works full-time at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cruel gamekeeper battered rare bird of prey with cudgel COURT: Russell Mason, a convicted sex offender, admits offence on estate
A cruel gamekeeper and convicted sex offender bludgeoned a rare bird of prey to death on a rural Perthshire estate. Russell Mason, pictured, captured the protected goshawk in a handheld net before beating it with a cudgel. The 49-year-old was caught...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Famous faces reimagined as 10-year-olds in Beano 75th anniversary celebration
Harry Styles, Claudia Winkleman, the King and Angry Ginge have been reimagined as 10-year-olds to celebrate Dennis The Menace’s 75th anniversary. They all appear in a special commemorative issue of Beano, which features 75 of the world’s “most...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Family fame:
Scots star of California Schemin’ has his feet firmly on the ground
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
£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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
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...
Read Full Story (Page 1)