Latest news with #KinrossCouncil
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots beauty spot compared to 'Skid Row' as rowdy tourists drink and party
The site has been branded 'Skid Row' by furious locals as it has been invaded by tourists who camp beside the water and party through the night A picturesque Scottish site, Loch of Clunie in Perthshire, has been dubbed "Skid Row" as it's been overrun by unruly tourists indulging in alcohol-fuelled parties and criminal activities. The once tranquil spot has suffered from over-tourism in recent years, with party-goers flocking to camp by the water. Local residents have voiced their concerns about antisocial behaviour, including violence and littering. Some visitors have even brought along generators, gazebos and a flatbed truck equipped with its own fresh water supply for camping and outdoor enjoyment. However, the constant blaring of loud music throughout the night and drunken misbehaviour has resulted in locals being subjected to physical and verbal abuse, reports the Scottish Daily Express. Perth and Kinross Council have been accused of not doing enough to discourage troublemakers from wreaking havoc in the scenic area. Reports of nudity and drug use have also surfaced, with campers neglecting to clean up their rubbish after overnight stays. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Local resident Emma Crichton told the BBC: "Earlier this month there was a flatbed truck with a fresh water supply on it for three generations of campers who were there for 10 days with a generator with loud music. "I have people wandering into my garden asking if they can park there, people coming in and asking if they can use my loo. We have people having raves, it's like a music festival. I'm not a shrinking violet. I like a drink and I like loud music, but it's intolerable and I don't feel safe." Rangers have increased patrols in the area, collecting discarded items such as soiled nappies and a hypodermic needle. The locale typically teems with visitors between October or whenever the sun makes an appearance. Ms Crichton criticised the council and police response, stating: "Some of the rangers have been doing the job since before I got there so they know the area well and they're very invested in it. Every time I make a complaint, I'm told there's no law being broken. I cannot accept that." Negative feedback has also appeared on the Loch Clunie Facebook page, including a recent post from a man who visited the loch with his 10 year old daughter. He penned: "It was like Skid Row. Drunks everywhere - one or two being quite aggressive. Rubbish everywhere. Maybe half a dozen cars abandoned with parking tickets on them. Stayed for five minutes and left." Strathtay Councillor Ian James described the situation as an "absolute nightmare" for local residents. He commented that they were "putting up with loud music and drunken behaviour. Although it's a beautiful area, it's just not a nice place to be when it's like that." He alleged that a friend of his had been stabbed after requesting people not to camp in his garden. He added: "If this was Perth city centre, we'd have the police turning up and everybody would be trying their best to stop it, but this is in the countryside so it's unseen by most." A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council has stated that the local authority is keen for both visitors and residents to enjoy areas such as Loch of Clunie in a "safe, responsible and courteous manner". The spokesperson further added: "Parking attendants patrol the clearways, issuing guidance and penalty notices as appropriate. "We fully recognise the community's ongoing concerns about repeated incidents of irresponsible camping near residential properties. Given the understandable feelings of vulnerability and anxiety this has caused, we have advised residents not to engage directly with visitors and to report any threatening behaviour to Police Scotland." A representative from Police Scotland said: "We understand the impact anti-social behaviour and disorder has on the local community, and we would like to thank locals who continue to bring these incidents to our attention. Officers continue to work with local partners to address any concerns in the area, and where criminality is established, those responsible will be dealt with appropriately."
Daily Record
10-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Ukrainian grocery shop in Perth offers a taste of home
Global Food on Perth's High St sells all manner of Ukrainian delicacies Refugees who set up a Ukrainian grocery shop in Perth are offering a welcome taste of home to compatriots displaced to Scotland. Following the Russian invasion of their country, Alina Kotova and her family fled Ukraine and arrived in Scotland in September 2022. Fifteen months after making Scotland their home, she and her husband Denys opened a shop selling all Ukrainian food and drinks on Perth's High Street and were this week granted a licence to sell alcohol by Perth and Kinross Council. The shop sells all manner of Ukrainian delicacies from pork belly fat to sweets, salty cabbage to beetroot soup called borscht. And now they can sell Ukrainian beers and wine too. Alina said: "We decided to open a shop in Perth because it is a small city and there are a lot of people from Ukraine here. But it's not just Ukrainians who shope here. We get Latvians, Romanians... and Scots who just want to try a meal." And it is perhaps no surprise that one Scot who likes to pop in is Perth and Kinross councillor Steven Carr. Steven has been visiting Ukraine for 20 years - since setting up the charity Dnipro Kids - and has a particular penchant for Ukrainian vareniki (dumplings) and smetana (sour cream). Steven said: "I have been in a few times and bought some of the traditional Ukrainian dishes that I enjoy when I am in Ukraine. "It is great that during such difficult times that Ukrainians have somewhere that they can go for those little reminders of home." But their main passion is supporting a dog shelter back in Ukraine for pets who have been beaten, tortured and abandoned to die. The Dom Khvostov Shelter offers help to dogs which have been injured both physically and psychologically by the war and trauma. Anyone wanting to drop off pet food, medicine, bedding and pads can drop them off at Global Food and they will get taken to the shelter in Ukraine. Denys said: "We need to help the dogs because they cannot help themselves. They deserve a chance." On Wednesday, July 2 Perth and Kinross Licensing Board unanimously agreed to grant a premises licence subject to local conditions.
STV News
02-07-2025
- General
- STV News
'Miracle' puppy rescued from destroyed tenement two weeks after devastating fire
A puppy which survived for two weeks in a tenement destroyed by fire in Perth last month has been rescued. Vilo, a chihuahua, was feared to be dead after a fire broke out on Scott Street in the early hours of Saturday, June 14. The blaze took hold of a four-storey residential building, with a large emergency services presence deployed to deal with the structural collapse of the block. A man was pronounced dead at the scene and a number of people were hospitalised following the fire. Missing Pets Perth Vilo, a chihuahua, was feared to be dead after a fire on Scott Street in the early hours of Saturday, June 14. The puppy, whose name means 'to live' or 'to thrive and flourish' in Slovakian, was spotted in the window of the building by nearby residents after the fire. Once restrictions over the site were removed, volunteers from charity Missing Pets Perth flew a drone over the tenement and used thermal imaging to pinpoint Vilo's location. They then provided traps for demolition workers to put out each night containing food and water. Cameras inside showed Vilo taking enough to survive, but not venturing far enough inside to set the traps off. It was only when clothes belonging to her owners were placed in the crates that the rescue team were able to bring Vilo back down to ground level on Friday, June 27. Missing Pets Perth Missing Pets Perth flew a drone over the tenement and used thermal imaging to pinpoint its location. Katie McCandless from the charity said: 'This is a little bit of hope in some dark times. 'Perth and Kinross Council contacted us for some help and advice about what the best thing to do was. I've been running this charity for 14 years but this is the first type of case like this I've ever been involved in. 'We knew it was a delicate situation and had to be handled sensitively, a lot of residents have lost everything.' Following Vilo's rescue, she was taken to a vet to be checked over, and was found to be suffering no ill effects. Vilo also managed to make herself a bed in a wardrobe, where she escaped the noise and disruption of the demolition work. Katie said: 'She does not have a single mark on her and her paw pads are completely fine. She smells a bit of smoke but had minimal smoke inhalation. She really is a miracle dog' The dog belongs to the Ridaj family, who stayed on the top floor of the tenement. Dad Maros said: 'We are very happy that the dog is safe and has been returned to us.' Councillor Eric Drysdale, deputy leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said: 'This really is a remarkable story. 'I would like to thank everyone who helped return Vilo to her family safely – the neighbouring family who reported seeing her, Missing Pets Perth and Kinross, Council staff who supported the rescue and, of course, the team from Reigart Contracts who assisted while carrying out dangerous and urgent demolition work. 'We know there are people still grieving after the fire because of the loss of loved ones, the loss of their homes and the impact on businesses nearby. 'But this amazing rescue is emblematic of the kindness people have shown in the wake of the tragedy – and the extra mile people have been willing to go to help others affected by this awful situation.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
02-07-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Chihuahua rescued from fire-hit Perth tenement two weeks after blaze
The dog had been spotted in the window of Scott Street flat by nearby residents A chihuahua was rescued from a building destroyed by fire in Perth last month – after surviving for nearly two weeks in the damaged tenement. The puppy called Vilo, which means 'to live' or 'to thrive and flourish' in Slovakian, was feared killed in the Scott Street fire which occurred in the early hours of Saturday June 14. However, the chihuahua was later spotted in the window of the building by nearby residents. Perth and Kinross Council reached out to charity Missing Pets Perth and Kinross for advice. Once restrictions over the site of the fire were removed the charity's volunteers flew a drone over the tenement and used thermal imaging to pinpoint its location. They then provided traps for demolition workers to put out each night containing food and water. Cameras inside showed Vilo taking enough to survive – but not venturing far enough inside to set the traps off. It was only when clothes belonging to her owners were placed in the crates that the rescue team were able to bring Vilo back down to ground level on Friday, 27 June, almost two weeks after the fire. Katie McCandless from the charity said: 'This is a little bit of hope in some dark times. 'Perth and Kinross Council contacted us for some help and advice about what the best thing to do was. I've been running this charity for 14 years but this is the first type of case like this I've ever been involved in. 'We knew it was a delicate situation and had to be handled sensitively, a lot of residents have lost everything.' g Vilo's rescue, she was taken to a vet for a check over and, remarkably, is suffering no ill effects. It also emerged Vilo had also managed to make herself a bed in a wardrobe, where she escaped the noise and disruption of the demolition work going on around her during the day. Katie said: 'She does not have a single mark on her and her paw pads are completely fine. She smells a bit of smoke but had minimal smoke inhalation. She really is a miracle dog' The dog belongs to the Ridaj family, who stayed on the top-floor of the tenement. Dad Maros said: 'We are very happy that the dog is safe and has been returned to us.' Councillor Eric Drysdale, deputy leader of Perth and Kinross Council and ward member for Perth City Centre, said: 'This really is a remarkable story. 'I would like to thank everyone who helped return Vilo to her family safely –, the neighbouring family who reported seeing her, Missing Pets Perth and Kinross, Council staff who supported the rescue and, of course, the team from Reigart Contracts who assisted while carrying out dangerous and urgent demolition work. 'We know there are people still grieving after the fire because of the loss of loved ones, the loss of their homes and the impact on businesses nearby. 'But this amazing rescues is emblematic of the kindness people have shown in the wake of the tragedy – and the extra mile people have been willing to go to help others affected by this awful situation.'
Daily Record
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
Perth's first female provost's daughter pays tribute to devoted mum who always put others' needs first
Jean McCormack DL served as provost from 1992 until 1996 The daughter of Perth's first ever female provost has paid tribute to her mum as a devoted family woman who always put others first. Jean McCormack DL died on Wednesday, June 18 aged 87. First elected onto Perth and Kinross Council in 1982, Jean went on to serve as deputy leader, leader of the administration, then provost from 1992 to 1996 and was a Deputy Lieutenant until aged 76. Born and raised in Dundee, Jean was the second of four girls. She is survived by her husband Peter (88), son Peter (62), daughter Carrie McLennan (60) and her five grandchildren: Katie, Reece and Lewis McLennan and Patrick and Olivia McCormack. Daughter Carrie said her mum was "always thinking of other people and how to make life easier for others". While Jean served as a Conservative councillor, her political life started with a stint doing voluntary work for a senior SNP politician. Her uncle Wallace Kinloch was the election agent for SNP MP for Perth and East Perthshire Douglas Crawford. He asked her to take on the job of constituency secretary in 1976. Carrie said: "She was unsure about it but he said, 'You can write letters, answer telephone calls, what else do you need'? And she thrived on that and really enjoyed it. It was a voluntary role. "Then she moved on to become an election agent, but after tackling a general election and a Euro election in the same year she took two years out, before winning a by-election in her own ward, the Carse of Gowrie as a Conservative." Helping others was what drove Jean. Carrie said: "For my mum, the politics were less important than serving the community and the people in that community." During her time as councillor she played a part in securing sheltered housing in Errol and was proud of Perth's reputation in town twinning and the start of Perth in Bloom's repeated success. Perth first won Scotland in Bloom in 1992 before going on to win its first Britain in Bloom award in 1993, claiming the large town trophy ahead of 1300 entrants. Carrie said: "She drove the application as provost and they went down to London for the award and had quite a hoolie in the hotel room I believe." Carrie added: "For five years she was chair of Friends of Aschaffenburg, Perth's longest established twin town and she was on the working committee for the Peace Child event and formed close ties with John Chan of the Jade Garden restaurant in Perth." In August 1997 Jean was awarded Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for promoting British-Polish relations and it was her work with the Polish community she was most proud of. Back in 1986, her son Peter announced he was going on a rail holiday to Poland and what was then Czechoslovakia. This being before the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, it was a somewhat unusual holiday choice. It helped spark a long-lasting friendship between Jean and her husband Peter and a local Polish couple Nana and Janek Jarmulski, who frequented Perth's Conservative Club. When Britain geared up for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in May 1995, Janek and Nana expressed concern to Jean that the Poles might again be excluded from any commemorations. As Provost, Jean was the driving force behind arranging for Perth to host the largest VE commemorations in 1995 outside London and she made sure the Polish veterans were warmly invited. As a former primary school teacher, Jean valued education and was devoted to her family. Jean and her husband Peter - who lived on the same Dundee street - began dating in their teens. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in December 2024. The pair loved cruising and, according to Carrie, "saw most of the world from a cruise deck". And, as Peter is the co-owner of Perthshire Caravans, it is perhaps no surprise they enjoyed caravan and motorhome holidays. The couple travelled all over Scotland and Europe and only stopped recently when the COVID pandemic hit. In fact, they loved it so much they even lived in a caravan, when they lived in England, until their house was built in 1970. Becoming Perth's first female provost was a huge deal. Carrie said: "It was massive at the time and she was nervous about it. One of the highlights for her was the relationship she had with the High Constables of Perth. "I was at home the first time she had to go to the annual dinner. She was the only woman in a room of 100-odd men. "I remember she said her first joke was, 'Now gentlemen, you need to look really closely at what I'm wearing, which caused confusion until she said - because it will be the first thing your wives will ask you when you get home'. "It's a joke of its time. Mum was a woman of her generation." Jean's funeral will take place at Perth Crematorium on Wednesday, July 9 at 1.30pm. All are welcome.
