The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Vape oil may have led to teen’s death
The heartbroken parents of an Invergowrie teenager who died on holiday believe his death was caused by vape oil bought in Spain. Harry Whitton, pictured, who lived with his parents in the village, was on h o l i d ay in Benidorm with his girlfriend...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A night to remember for school leavers
BY BEN MACDONALD Infuriated business owners in a Highland Perthshire village say long-term A9 roadworks are damaging trade and driving customers away. The 8.2km Tay Crossing to Ballinluig project is in place until 2028. Last week, a temporary...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Go-ahead for Traveller site despite flood risks
A new council-run Traveller site in Perth has been approved, against the advice of the authority’s own planners. Perth and Kinross councillors unanimously agreed yesterday to the application for a transient site at North Muirton. Planners said lives...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Unreal’ new cancer drug saves grandmother’s life
A Perthshire grandmother who was told she had run out of cancer treatment options has hailed an “unreal” new drug which saved her life. Anne Head, 72, pictured, was given the new drug, talquetamab (Talvey), as part of a trial after she was diagnosed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Council was not aware ‘hotel’ firm had folded
Council bosses did not know a “hotel” developer was in administration when they agreed a £1.9 million deal to convert their former offices at 1-5 High Street, Perth. London-based Henley Homes had debts of £67m when it collapsed in August 2023 and Per...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Appointment-only night rule for A&E
Patients with a minor injury or illness will now have to book an appointment before attending Perth Royal Infirmary after 8pm. The new rule has been introduced at both PRI and Ninewells in Dundee to try to cut the number of people who do not need...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Holyrood votes to back Courier rates campaign
The Courier’s campaign to breathe new life into our high streets and shopping districts has won a crucial Holyrood vote. Less than a week after The Courier, The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post jointly launched the Fresh Start initiative for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PERTH:
Planners have recommended Perth and Kinross councillors block their own authority’s proposals for a Gypsy/traveller transit site in Perth. The North Muirton plans have been drawn up by the council following a three-year hunt for a site, and have...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Swinney welcomes our Fresh Start campaign
First Minister John Swinney has said he “very much welcomed” The Courier’s new Fresh Start campaign to help Scotland’s high streets flourish again. The Courier has joined forces with sister titles The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post to ask the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fresh Start
Our high streets are struggling...but it doesn’t have to stay this way. For the first time, The Courier, The Press and Journal and The Sunday Post are joining forces and calling on the Scottish Government to relax business rates rules to give our local...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Specialist hub for pupils approved EDUCATION:
A long-awaited specialist unit for children with complex additional support needs (ASN) has finally been approved for a Perthshire school. But the youngsters will still need to travel 23 miles to a different school while the work is carried...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Horse rider’ s first words after waking from coma
The family of Kinross showjumper injured in a horrific fall say she has said her first words since waking from a threemonth coma. Louisa Milne Home fell at a showjumping acompetition in Aberdeenshire in February, suffering a diffuse axonal injury – a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Broxden jams are blamed as lorries avoid new link road
Congestion at Perth’s Broxden roundabout is forcing lorry drivers to avoid the Cross Tay Link Road and drive through the places which were supposed to benefit from the new route opening. One Perth and Kinross councillor even wryly suggested a solution...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Yousaf angry at ‘betrayal’ by SNP embezzler Murrell
Former first minister Humza Yousaf says disgraced EX-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell deserves “quite a hefty sentence” for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Mr Yousaf had been just one week into the top job when Murrell was arrested as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New ‘urgent’ plans to cut city centre traffic
“Urgent” plans to cut the amount of traffic coming into Perth city centre will be shown to the public for consultation. Perth and Kinross Council bosses say the Cross Tay Link Road, which opened last March, has already led to a reduction in vehicles....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Police hunt attacker in city centre stabbing
Police in Perth have launched an investigation after a man was hospitalised following a stabbing in the city centre. The 21-year-old was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after the attack in the Kinnoull Street area at around 10.45pm on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Reassurance over wedding bookings
A Perthshire wedding venue insists it is business as usual despite falling foul of planning rules. Boreland Loch Tay bosses applied to Perth and Kinross Council for a certificate of lawful use or development for its events barn last year. The council...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Shopping centre for sale at £2.5m
St John’s Shopping Centre has gone on the market – for a fraction of the cost when it was last on sale 15 years ago. Estate agent Savills says it has been instructed to seek offers for the Perth city centre site in excess of £2.5 million, exclusive of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Students showcase creative flair at end of year art display
The hugely popular Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design’s Undergraduate Degree Show starts this weekend. The exhibition features work from 380 final-year students across subjects including fine art, animation, architecture and graphic...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MP reveals spinal health scare after diagnosis by rogue medic
Perthshire MP Pete Wishart has revealed the health condition he endured for 15 years which was first diagnosed by now disgraced NHS Tayside surgeon Sam Eljamel. The SNP veteran had surgery in April to remove a bit of his spine to ease nerve pain...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Punching inmate ends prison officer’ s career
A one-punch assault on an inmate during a “violent and hazardous” transfer operation cost a Perth prison officer his dream job. Operations officer Keiron Abbott punched prisoner Scott Devaney after the latter started a blaze and barricaded his door...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A9 slip road to Cross Tay Link is speeding hotspot
New figures have revealed the A9 approach to the Cross Tay Link Road is a new speeding hotspot. Since opening last March a total of 791 speeding offences have been recorded at the slip roads connecting it to the A9. And data from Police Scotland...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BROUGHTY FERRY FAYRE
Broughty Ferry Parish Church is hosting an antiques and curiosities fayre from 10am today. Browse a mix of antiques, vintage pieces and collectors’ items from dealers across Scotland. From vintage jewellery and homewares to decorative antiques, bees,...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
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)