Two vehicles have been involved in a crash near Ellon Police and paramedics are at the scene of the collision on the A90 Aberdeen to Peterhead road The incident took place north of the Ellon roundabout The southbound carriageway has been partially closed as a result Traffic is building in the area and motorists are advised to find an alternative route until further notice Several police cars and two ambulances were seen at the scene A police spokesperson said: “The southbound carriageway of the A90 is partially closed just north of Ellon following a two-vehicle crash which was reported around 3.40pm on Friday “Traffic is moving slowly via the northbound carriageway and the public is asked to consider alternative routes while recovery of the vehicles is being arranged.” The ambulance service has been contacted for more information Our reporters are working to bring you the latest updates on this developing story Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook for breaking news Comments are currently disabled as they require cookies and it appears you've opted out of cookies on this site. To participate in the conversation, please adjust your cookie preferences in order to enable comments Ellon’s first family resource centre and new library are set to open to customers over the next fortnight as work on Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine House reaches completion.  The two-storey development on Union Street has been built on part of the former Ellon Academy site bringing several council services under one roof and allowing for the release of other town centre sites for alternative uses The main public entrance leads to the new Ellon Library while the Ellon Family Resource Centre – a first for the town – has a dedicated entrance and enclosed outdoor play area.  The internal layout of Formartine House has been designed to be fully accessible and features a PAMIS ‘Changing Places’ toilet facility that can be accessed from Bridge Street featuring electric vehicle charging points The building is highly energy efficient and has been designed to achieve ‘net zero’ operational standards Landscaping on the site will support pollinating insects has been protected as part of the development.  Ellon Family Resource Centre is a tailored and fully accessible building to provide advice and support families and individuals in the area.  A range of life skills courses will also be provided at the centre which is fully adapted to welcome children and families of all ages and physical abilities This allows for the delivery of tailored healthy living programmes in the purpose-built kitchen and dining room.  Support is available by referral or upon request by contacting 01467 537111 or elcsduty@aberdeenshire.gov.uk   offers comfortable study and seating areas with a separate room for local studies that can be booked or is available upon request if not in use.  to allow for the transfer of books and resources and reopen in the new building at 9.30am on Tuesday The new space will continue to offer a series of events and activities including Bookbug sessions in the new children’s area Digital services will remain available while the library’s stock of around 6,500 items is transferred to the new building where services will continue to be available for 30 hours per week.  Also based in the building will be the Registrars Service with the team very pleased to now have a modern bright ceremonies room with capacity for up to 50 people There is also a dedicated room for meeting customers The team will continue to offer a variety of ceremonial services As before, face-to-face meetings will be by appointment only by contacting registrars@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or calling 01467 468 468.  who attended the ground-breaking ceremony as the project got underway in September 2023 said: “In less than a year and a half we have seen a significant transformation of this important town centre site which will support the community for many years to come "Morrison North East have delivered a modern and energy-efficient building and I hope all our customers and council teams enjoy spending time in it.” Meetings of Aberdeenshire Council’s Formartine Area Committee will also take place in the building.  Committee chair Cllr Iain Taylor said: “I’m pleased to see Formartine House ready to open and am very much looking forward to holding our future meetings in the building "As well becoming a central hub for council services in Ellon the building presents the opportunity for the council to release a number of town centre sites that have potential for various other uses over the coming months and years.” said: “We are very pleased to have been involved in the construction of Formartine House This has been another example of us using local labour and local supply chain partners to ensure an early completion of the project.” Aberdeenshire Council is inviting interest in the Station Road library building, which is now available for sale. Further details are available at: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/media/moieztu4/final-particulars-ellon-library.pdf We use cookies to make sure we give you the best experience possible. By continuing, you're accepting that you're happy with our cookie policy. Click here to find out more Inn The Spirit Festival 2025 rolls into Ellon on Saturday 16th August for a full day of music Presented by Ellon Spirits and the New Inn Hotel family-friendly festival takes place in a specially transformed outdoor space right in the heart of town — turning the venue into a vibrant hub of sound Taking centre stage is the one and only Craig Charles Funk & Soul Party (DJ Set) — expect a masterclass in funk and rhythm from the legendary BBC Radio host and performer Also taking the stage is Federation of the Disco Pimp one of Scotland’s most exciting live acts The brilliant Absolute Amy brings the timeless voice and charisma of Amy Winehouse to life in a stunning tribute set while Kev Reid delivers an uplifting DJ set full of disco and house grooves The lineup also features local talents Ross Graham there’ll be loads of tasty street food to try and bars pouring everything from ice-cold summer favourites to your go-to classics Inn The Spirit Festival is set to be a brilliant day in the heart of Ellon Please note: The event information above has been added by the organiser Whilst we try to ensure all details are up-to-date we do not make any warranty or representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information shown We advise you to contact the venue if you need exact directions because we believe true fans deserve a fairer and smarter way to discover events they love.” 0.08);border-bottom-width:thin;margin-top:35px;margin-bottom:35px;border-color:#4e4e4e;margin-top:16px!important;margin-bottom:16px!important;}© 2001 - 2025 Skiddle Ltd | Skiddle is a registered trademark | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED MCDONALD'S have scrapped plans for a new drive-thru restaurant in a Scottish town - despite getting the green light Fast food chiefs wanted to bring the golden arches to locals in Ellon, Aberdeenshire Years of work has gone into planning applications and preparations for the site, reports the Press and Journal The global chain's latest outlet would have been on Balmacassie Brae in the town Councillors received a planning application for the new drive-thru restaurant in 2023 But bosses were forced to withdraw it after fears were raised about traffic and road safety Hundreds of locals were overjoyed at the news a McDonald's chain would be coming to the town Currently, those wanting to get some of the popular food had to travel nearly 20 minutes away to either Peterhead or Bridge of Don. But their hopes of a local source for Big Macs and Happy Meals have been shattered as it emerged the plans have been binned. The global food chain launched a strategic review of it's restaurants and decided Ellon's store has been scrapped A spokesperson for the company reportedly told Aberdeenshire Councillor Isobel Davidson of the plans to stop the new outlet being built They said: “I just wanted to provide an update on McDonald’s proposals for a new restaurant in Ellon the proposals were approved last year following great support from the local community McDonald’s have taken the difficult decision not to proceed with the proposals “McDonald’s do though remain grateful for the support shown by the local community and Aberdeenshire Council “And while they will not be moving forward with proposals at this location they remain fully committed to identifying new opportunities to bring McDonald’s to the area in the future.” Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here We use cookies to collect information about how you use the Police Scotland website We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged following the death of a 36-year-old man in Ellon He is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday officers were made aware of the death of Martin Forgie within a property in Gordon Place His family has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers A post mortem examination will be carried out in due course In a statement released through Police Scotland his family said: "Martin was a much loved son "We ask for our privacy as a family to be respected at this difficult time." The 44-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death and enquiries are continuing Detective Inspector Rory Campbell said: "Our thoughts remain with Mr Forgie's family and friends at this extremely difficult time "Officers will remain in the area while enquiries are carried out "Anyone with information can speak to them call 101 quoting reference 3400 of Wednesday 2024 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Police Scotland support those who wish to become police officers special constables or police staff by hosting various online and in-person recruitment events throughout the year supported victims and a thriving workforce Read about our 2030 vision and three-year plan Worried that your partner or the partner of someone you know might have an abusive past we'd appreciate your feedback on the service we provided Police Scotland has been working to make its websites more accessible - read our accessibility statement Aberdeenshire Council has launched £1.5million plans to build new housing on the site of the former Ellon Academy The academy was torn down almost a decade ago and pupils moved into a new £36million state-of-the-art facility at Cromleybank the local authority has lodged plans to build 11 new affordable homes on the site The planning application for the new housing can be viewed here The new housing development would complement the recently opened Formartine House on part of the old school site family resource centre and council offices You can read more about the plans on the P&J website. Being a member of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce can bring significant value to your business © parkrun Limited (Company Number: 07289574) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner McDonald’s has scrapped plans for a new restaurant in Ellon despite it being approved by the council The US fast-food chain has indicated they may still have an interest in the area but the Balmacassie Brae scheme appears to have been abandoned The company has been eyeing up a location in the town since 2023 when a planning application was lodged for a drive-thru site Those plans were initially withdrawn after concerns over road safety were raised they launched a second bid for an Ellon restaurant located on Balmacassie Brae – this time minus the drive-thru After the proposals were lodged in February more than 200 Ellon residents contacted Aberdeenshire Council to offer their backing Many argued a McDonald’s would be good for the town as the nearest locations are currently in Bridge of Don and Peterhead And in May 2024, plans were approved for a new £4 million restaurant to be built in Ellon. almost a year after getting the green light McDonald’s has announced its decision to scrap the plans A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “As part of an ongoing strategic review we have decided not to pursue a new restaurant in Ellon.” “We are grateful for the support shown by the local community and Aberdeenshire Council throughout the planning process “While we are not moving forward at this location we remain committed to identifying new opportunities to bring McDonald’s to the area in the future.” vacant sites and a number of commercial premises are currently being marketed for sale or lease by Aberdeenshire Council The local authority’s property and facilities service is keen to attract buyers and new tenants for a wide range of vacant properties and business units from as far afield as Ellon to Laurencekirk Aberdeenshire Council owns and manages more than 500 sites and units in 41 business locations throughout the north-east of Scotland In addition there are over 200 office suites available for lease in nine purpose-built business centres across the region With the opening of the new Formartine House in Ellon which has brought several council services under one roof including the town’s library it has freed up several other town centre sites for alternative uses including retail The former library on Station Road comprises a single-storey library area and a two-storey wing offering spacious accommodation The gross internal area of the building is approximately 398sqm – providing significant room for a wide range of uses – while also benefiting from an adjacent pay and display car park Ripe for conversion to a number of commercial purposes the building is on the market at offers over £185,000 Schedule: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/media/moieztu4/final-particulars-ellon-library.pdf   There are also two office premises on the market in Ellon - the first being the former Health and Social Care Partnership office at 59 Station Road which boasts a gross internal floor area of 199sqm The traditional stone office building also comes with the added incentive of the 37-space car park to the rear of the property and is also on the market at offers over £185,000 Schedule: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/media/ggjjscsf/59-station-road-ellon.pdf Meanwhile the vacant council offices on Schoolhill Road are also available featuring a linked detached single storey building providing five office/meeting rooms with associated car parking With a gross internal floor area of 139sqm this property has an asking price of over £50,000 Schedule: https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/media/yksjtgzq/ellon-area-office-paricluars.pdf  there are a number of vacant premises and sites which could offer a wide range of development opportunities for businesses and community groups The council continues to market the impressive Macduff Town Hall which has become surplus to requirements The property would lend itself to a number of commercial with the town hall building occupying most of the site The B-listed detached property benefits from a very prominent location on the town’s Shore Street offering stunning views across the harbour and out over the Moray Firth The vacant Cairnbanno Community Centre near New Deer covers 156sqm and provides a good conversion opportunity toilets and entrance lobbies – with offers over £48,000 being sought Also on the market at offers over £350,000 is the former Drumoak Primary School site near Banchory which extends to approximately 0.72 acres and two vacant plots at Peterhead’s busy Balmoor Industrial Estate which provide opportunities for industrial development or general storage.  Head of council Property and Facilities Management said: “As the largest single provider of business land and premises in Aberdeenshire we can offer a range of premises to accommodate a number of commercial operations "Whether a business wants to lease an office with access to meeting rooms in one of our business centres our properties are presented in a good condition and come with favourable rent packages we also have a number of premises which present a wide range of both commercial and community-led opportunities and we would invite interested parties to make contact with us to discuss potential developments in more detail.” You can view all the council’s vacant premises and lease opportunity at https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/business/available-property  An Ellon man is to test his problem solving skills when he appears on STV quiz show The 1% Club Fans of the logic-based question programme will be able to see local quizmaster Graeme Clark put through his paces on Saturday’s episode Dad of two Graeme is a well-known face around the Aberdeen pub quiz scene after founding his own business which organises trivia games around the Granite City He started out as a city DJ, before setting up Exclusive Quizzes a number of years ago Graeme is set to be on the other side of the quizmaster’s desk in an episode of The 1% Club Speaking to The Press and Journal he said that he was inspired to go on the show after playing along from home with his son Graeme said: “I’m always keeping my eyes open on social media for these types of opportunities “I run a business and we organise pub quizzes – I’ve done that for 20 years or so now “My son is absolutely brilliant on this show “I got it into it so we could play together and that’s what inspired me to apply.” Graeme also revealed what it was like to step into the bright lights of a national TV quiz show after his visit to Salford for filming “It feels completely different in the studio from watching at home,” he said “The questions just come at you really quickly “Just 30 seconds to answer a really tricky one is really not a lot of time at all.” He added: “They start with a bit of a warm up act to get you energised for the show and they throw some warm-up questions at you and the questions just come at you really quite suddenly “I didn’t go out on the first question “It was a really great experience overall though.” Graeme wouldn’t give anything away regarding the results of the TV quiz fans of The 1% Club can tune in on STV or STVPlayer from 9.05pm Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases A lifeboat volunteer from Wick who begged for a second chance has been told to stay away from his former partner had earlier admitted to sending repeated messages to his now ex-girlfriend when he could not accept things were over He would send messages to her friends and even her son requesting them to pass on notes asking her to reconcile At Elgin Sheriff Court, following a deferment for background reports on his circumstances, Macalpine was admonished for his behaviour. A lorry driver narrowly avoided a collision after he misjudged an overtake on the A96 Stuart Revill admitted careless driving at Inverness Sheriff Court following the incident on April 26 last year near the Auldearn junction His solicitor told the court Revill was “aware that there could have been far more serious consequences” At the hearing in Inverness, Revill admitted an amended charge of careless driving. Two men have appeared in court accused of attempting to murder a teenager with a hammer were arrested following the incident in the Hilton area of Inverness at the weekend It is alleged they assaulted 19-year-old Sean Smith with a hammer and a “sharp instrument” in Morvich Way on Saturday April 26 Mr Smith was taken to the hospital in Inverness with serious injuries. A drug dealer who was found hiding in a cupboard at his former partner’s house also had more than £5,000 of cannabis in his possession Lewis Henderson was in breach of a court order when he was found hiding inside his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom cupboard at a property in Turriff in November last year When police brought the 25-year-old out and searched him they discovered he had hundreds of pounds in cash in his pocket A further search of his bag revealed it contained more than £5,000 of cannabis, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. A Newburgh paedophile was snared by police with even more child abuse material just months after his first conviction for the crime appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being in possession of around 118 images of children on his phone many of which were of the most serious category was sentenced in March last year after he was caught with around 100 images on his devices but told police he hadn’t “meant” to download them and hadn’t been “purposefully” seeking them out Regarding his new crimes, his solicitor, Michael Burnett, expressed dismay that Williams was caught with more illegal images less than four months after his last court appearance. A man who beat up a pensioner in Aberdeen so severely that his eyelid became partially detached has been sentenced to prison for almost three years Paul Milne faced a host of charges earlier this year when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court following the attack and was back in the dock on Monday to discover his fate who is from Hatton but has been in custody since last August for another crime sat silently at Peterhead Sheriff Court as he heard he would spend 31 months in total behind bars Giving a narrative of Milne’s attack on his 76-year-old victim, fiscal depute Brian Young said the man stumbled upon a scene of Milne arguing in the street at about 3pm on March 9, and made efforts to calm matters down. A 53-year-old Aberdeen woman has appeared in court after £100,000 of heroin was found in a car on the A90 Rona Bain was arrested following the late-night traffic stop near Fordoun last week She appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and made no plea to a single charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act Police stopped the car at 12.50am on Friday on the A90 near Fordoun and the six-figure quantity of Class A drugs was discovered. Every day our reporters are sitting in courtrooms around the area and now you can get their stories sent directly to you Click here to find out how A danger driver has been jailed and banned from the roads after causing a crash that left the other man with “life-changing” injuries ploughed head-on into Mark Abel’s car on the A946 Aberdeen to Newmachar road but has only “vague” memories of the 2022 crash Mr Abel spent two agonising hours trapped in the wreckage and 11 more on the operating table and still struggles with his injuries to this day Speaking to The Press and Journal, Mr Abel, 37, said: “My life changed in a split second – the doctors told me later I was lucky to be alive.” A man has been found guilty of repeatedly raping a woman at a property in Peterhead was convicted by majority verdict following a week-long trial at the High Court in Aberdeen it was stated that the female victim told police she was raped around four times during a 90-minute ordeal The woman eventually threatened Urbonavicius, a Lithuanian national, with a blade to get him to leave her property. A former Inverness church organist and convicted paedophile has avoided jail despite displaying indecent images of children on a shelf in his bedroom Iain McIntyre – who has twice been jailed for possessing vast amounts of indecent images and videos of children – had 15 printed photos of undressed young girls at his home Inverness but who formerly stayed in Tain’s Mansfield Estate previously appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to possessing the images on January 10 last year Fiscal depute Emily Hood previously told Inverness Sheriff Court they were found by police who had obtained a search warrant for his home and involved girls aged between 14 and 15, mostly in states of undress. A man who has been working as a cleaner in an Inverness school has appeared in court accused of indecent online communications was arrested at his Inverness home after a ‘sting’ by a vigilante group at around 5.50pm on Monday He appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court today facing two charges under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act Stevenson made no plea to causing a child under the age of 16, or whom he believed to be underage, to view sexual images, by sending images of his penis. A Peterhead driver who caused a serious head-on collision that saw another car roll over and burst into flames has no recollection of how it happened was driving on the A920 Ellon to Pitmedden Road when her grey Land Rover veered into the oncoming lane striking a silver Ford and forcing it off the road The car – driven by another woman – turned over several times before its engine caught fire The other driver suffered multiple serious injuries and was placed on life support for several weeks, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. A man found walking topless by the side of the A82 threatened police officers urinated in their van and refused a breath test Brent Connor was “highly intoxicated” and “aggressive” when officers picked him up near the police station at Fort Augustus Connor appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and failing to provide a sample of breath. A Fraserburgh man has admitted to carrying out a violent early-morning attack on his victim to rob him of just £120 was in the dock at Peterhead Sheriff Court to stand trial for a host of charges and threatening to set fire to a woman’s home But the 33-year-old had a change of heart mid-way through the trial and changed his plea to guilty after hearing first-hand evidence of his attack Murray’s 27-year-old victim, who gave his testimony by video link, said he had been living in the Scalloway Court area of Fraserburgh at the time and had been alone in his flat when Murray arrived on his doorstep at 2am clad in a camouflaged balaclava and, in a Scouse accent, demanded entry into his property. An Aviemore taxi driver has been banned from the roads after being caught drug driving Philipe Brooks had more than three times the legal limit of a cannabis derivative in his system when his taxi was stopped by police on the town’s Grampian Road His solicitor told the court he had not been working at the time and was simply going shopping Brooks,  58, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit the single drug driving charge. A serial Aberdeen thief has been jailed again after admitting stabbing his brother-in-law with a bread knife Alexander Murison also admitted stealing a can of Coke and a mountain bike from an office in Aberdeen The 44-year-old stole the bike from inside Neo House on Riverside Drive on August 16 last year The court heard that just over a week later, on August 24, Murison assaulted his brother-in-law, during an early morning altercation at his Bucksburn address. A driver stopped by police in Inverness had cocaine worth £1,100 in a hidden compartment in his car Officers pulled Gheorghe Mois over on Kessock Road in relation to a separate matter but soon began to suspect he may be in possession of drugs A search of his car found nine bags of white powder in a hidden compartment beside the driver’s seat Mois, 33, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court, where, with the help of an interpreter, he admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply. An Aberdeen airline pilot says he is lucky to be alive after being knocked unconscious in a vicious attack by a yob outside a Busted concert attended the show at Aberdeen’s P&J Live in September 2023 with two friends was waiting for a taxi home when he was punched without provocation by Ben Corfield Corfield admitted punching Ross on the head and causing him to fall to the ground outside the concert venue. A fisherman who told staff in MSP Kate Forbes’ Dingwall office that he had Irish “connections” and access to AK-47 assault rifles has appeared in court Iain McIntosh made the alarming claims following a meeting at the SNP premises in the town’s High Street McIntosh – who was “agitated” during the constituency meeting – went on to say he would “use an AK-47 on them” which the two staff took to be a threat against police officers McIntosh appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour in relation to the incident on March 25 of last year. A Stonehaven paedophile has avoided jail after exposing himself to what he thought was a nine-year-old girl Glen Wilson was snared online by two decoys posing as nine and 13-year-old children struck up sexual chats with the ‘children’ from his Mary Street address between March 2020 and July 2023 Appearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing, he was placed under a Sexual Harm Protection Order for five years and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. A Banff man who tried to control his former girlfriend by including himself in her phone calls and sending her unwanted messages has been handed two weeks to prove he can turn his life around had been scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday for his campaign of abuse against his ex but was given a last-minute reprieve when custody was described as being on the horizon The court heard how Arnold was already the subject of multiple community payback orders for previous matters which he had thus far not completed Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin gave a narrative of Arnold’s 10-month relationship with his victim ahead of sentencing. A man who moved to an Aberdeenshire village for the quiet life has been fined after threatening to kill his neighbour Norman Gordon admitted to the crime at Banff Sheriff Court on Wednesday The court heard that during the argument with the man he also threatened to have his mother murdered Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin said Gordon, 58, of Priory Cottages, said the interaction between the two men took place on November 18 last year. An offshore businessman has been found guilty of making a racist comment towards an 11-year-old boy at a children’s football match in Aberdeen denied using a vile racist slur towards a child following a youth game at Spain Park calling him a “dirty hacking black b******” Following a part-heard trial, Manderson was found guilty by Sheriff Lesley Johnston. A Keith man’s disturbing campaign of controlling and violent behaviour towards two girlfriends has been revealed in court Mark Strathdee sat in silence in the dock of Elgin Sheriff Court as fiscal depute Victoria Silver spent more than 20 minutes narrating the case against him The 24-year-old previously admitted two charges of domestic abuse which were carried out between 2022 and 2024 Strathdee’s first victim, whom he dated between 2022 and 2023, said he used an iPhone app to track her movements, and his abusive behaviour happened so often that it became the “norm”. A young Aberdeen thug has avoided jail after attacking two strangers outside McDonald’s on Union Street carried out his unprovoked attacks just over a week before another incident in which he pelted a couple with rocks and attacked a man Main told the couple: “Do you know who I am Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that late in the evening of July 22 2023 Main had been outside McDonald’s with a group of youths. The last remnant of the flattened site of the old Ellon Academy could be brought back to life as a new mix of houses and flats Aberdeenshire Council wants to erect 11 new homes on the empty land where the annex once used to be – adjacent to the old building The former Ellon Academy was knocked down in 2016 and pupils were moved to the modern £36 million campus at Cromleybank The annex across the road on Gordon Terrace was levelled the following year Part of the flattened site has already been redeveloped with the local authority opening the doors of their brand new Formartine House earlier this year The two-storey building is now home to a library the town’s first family resource centre and council offices the spot of the former annex remains vacant Aberdeenshire Council has now launched £1.5m plans to build nearly a dozen affordable homes there The complex will be a mix of houses and flats which are hoped to help the local authority meet ever-increasing demands for affordable housing There will be a block of flats with three one-bed and three two-bed properties on the corner of Bridge Street and Gordon Terrace The adjacent land will be used to build four three-bed and one four-bed houses Planning papers show each of the homes will have designated parking spaces with EV chargers You can read more about the plans here. It’s often said that having a child is a miracle Having been diagnosed with breast cancer at just 25 she was told treatment would most likely leave her childless Karen and husband William gave it their best shot “They told me to come back in two weeks’ time if it had grown or hadn’t settled So I went back after two weeks and was told I’d be given a referral to the breast clinic I waited quite a long time for that referral to come through I eventually phoned the GP and asked why I hadn’t had my referral through “They basically told me that they thought I was too young and too low-risk to have cancer so I wasn’t going to be getting a referral I eventually managed to get an appointment at ARI where I had a scan and a biopsy done I just couldn’t believe I was getting told I had cancer and he also struggled to take the information in.” Karen underwent a series of scans and blood tests But it got her to the stage where she was ready for a lumpectomy “At first I was told it was going to be a mastectomy They weren’t quite sure how it was going to go with the chemotherapy “But they managed to shrink the cancer down so well that they basically just had to remove the cancer that was left.” Karen received the joyous news she was cancer-free she and William were told they might never be able to have children due to the strength of the chemo As a nursery practitioner surrounded by young children every day “We had so much to think about in such a short space of time been told I might not be able to have children to then go on and have radiotherapy… it was just so much to take in all at the one time “All my friends were starting to have children “I kind of took myself away from some of my friends because I struggled to cope with it.” something deep inside was telling Karen there was a chance the couple were told they’d have to wait two years before they could try for children “We were offered to have my eggs frozen before treatment because the chemotherapy could have affected my fertility so much But that would have delayed my treatment and we didn’t want that and we just felt ‘it’s not going to happen.’ We look to him as the one that was meant to be ‘When are you having another child?’ and going on and on about it because we’ve been through so much that we almost didn’t have Matthew “We feel blessed to have the one that we’ve got Though she has been cancer-free for 11 years Karen admits her health battles have taken their toll mentally “I do still have a lot of health anxiety,” she said “I think even more now because I’m a mum – I’ve got an eight-year-old that relies on me He’s come to some of my hospital appointments with me “And I know some people might not agree with that In recognition of her against-the-odds story, Karen has been chosen as one of the models at this year’s Courage on the Catwalk The annual show, arranged by the Friends of Anchor charity shines a spotlight on some of the north-east’s most courageous and inspirational women She wants to use the platform to raise awareness – on several levels “I was told I was too young and low-risk to have cancer “If you know something is wrong with your body “It’s actually happened to a lot of the girls I’ve spoken to who are doing Courage on the Catwalk “A lot of them have had to fight for referrals “I want people to know that cancer can strike at any age.” She added: “I also want to get the message across to women that it’s really hard when you’re struggling to have children to want to hide away or to not feel happy for others and you should never feel pressured into having children “You need to be fit and healthy yourself before having a child “I don’t think people understand what it feels like for women who can’t have children.” Among the crowd at Courage on the Catwalk will be Matthew who told The P&J: “I’m super happy mummy is taking part in the catwalk and I can’t wait to watch her.” The Ellon family’s struggles have given them a sense of gratitude that is perhaps lacking in some other households “Having a family after going through what we have absolutely helps put things into perspective and makes us grateful for what we have,” said Karen “Things that would have bothered me a lot before just don’t bother me now “Life’s too important to dwell on silly things who has been at her side every step of the way “He took all the time off he needed to come to all the appointments He was only 25 and for such a young lad he handled it so well Ashers: Meet the Nairn family keeping their family bakery and legacy going strong 60 years wed through thick, thin and even a tsunami: Bill and Dorothy Murdoch of Ballindalloch Meet the Ferguson family from Turriff: The ‘world’s most adventurous family’ After three decades of working as a butcher in Ellon Barry Bartlet has decided to branch out on his own The 46-year-old welcomed his first customers through the doors of Barry’s Butchery on Monday which can be found at Neil Ross Square on Bridge Street was an exciting but nerve-wracking move for the experienced butcher “It’s all I’ve done since I left school,” he told The Press and Journal “I have thought about branching out by myself for a long time but had just never taken the plunge “It was a tough decision – and a scary one as well I’ve worked at Costcutter and then Greens in the town for 30 years “We decided it was finally time to go out on our own and see how it would all go.” the main motivation for starting his own business was his family “Barry’s very much a family man,” his wife Marie-Ann “He wanted to have something for the boys and something which fitted around our family life “We thought this was a perfect spot – they’ll all grow up knowing this shop.” The couple first viewed the empty unit on Bridge Street in July last year and have been working hard ever since to turn it into the perfect butcher shop They designed the space themselves and with help from friends they gradually saw their vision come to life Barry, who lives in Newburgh, said: “We played about with some names at the start but everyone knows my name so Barry’s Butchery made sense “Ever since we announced it the response from the public has been unbelievable.” Barry was finally able to open the butchery alongside his team Marie-Ann, who is head chef at the New Inn Hotel in Ellon will also be sharing her expertise at the new shop She said: “We want to be affordable and offer different products for people “We also want to get that family feel across and make it comfortable for the customers “The butchers can be a daunting place if you don’t know what you’re looking for.” Barry’s Butchery will be open Monday to Saturday Shocking footage shows the moment a car careers into the rear of another vehicle and overturns on an Ellon street a cream Mini ploughs into the back of a black Vauxhall SUV which was parked on Snipe Street at around 4.30pm on Saturday The car strikes the corner wall of a house which causes it to flip over with the two vehicles soon surrounded in white smoke The footage then appears to show at least one of the occupants struggling out from the badly damaged Mini and running from the scene Officers have now revealed the occupants ran off before they attended Inquiries are ongoing to locate those involved Residents soon rushed out of their homes to see what the commotion was and to help anyone involved said the car had been noticed parked on their street all day He said: “They hit the Vauxhall you can see and shunted it three houses up the street “That flipped the car and then they hit the white wall.” No serious injuries were sustained as a result of the crash the black Vauxhall car remains on the street as of Monday There is severe damage to the back of the vehicle where the Mini Cooper struck A police spokesperson said: “Around 4.30pm on 8 February 2025 police received a report of a collision between a car and a parked vehicle in Snipe Street “The occupants of the car ran off before officers attended “Inquiries are ongoing to locate those involved quoting incident number 2316 of 8 February 2025.” Our reporters are working to bring you the latest updates on this developing story. Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook for breaking news A police cordon was placed around Bridge Street after an Ellon fire in an electricity manhole an area of the shopping street was taped off with a police vehicle blocking either end of one section of the street Two fire appliances from Ellon were also on the scene The cordon was from K and C Jewellery to Ythan Bakery on Ellon‘s shopping street A spokesperson from SSEN Distribution said: “We’d like to thank our customers in the Bridge Street area of Ellon for their patience yesterday morning as our teams worked hard to restore their power following a fault on our local Low Voltage underground cable network.” A woodwork project for adults with learning disabilities in Ellon is to “temporarily” close due to a lack of skilled staff located on the Castle Park Industrial Estate in Ellon the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership is working to ensure users are able to transition to other opportunities which gives adults with learning disabilities the opportunity to be involved in gardening and recycling the partnership confirmed this is not the case Other Ellon Day Opportunities facilities which include the Ellon Resource Centre (“The Hub”) – based at Station Road and home of the Ellon Editors group – will also remain open The Hub offers a variety of groups and activities provide skills development for adults with learning disabilities interested in computers Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross has written to the Aberdeenshire Integrated Joint Board which has representatives from both Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian to express her “extreme disappointment” at the loss of Benchmark Day Services Ms Cross said: I know from my time as an MP and a previous visit to Benchmark and Can-do the positive impact it has on adults with learning disabilities accessing its facilities in Ellon The Conservative politician also said that any “potential closure” of the Benchmark project would “undoubtedly have a negative impact” on the independence and community integration of its users A spokeswoman for the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We regret that we will be temporarily closing Benchmark Day Services due to lack of skilled staff to support our service users “We will work with all of our clients and families to ensure they are able to transition to other opportunities within Ellon Day Service.” From cookware and DIY tools to souvenirs and stationery aims to “liven up” the town centre The store replaces a former Nickel & Dime that closed years ago at the corner of Bridge Street Inviting The Press and Journal for an exclusive first look as it opened its doors at 10am store manager Umar Ahmed said “there was a need” for a hardware store like this “We sell a huge variety of products across a wide range of areas including things for DIY jobs and odd jobs around the house,” he said “I think the square especially needs something to liven it up and I think it necessary for this store to be here “We want to help revitalise the town centre to bring more people into town and help out other local businesses as well.” Customers queued outside the store just before the 10am opening was so excited about the opening she came down early to visit She said: “I think it’s very good it’s got everything you could need and more “Ellon used to have a store years ago “I was very excited to hear it was coming and I am sure my friends will be down later for a look.” visited with her daughter Megan and mother-in-law Helen She also fondly remembers the previous Nickel & Dime store and hopes it can boost visitors to the town She said: “I think it’ll bring a lot of people to Ellon it is very much-needed and it makes a change from being a new takeaway Each family member managed to pick up some items believes the new store will be a new favourite of elderly residents where she lives who use public transport She usually travels to Inverurie or Peterhead to shop at Nickel & Dime so a 10-minute bus journey from Newburgh to Ellon would benefit them a lot with Mr Ahmed commenting that besides clothes and food” plastic clip-in picture frames start at £1.50 Large 1.2-litre travel cups are £9.99 and were popular on day one of opening Nickel & Dime sell a range of bits for DIY jobs including value bags of screws priced from £1.99 and Highland cows ornaments are priced from £6.99 Nickel & Dime also stocks knitting items starting at £1.99 and a pair of needles from £1.99 Bunches of brightly coloured artificial flowers can be purchased for £1.99 Police were called to an Aberdeenshire school following concerns a young person may be in possession of a knife Officers attended Ellon Academy on Tuesday lunchtime after receiving reports of “concerns for a male youth” and quickly established there was no knife present Nobody was injured and there was no risk to the public during the incident which involved a young person from another school An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “Following an incident at lunchtime yesterday involving a young person from another school “We are aware of rumours that the young person involved was in possession of a knife “The safety and wellbeing of pupils is our top priority and this incident was dealt with swiftly by our staff and police,” they continued “We continue to focus on the wellbeing and education of our children and young people.” A police spokesperson said: “Around 1.30pm on Tuesday, December 10, we were called to a report of concern for a male youth in the Kellie Pearl Way area of Ellon “Officers attended to carry out inquiries No one was injured and there was no risk to the public “Police continue to work with partners to address any concerns.” Two years ago Ellon mum and daughter Sarah and Elaine Christie decided to “have a bash” at running their own cafe their tearoom has become a bustling spot in the centre of Ellon hosting events for the community – including a yearly Santa’s grotto “It’s been an amazing journey,” says Sarah we just thought ‘let’s have a bash’ “And that was how our Annie’s adventure started.” Sarah says it is the “family feel” that keeps customers coming back and don’t have family around them,” she says and now people that met there come into the cafe to see each other every week “And we’ve been known to sit down and chat to people if they’re on their own “So I think they always know that there’s somebody there for them in Annie’s.” Since the mother and daughter duo opened Annie’s Tearoom they have been blown away by the support from locals “We have tried to create a community feel,” Sarah says “Our customers have kind of become part our extended family.” Elaine adds: “I would like to think that anybody could just walk in by themselves and somebody would offer them a seat “What we hear from our customers it usually cafes will have one or two options that are suitable for them,” says Sarah “Whereas we’ve got a cabinet of six cakes to choose from “They just can’t believe the variety that we can offer.” Elaine and Sarah didn’t expect the level of success Annie’s Tearoom has had in Ellon “We thought it would be just a wee tearoom and it wouldn’t get very busy,” says Sarah “Some days we are just like: how did that happen but you expect that when something’s just opened up some days we are still out the door all day.” Sarah and Elaine of Annie’s Tearoom donate to two different charities every month as a way to give back to their loyal cafe community OAPs can get a 15% discount on both food and drink “Our pensioners Thursdays are pretty crazy,” adds Sarah “whether it’s raining or snowing.” Elaine adds: “Being at the front and seeing that everyone’s happy is my favourite thing about Annie’s “It doesn’t matter if it’s busy “I want to make each individual person feel welcome when they come into the cafe a leading provider of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) services to the global energy sector was pleased to host Harriet Cross MP and Aberdeenshire Councillor John Crawley at its headquarters this week The aim was to provide an introduction to the business and Film-Ocean’s forward-looking plans for sustainable growth and community engagement The discussion focused on Film-Ocean’s strong sustainability record and ambitious plans to generate power on-site The company has already installed solar panels and is in the process of submitting planning applications for the installation of a wind turbine - initiatives that will significantly reduce reliance on external energy sources and reinforce Film-Ocean’s commitment to environmental responsibility Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan and Mike Mackie Film-Ocean is committed to investing in local talent and workforce development The company shared its plans to collaborate with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) initiatives offering opportunities for apprenticeships and career development within the energy and subsea industries the visit concluded with a guided tour of the company’s workshop facilities Guests were introduced to Film-Ocean’s cutting-edge ROV systems and given insight into the company’s 20-year track record of success in delivering safe and efficient subsea solutions to clients across the globe "We were delighted to welcome Harriet Cross MP and Councillor John Crawley to our site,” said Mike Mackie “It was a valuable opportunity to highlight not only the scale and expertise of our operations but also our role in supporting local employment Aberdeenshire Council spent more than £100,000 to operate a “temporary” crossing in Ellon for three years – but why did it cost so much The lights on Golf Road were put in place as construction work started on new affordable housing at the former Ellon Academy site back in 2021 they have finally been removed after three years as the replacement permanent crossing is now fully functional A freedom of information request revealed the local authority had spent a whopping £105,100.65 on the Golf Road traffic lights While the total sum included the overall hire it also included maintenance and call out charges for the crossing It covered costs to remove and reinstall it over school holidays too as they were taken down when children were not using the road The “necessary” measure was put in place as the former pelican crossing on Golf Road was removed during building works at Schoolhill It was taken away to form a new access point for the affordable housing development Council officers said the temporary lights were needed to allow pedestrians and school children get across the road safely The crossing was often removed ahead of school holidays which provided some relief to motorists they were quickly put back in place as soon as the new term began When the new houses were given the go-ahead back in 2020 councillors were told the crossing would be replaced with dropped kerbs members pressed officers for a new crossing to ensure the safety of pedestrians walking to and from the town centre there is another reason for the temporary measure being in place for so long with the local authority pointing to complications with the surrounding land A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “Our role is to ensure that the infrastructure we provide on the road supports the wider developments in that area “Third party land was required in order to provide the space to construct and install the lights.” He also said the new crossing is a “significant improvement” on the previous one as it can provide extra assistance to cyclists Meanwhile, a path through the Caroline’s Well Wood has been completed as part of a wider Ellon project It provides a link connecting housing to the the north of the town to the centre An air ambulance was sent to Ellon Recycling Centre this afternoon after a person took ill at the facility The Aberdeenshire Council-run premises – located in Balmacassie Commercial Park -was forced to close early due to the incident Pictures seen by The Press & Journal show an air ambulance from Scotland’s Air Ambulance Charity at the site in the town A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “Our staff contacted the ambulance service after a member of the public took ill on site “The recycling centre is now closed for the rest of the day.” Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook and online for breaking news which means parents across the north-east will soon be asking themselves That’s where Dave Goodwin owner of Hybrid Gaming in Ellon Dave opened the Union Lane shop earlier this year specifically to answer that very question for many puzzled mums and dads across Aberdeenshire Speaking to The Press and Journal ahead of the busy holiday season the 41-year-old shared that he expects many parents to turn to him for help setting up new computers for their children in the lead-up to Christmas—a service they can’t get from Amazon Dave described it as his “mission” to make gaming and computer set-up simple for non-tech-savvy customers He said: “We can’t compete on price with the likes of Amazon or PC World but what I can do is make computers and gaming really easy for non-techies “Instead of telling parents what model of processor or graphics cards they want in the computer we just simply ask what games do you want to play on it “We get a lot of good feedback on that because shopping for a new PC can be quite confusing and stressful for someone like a parent They don’t want to buy something that is not fit for purpose.” Dave has always had a passion for building PCs He noticed many people were getting “ripped off” on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and eBay when buying custom gaming PCs highlighting its ability to run popular games like Fortnite and Minecraft—and it sold out in just 20 minutes He started the website for Hybrid Gaming in 2021 during lockdown before opening his first shop in March this year “It’s definitely been a learning curve but we are really busy and have a lot of support in Ellon area It’s a nice community to be involved in,” he said Dave acknowledges that the high level of service they are providing comes at a cost but he believes it pays off in customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty we don’t faff them about and we just fix it It may cost us money short term but what we are finding is that these customers are coming back time and time again,” he explained and going forward with that vision.” The business has recently expanded and now offers parties for up to ten kids at a time who can game with their friends on top-end computers he added that he is plotting an expansion across the north-east “Our plan is to end up with five stores eventually – we want to get Christmas over with and expand through Crowdfunding,” Dave added “Our first location we want to expand to is Inverurie Stonehaven and then probably Bridge of Don “Scaling of the business is the issue right now but once we solve that we feel that is possible “We want to expand across the north of Scotland and see how far we can go.” Steven Leask from Ellon appeared in court in connection with the death of Martin Forgie. Martin Forgie, 36, was found within a property on Gordon Place in Ellon around 8.35pm on October 9. Steven Leask from Ellon appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court charged with assault to severe injury and the danger of life on Monday. The 44-year-old made no plea and was remanded in custody pending further enquiries. He is due to appear in court again within the next eight days. In a statement released through Police Scotland, Mr Forgie’s family said: “Martin was a much-loved son, brother, father, nephew, grandson and uncle. STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" A 16-year-old boy is due to appear in court this week accused of assaulting a teenager in Ellon Police were called to the town centre at about 9.25pm on Tuesday January 14 following reports of an altercation between two teenagers Upon arrival, officers found a 14-year-old teenager had assaulted A 16-year-old was arrested and charged in connection with the incident He is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court this week The B9005 has reopened near Ellon Academy after it was closed due to a three-vehicle crash Emergency services were called to the scene at the Ellon Campus Road at around 3.45pm on Wednesday Ambulances were present checking over occupants of the vehicles for injuries Pictures show a white Nissan and a black car A 4×4 which has sustained heavy damage can also be seen Police were on the scene directing traffic in the aftermath of the collision It is understood the road has now reopened to traffic A police spokesperson said: “We received a report of a three-vehicle crash on the B9005 South Road in Ellon around 3.45pm today “We have not been advised of any serious injuries but some occupants of the cars are being checked over by ambulance staff.” The Scottish Ambulance Service sent four appliances to the scene A Scottish Ambulance spokesperson said: “We received a call at 3.43pm today to attend a three-car road traffic collision on B9005 “We dispatched two ambulances and two special operations response teams (SORT) to the scene.” Police are investigating after a man was assaulted with a knife in Ellon It is understood multiple people were involved in the Teal Street attack on Monday night Police Scotland said inquiries into the assault are ongoing A police spokeswoman said: “Officers received a report of an assault in the Teal Street area of Ellon which happened on Monday A man has been charged after a cannabis farm was discovered at a property in Ellon Police were investigating the area after they received a report of “suspicious activity” at 8am on Friday Officers uncovered a cannabis farm in a property in the town A 38-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the find and is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday “Serious and Organised Crime remains a priority and along with our partners and specialist resources we are committed to detecting offences and disrupting criminal enterprises “We rely on the public to tell provide us with information to help us do so “As was the case here, if you see any suspicious activity, please contact us on 101. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.” A 44-year-old man has now been arrested in connection with Martin Forgie's death and enquiries are continuing. Officers were made aware of the death of Martin Forgie within a property in Gordon Place in Ellon around 8.35pm on Wednesday, October 9. A post mortem examination on the 36-year-old man from Maud will be carried out in due course. A 44-year-old man has now been arrested in connection with the death and enquiries are continuing. In a statement released through Police Scotland, Mr Forgie’s family said: “Martin was a much loved son, brother, father, nephew, grandson and uncle. “We ask for our privacy as a family to be respected at this difficult time.” Detective Inspector Rory Campbell said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Forgie’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. “Officers will remain in the area while enquiries are carried out. “Anyone with information can speak to them, call 101 quoting reference 3400 of Wednesday, October 9, 2024 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.“ An Ellon woman has avoided going to prison after she reported a crime but ended up beating up the police officers who came to help where she admitted violently assaulting three police constables within her home address Bruce – who was electronically tagged two years ago for assaulting her friend’s mum with a prosecco bottle – also uttered a homophobic slur during the melee told the court his client “needs to stay away from alcohol” if she wants to stay out of prison It was stated that on October 28 last year the mother-of-one contacted the police to report that she believed someone had stolen money from her When the police arrived at Bruce’s home address on Raeburn Place they found one of her friends passed out on the sofa and quizzed her about what had happened and if that person was okay Bruce then flew into a rage and ordered the officers to leave her friend alone before the incident became “chaotic” She attacked one male police officer by punching him on the head before she repeatedly kicked a female officer to her body Bruce then attempted to headbutt a third officer but missed It was at this point she uttered a homophobic slur that was directed at the male officer Bruce pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and one charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by uttering a homophobic remark Defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that his client had a history of “getting drunk” and carrying out “this type of behaviour” He was referring to how Bruce left her friend’s mum’s face “covered” in blood after turning her with a prosecco bottle during a get-together at her friend’s house.   She also assaulted three police officers on that occasion “Ms Bruce recognises that she has a problematic relationship with alcohol,” Mr Maitland said “The social work department have said that they feel they have done all they can and she needs to start taking responsibility “She is on the brink of custody and needs to stay away from alcohol.” Sheriff Margaret Hodge told Bruce that the only reason she wasn’t sending her to prison was because she was currently in employment “I understand that you have been abstinent from alcohol for two months,” she said adding: “I can’t see how you can keep a drinking in the way you have been.” Sheriff Hodge made Bruce subject to a community payback order and ordered her to undertake 160 hours of unpaid work For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.  Ellon could get its own banking hub next year if plans are approved following the closure of the last bank in the town The facility would be similar to the one in Huntly and could benefit residents who rely on face-to-face banking services Ellon has been left without a bank since the Bank of Scotland – situated in The Square – closed in September It’s now been confirmed a 12-week review for a banking hub in Ellon has been started by Link – an organisation responsible for banking hubs across the UK During correspondence with local MP Harriet Cross, who has been campaigning for a new banking hub Link representative Jen Lambert said: “We are now doing a deeper review “This means we will look at how a lack of cash services affects people and businesses We will work out what services are missing and suggest reasonable solutions “We will finish any review within twelve weeks A banking hub would provide a counter service operated by Post Office employees where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash make bill payments and carry out regular transactions said: “I very much welcome the announcement that a review has started for a banking hub in Ellon which is desperately needed following the closure of the town’s last remaining branch a few months ago “Businesses in Ellon across a variety of sectors including farming and retail rely on banking at a branch who either cannot access or do not feel comfortable using digital banking “The hugely negative impact of not having a bank in the town centre is already being felt and is placing further pressure on the post office to help ease the situation.” Following multiple bank closures, residents have had to travel to Bridge of Don or Inverurie which Ms Cross says is “completely unacceptable” She added: “I hope Link can see the level of inconvenience that not having one is causing for everyone in the area and that we will see a banking hub coming to Ellon.” A man who got into an altercation with another shopper after they both reached for the same item in Tesco has appeared in court on an assault charge admitted getting into an argument with a fellow customer at the supermarket in Ellon which escalated and resulted in him carrying out the violent assault causing his glasses to break and causing a laceration Moore’s solicitor told the court that his client now accepted that his behaviour was “highly inappropriate” Fiscal depute Brooklyn Shaw told the court that at around 1.20pm on October 25 this year the complainer was browsing the shelves when he became aware of Moore reaching past him to get an item As Moore did this the other man heard him make a comment of some kind He asked Moore what he had said and he called him an “f-ing d***” who lashed out in his own defence and the two men exchanged words,” Ms Shaw said “The accused then punched the complainer to the right side of his face causing a laceration to his right eyebrow.” Staff intervened and took the other man away for treatment He was then taken to hospital where his injury was closed with glue Moore pleaded guilty to one charge of assault to injury and permanent disfigurement Defence solicitor David Sutherland told the court that his client had gone to reach something from the shelf and that the other man had pulled his trolley out preventing Moore from being able to move back “The complainer has not moved so Mr Moore has stated ‘excuse me’ twice,” he said “I understand the complainer was also wearing headphones and my client then calls him an idiot “The complainer then asks him what his is problem and that is when my client then calls him a name and strikes him.” Mr Sutherland said it was the man’s glasses that caused the injury to his eyebrow “My client accepts this was highly inappropriate behaviour – he also caused the most significant injury,” he added Sheriff Rhona Wark told Moore that this assault “really shouldn’t have happened” adding: “This incident had finished and you went back.” a total of £640 and ordered him to pay his victim £100 in compensation A cutting-edge “power tower” could be a new addition to the Ellon skyline an Inverurie hotel is expanding its restaurant and upgrades are planned at a derelict Braemar home recently sold for almost £500,000 All these and more feature in this week’s Planning Ahead our weekly round-up of the latest proposals being pondered across the north-east Every week we bring readers a selection of the most interesting applications submitted to our councils to form changes big and small in our communities Aberdeen City Council is already planning for Christmas… It’s probably the last thing any of us want to think about as we enjoy a warm August Expect to see festive fare lining supermarket shelves soon enough plans have now been formed for the yearly Christmas Village in the city centre but proposals for it still need to be endorsed by city planners with the usual selection of food stalls and the chance to skid about the ice rink Airbrushed images of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel will make their yearly return as part of the Fast and Furious ride with other attractions dotted about nearby Codona’s has been contracted to stage the extravaganza which is organised by the local authority and Aberdeen Inspired Blueprints indicate there will be a bandstand in the Marischal College quad this year Many Aberdonians often hope for the return of the event to Union Terrace Gardens but that does not appear to be on the (Christmas) cards this year Inverurie’s Ardennan House Hotel dates back to the 18th century making it one of the region’s oldest The owners are now looking to the future as they form plans for a bit of an expansion Building papers sent to Aberdeenshire Council explain that bosses at the Kemnay Road establishment want to demolish a porch to make way for an restaurant extension Our food critic was mightily impressed with the Sunday roasts offered at the spot last year.  The new owner of a historic property in Royal Deeside has unveiled plans to reverse decades of decay Sandy Middleton bought Viewfield, at 33 Chapel Brae, for £476,000 last October New plans sent to Aberdeenshire Council say it “had not been inhabited for decades” prior to the purchase But it is C-listed, having been built in the late 19th century and is part of the Braemar Conservation Area Mr Middleton has sought permission from landowners the Mar Estate separately for this while a fence blown over in winter storms would be repaired Rooflights and doors said to be “rotten” would be replaced and new windows put in The Bucksburn Cadet Centre was flattened last September and Alford-based developers DGR Construction now want to build two homes on the land while private gardens would be created and four off-street parking spaces would be provided Architects say they would be “affordable properties” As the site is close to the Aberdeen to Inverurie railway line has written to the council to express some concerns The Mugiemoss Court resident is worried about the potential noise from the construction work She added: “During the work to clear the site last year it caused noise so loud it shook our flat and almost caused our TV to fall off the wall “As we live right next to the site and work night shift as well we are concerned about our ability to sleep with the work is going on.” Elsewhere in Bucksburn, plans to turn old police housing into flats were recently sealed More and more office buildings across Aberdeen’s west end are being reverted to their previous use as homes A few weeks ago, Planning Ahead looked at a few of these as we examined how the area had changed since the downturn planners have approved proposals to transform 24 Carden Place into a 4/5 bedroom house The scheme was put forward by Michael Brown, of Aboyne, after the building was sold for £380,000. It was formerly home to DNO North Sea, and building papers price the conversion work at £120,000 Over in Cults, Emma Willox of The Wellbeing Studio wants to turn a vacant industrial unit into her new premises The spot at Cults Business Park on Station Road had been offered to rent, and is now listed as under offer Last year, plans for a baby yoga business nearby in the suburb came under fire and were ultimately withdrawn Any visitors to the potential wellbeing hub would be able to pop across to the former Cults Railway Station as it becomes a cafe McDonald’s is powering up plans for its new Ellon branch – with fresh applications lodged for a substation to serve the restaurant The global fast food giant, which is currently celebrating its 50th birthday, gained approval for a branch at Balmacassie earlier this year It came after hundreds of locals backed the proposal Ellon burger fans have been salivating at the prospect of tucking into their first Big Mac and fries from the diner But it appears McDonald’s has some more work to do before it can open up They need a substation to serve the restaurant and have lodged plans to build it along with a new access route from Castle Road nearby at the town’s industrial Balmacassie area some rather more eye-catching power plans have been formed The proposals for the “wind power tower” have been submitted by Film-Ocean Ltd which provides underwater technology for offshore energy firms across the planet It’s a 38m tall structure featuring a series of fixed blades which harness wind power to generate electricity And Film-Ocean say this might be more appropriate than a traditional wind turbine “given the location of our site” Ellon-based Film-Ocean has been growing since its launch in 2004 and recently splashed £6 million on new facilities in the town Papers submitted to Aberdeenshire Council state: “We see this as a springboard for the company’s future development and have ambitions to increase our headcount locally by at least 50% in the next two years.” as the firm wants to operate in a “sustainable But the company adds: “Above all else it is the right thing to do for future generations.” Film-Ocean pleads for Aberdeenshire Council to grant permission for the Ellon power tower – while pre-empting any complaints They urge: “We understand that new technologies in particular something that deviates from the accepted normal are sometimes treated with suspicion and negative bias “We do not believe that should be the case with this “Film-Ocean is committed to working with local residents and business.” The statement concludes: “This plan has the potential to help shape the future of localised microgrids providing 100% green energy “It is relatively difficult to see it from the centre of Ellon and even from the approach roads in the area “Up close it will undoubtedly form a striking local landmark that showcases Ellon being at the forefront of renewable technology development.” Aberdeen Airport was consulted about the plans… They say there would be “no conflict” Christmas village  Ardennan House Hotel Braemar home plans Bucksburn cadet centre  Carden Place Cults wellbeing hub Ellon McDonald’s Power tower plans for Ellon business Two men narrowly escaped serious injury after their vehicle was rear-ended on the A90 near Ellon The crash took place at around 6.45am on Tuesday when a vehicle struck the back of another sending it down a roughly 30ft embankment It occurred along the A90 around a mile and a half north of the Lintmill Brae roundabout the car came to rest on its roof in the river below after which the two occupants thankfully made it out safely were both taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment The driver of the other vehicle involved failed to stop and left the scene before emergency services arrived A desperate plea for witnesses of the incident was made on social media and now police are asking anyone with information to come forward The post said the two men were lucky to be alive considering the distance the car, a white Audi Sport,  travelled from the road Constable Ross Hay said: “Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of this crash “I am appealing to anyone who was on the road around that time and who may have witnessed the crash and has not already spoken to officers to get in touch “I would also appeal to anyone with any dashcam footage which could help our inquiries to contact us.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 0409 of November 12 BrewDog founder James Watt and his fiancee Georgia Toffolo enjoyed a joint Christmas and engagement party in Ellon Watt and “Toff” – who made her name by starring in reality TV show Made in Chelsea – celebrated at BrewDog’s headquarters in the Aberdeenshire town earlier this week split their time between the north-east and London It was the second time the celebrity couple hosted their Christmas party at DogTap Ellon and the TV star said in an Instagram post she “danced for hours” She added: “It was so special for us to have our people in one place This is the second year we hosted this together and now I’m worried about what to do next year to top it.” Her highlight of the evening at the Balmacassie Industrial Estate venue was when Watt’s grandmother sat on the 360 camera wearing a glitter ball helmet Toff’s mum Nicola was also in attendance as was the Made in Chelsea star’s King Charles spaniel Monty stepped down from his role of BrewDog in May this year to “concentrate on his other projects and interests” with one of those including his fiancée’s raw dog food start-up WiLD PACK Just last week he took to LinkedIn to ask for advice about a tax conundrum as if he married Toff within three years it would mean he would become a “connected person” resulting in being no longer eligible for Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief the Aberdeenshire businessman took to the social media platform to confirm he was “clearly joking” and was not thinking of delaying the wedding Watt said: “There’s no way I’d survive calling off a wedding to save £3,500 in tax not if I wanted to live to see the big day.” Aberdeenshire Council has begun transferring services to a frontline civic hub providing Ellon with a new library and family resource centre drawing council services under one roof and releasing surplus town centre sites for alternative use - such as the existing library on Station Road which has now been put up for sale Designed in-house by Aberdeenshire Council the energy-efficient build will include an events space and registrar's service Landscaping by Wardell Armstrong includes a retained 300-year-old walnut tree Cllr Iain Taylor commented: “As well as becoming a central hub for council services in Ellon the building presents the opportunity for the council to release a number of town centre sites that have potential for various other uses over the coming months and years.” A public opening has been set for Monday.   All comments are pre-moderated and must obey our house rules The A90 at Ellon has reopened following a collision this morning The Aberdeen to Peterhead road was closed in both directions resulting in large build-ups of traffic North-east commuters reported a two-hour journey into Aberdeen city centre A van and a 4×4 car towing a trailer were involved in the incident following the crash which happened at around 6.30am The build-up from the Ellon roundabout stretched as far back as Maggie’s Burger Van Drivers were advised to use an alternate route Emergency services were on the scene this morning A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.25am on Wednesday we were called to a report of a two-vehicle crash on the A90 near Ellon “Emergency services attended and two men were taken to hospital for treatment “The road is closed while recovery of the vehicles is arranged.” A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 6.32am by police to attend the scene of an accident on the A90 “A crew from Ellon attended to reports of a two-vehicle RTC between a van and a 4×4 attached to a trailer “We have been using small gear at the scene.” A spokesperson for Traffic Scotland said: “The A90 at Ellon is currently closed in both directions due to a road traffic collision motorists are advised to use an alternate route at this time.” Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook and online for breaking news BrewDog’s Ellon brewery has been forced to throw out millions of pounds worth of beer after a “major quality incident” It is also reported that employees at the Aberdeenshire site were sent a furious email regarding “infected beer” which was shipped to customers It has now reportedly resulted in “millions of pounds worth” of product being discarded from the site and customer complaints over the product “at the highest level” the company has seen The ongoing “major quality incident” caused chief supply chain officer for the company The internal email blasted employees for repeatedly failing to adhere to basic hygiene rules which resulted in “sour” beer being shipped to customers The bombshell message also accuses workers at the site of “a lack of accountability” over cleanliness standards at the brewers The email, as revealed by The Daily Record reads: “The reality is that it was an incredibly tough month in which we significantly missed our productivity target and have been working through a major quality incident “Throughout August and even now we’ve had millions of pounds of beer that has been impacted by basic hygiene issues that have resulted in infected beer “Not only have we had to throw beer away we’ve also shipped sour beer to customers and have Punk running at the highest rate of customer complaints it’s ever seen The bombshell email adds: “Through the investigation we’ve ruled out many things and keep coming back to the same basic causes “What’s most disappointing is that when I chat to people about this I’ve seen very little personal accountability with people blaming other teams or other parts of the process I wanted to be really clear that shop floor hygiene is the responsibility of every single one of us.” A BrewDog spokesperson said that despite the heavy duty wording of the email the beer lost was a relatively small volume in the context of overall output He added that any customer who complained about the sour tasting beer was given a refund They said: “Beer quality is our absolute number one priority we discovered that some batches of beer did not meet our high standards due to a minor “While most of the affected beer did not leave the brewery a small quantity reached some of our customers which represents a minuscule proportion of our annual production (approx did not meet our high standards and did not taste as good as it should but we would like to reassure customers that it did not pose a health risk “The cause of the issue was quickly identified and resolved and any customer who raised concerns with us were recompensed appropriately “We apologise to anyone who has had a less than perfect beer.” from Haddo House to the Ythan Estuary with its amazing wildlife But for Ellon comedian Martin Bearne it’s the peacefulness of areas in and around the Aberdeenshire town that are most appealing Martin’s comedy career has meant a move to the Central Belt, especially as he is a veteran of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe but he still returns to Ellon and has fond childhood memories of the town Here he takes a nostalgic look at Ellon and lists his six favourite things about it Then I found as I got older there would be teenagers drinking in the same park “I would cut through Gordon Park if I was in a rush Sometimes in the summer you would go down there and watch people playing cricket or something “That’s something I miss about Ellon when I’m not there “I have a lot of strong memories of Haddo House and I did my first bit of theatre acting there when I was 11 I was part of the pie machine in Sweeney Todd You’ve got the walks as well and the museum They had Easter egg hunts and I always enjoyed that “The last time I was there was with my nephew and my sister which was quite a full circle moment “I think when I go back to Ellon next I’ll probably go there “They used to show films on a Sunday and Breakneck Comedy does stuff there sometimes “I used to go there as a kid and they would set it all up at Christmas “You are going in from outside and all of a sudden the lights are down and there are people in wigs and make-up I remember thinking ‘oh God what’s happening?’ “On a New Year’s Eve we would be allowed in for a little while and then we’d have to go home I’m mainly talking about Ellon in the Nineties now!” The feeling of walking along there and seeing how far you could go before you turned back “A few times me and my mate cycled to Pitmedden and back He was much fitter than me so I was always stuck behind him “And when I started jogging when I was about 14 I would have my CD player on and jog down the old railway path “I got some obscure comedy books by this Simpsons writer there I used to order books and they would order them in He adds: “I kind of miss that kind of thing There used to be a DVD place I used to rent from The guy who owned it was really nice and there was a couple of times he waived my late fees “I felt bad because he went out of business and I worried it was my fault people would make their own floats and boats “Me and my mate did it once for a laugh when we were about 13 or 14 “I think they stopped doing it but it was always something to look forward to as a kid growing up “They also used to have open days at the fire station “You got to go on the fire truck or the pole Watch: Martin Bearne’s latest project is his Broken Funnies podcast in which he talks to fellow comics and performers about what motivates them to do what they do A creepy Ellon pensioner left a hospital worker so terrified she had to carry a panic alarm after stalking her for five months John Willox would regularly and repeatedly drive slowly past the City Hospital on Urquhart Road while the woman was standing outside and would stare at her who has a previous conviction for stalking as well as for sexually assaulting a child in his cab while working as a taxi-driver His troubling behaviour by the hospital left his victim frightened for her safety and so scared she had to carry with her a personal panic alarm at all times Fiscal depute Brooklyn Shaw told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the behaviour happened at least twice a month between January 1 and May 7 2024 She said: “As he drove past he would always stare directly at her through the open car window “The complainer considered the behaviour to be creepy drive slowly past the complainer while staring at her then begin to turn the vehicle “This left the complainer feeling anxious and unsafe as a result of the accused’s ongoing behaviour and she contacted the police.” Officers managed to trace the Willox and he was arrested over the matter Ms Shaw told the court: “The complainer has been significantly impacted and has felt constant fear and anxiety while at work since she became aware of the accused “She now carries a personal alarm at all times and has experienced stress due to the resulting danger to her personal safety.” referring to the contents of a court-ordered background report said: “My Lord will be concerned at the minimisation by Mr Willox in the report “This man, who is 79, didn’t begin offending until he was 72. He has a previous analogous offence “I suppose one could say there weren’t the usual threats of violence or physicality but it’s fully accepted the conduct has put the young lady in a state of fear or alarm “It’s eight-10 times this happened and it’s entirely unacceptable “He tried to minimise because he’s scared about going to prison.” Mr Kelly went on: “It’s been impressed upon him it’s simply unacceptable behaviour “This young woman helps society and is feeling uncomfortable in the workplace because of his actions “He would do anything that’s required if m’lord is just persuaded by a community-based disposal.” said: “It’s perfectly plain your actions have caused a good deal of upset to the complainer exacerbated because it took place at her workplace.” the sheriff imposed a year’s supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group. Ellon artist Johanna Basford talks fun Aberdeen nights out best places for a cuppa in Aberdeenshire and more I just think we have the most varied landscape I think everyone that grows up in Aberdeenshire has stories of nights out in Amadeus or the usual Belmont Street chaos (I found myself the other day trying to explain the concept of a foam party to my kids and agreeing with them that it did indeed sound a bit bananas) I think the nights that stand out the most though are just good times spent with good people Whether that be the recent rammy of 40th birthday celebrations ranging from cocktails at Tippling House the annual Archie Foundation Ball at The Chester Hotel I’m a patron for the charity and helped organise this year’s Glitter Ball – it’s a wonderful night out filled with good food Six by Nico I just love the imagination and deliciousness of every plate served It’s such an exquisite experience to eat there and I always come away charmed I would probably say any National Trust property They do a great job of creating spaces and places for people to explore and imagine Haddo has been a favourite place of mine to visit since I was a wee girl the formal gardens and even the House itself are a playground for the imagination It doesn’t get much better than that The owner is actually my friend Jonny Aspden who I sat beside in physics at school The cafe has the best coffee and the best cakes It’s been a fast year with a lot going on I released Magical Worlds I also finished a big project for the Archie Foundation at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital I’m working on a bench for Clan for the sculpture trail white and gold and it will be an enchanted garden scene with lots of things hidden in it I love the idea that there are lots of things to find in the artwork Calling all photographers: Share your work in our weekly readers’ gallery Are you a passionate photographer or hobbyist eager to share your images with a wider audience Here’s your chance to have your work featured We invite you to submit your stunning photographs for our weekly ‘Through Your Lens’ gallery Whether you’re capturing a stunning landscape, a fleeting moment, a natural portrait or the beauty of everyday life, we want to showcase your creativity. This is an incredible opportunity to have your images featured and celebrated, connecting with a community of like-minded individuals The landscape submissions will still be featured in our newspapers weekly taken from anywhere in the north-east of Scotland or the Highlands and Islands Any other shapes and styles of photography are welcome for the online weekly gallery Your name and a description about the image will also go beneath your photograph which could include details like the location Send us your images today via our email pictures@ajl.co.uk and let your creativity shine in our gallery for all to enjoy In this week’s edition we have some beautiful daffodils on the banks of the river Ythan in Ellon and fantastic sunny pictures from across the country Take a look at this week’s submissions: Progress continues to be made on the programme of improvements to the Formartine and Buchan Way announced last year with users now starting to see the benefits Phase 1 has seen 740m of new bound surface footpaths created at Newmachar and the Linkshill Road crossing along with new drainage and access upgrades while phase 2 has seen drainage upgrades and 1.45km of new unbound path surfacing at Mosstown a range of improvements works have been completed to the iconic Ythan Viaduct This included the refurbishment to one of the arches and removal and reinstatement of unstable sections of arch brickwork The opportunity was also undertaken during the work to install new bat-friendly boxes to encourage the species to the area corroded steel bridges were replaced with new bespoke hardwood kits along with the refurbishment of four masonry and brick arch bridges on the route A further five bespoke hardwood kits and bollards for access control improvement work have also been purchased for future installation on the route in conjunction with survey work being undertaken The first phases of the Formartine and Buchan Way improvements were made possible by funding from Nestrans and the Scottish Government and developed and delivered through a partnership between Aberdeenshire Council and Sustrans.  the works – part of which form a major realignment of the existing National Cycle Network (NCN) – will enable even more people to walk The completion of these initial phases improve the experience for users already and facilitates more people to gain from the benefits the route can provide £600,000 funding from the Scottish Government and £560,000 from Nestrans has been secured again this financial year to deliver the next phases of improvements The improvements - which are aimed for completion in the spring of 2025 will include: and installing new drainage and a new unbound surface to over 700m of the route north of Newmachar•    Widening and installing new drainage and a new unbound surface to over 1.5km of the route south of Ellon between Esslemont station and Riverside Road•    Upgrading access control points south of Fraserburgh •    Purchase and replacement of further active travel bridges as part of the ongoing rolling programme of improvements disruption to route users will be kept to a minimum Although it will result in the temporary closure of sections of the route at times These will be signposted locally along with diversions where possible and publicised on the council’s website chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) and the Nestrans board said: “I am delighted to see such good progress being made on the improvements to the Formartine and Buchan Way and it’s great to see our communities using the updated sections already drainage and access upgrades are key to ensuring the line becomes an even greater attraction for both local residents and visitors to the area.”  added: “Whether you are walking or cycling the Formartine and Buchan Way is a great asset to enjoy the great outdoors and take in our wonderful scenery As a council we continue to make tremendous inroads into improving health and wellbeing in our communities and a key focus of those efforts is to make walking wheeling and cycling easier for everyday shorter journeys.” Principal Network Development Manager at Sustrans Scotland said: “We are delighted to continue to work alongside our partners to upgrade the Formartine and Buchan Way The first phases of the works have not only widened and resurfaced the existing route at key locations but also improved drainage and removed barriers to ensure the path is safe and accessible year-round When the next stages of the project are complete we hope that this will enable even more people to walk Officers were called to an address in Ellon on Friday at around 8am following reports of suspicious activity. Officers searched the property in Ellon on Friday around 8am following reports from the public of suspicious activity and discovered a cannabis farm. Around 245 cannabis plants believed to be worth around £200,000 were uncovered. A 38-year-old was arrested and charged in connection with the discovery. He is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday. North Aberdeenshire Area Commander, Chief Inspector Steven McDonald said, “Serious and Organised Crime remains a priority and along with our partners and specialist resources, we are committed to detecting offences and disrupting criminal enterprises. “We rely on the public to provide us with information to help us do so. “As was the case here, if you see any suspicious activity, please contact us on 101. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.” An Ellon pensioner who told police he had little interest in child abuse material was later found with 10,000 indecent images and videos on his devices appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted downloading tens of thousands of child images alongside more than 11 days’ worth of indecent video footage Much of the shocking content found on Kearsey’s electronic devices was of the most serious category and is so disturbing it cannot be described in this report The vile images and videos discovered also featured boys and girls aged only two years old Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard told the court that on January 18 last year police received intelligence that a device belonging to Kearsey had connected to the internet between February 16 and February 28 2022 It was established that this device contained child abuse material that was available for sharing A search warrant was executed for Kearsey’s address in Ellon where the police found a series of electronic devices capable of connecting to the internet Kearsey was arrested and taken to Kittybrewster Police Station for questioning where he admitted downloading indecent images and videos approximately eight years ago He explained that the content mainly included men having sex with children and that the children would generally be aged between three and 12 years old The pensioner also explained that he “did not take a lot of interest” in the material but added that he had downloaded it to micro-card that was now in a Samsung tablet “The accused did not provide an explanation for why he saved them but acknowledged it was so he could go back and look at the material again,” Ms Pritchard said “He further explained that he no longer searched for child sex abuse material as he already has the websites he needs and he had not searched for a few years “The accused believes that around February 2022 he downloaded previously saved child abuse material onto a micro-card and moved it from his laptop onto his tablet – he denied making any further searches for such material.” The devices recovered from Kearsey’s property search were examined and found to contain a total of 10,943 indecent images and videos of children More than 3,000 of those found were of the most serious Category A The creation dates for this material were between September 2021 and February 2023 The children featured were boys and girls estimated to be between two and 15 years of age with some of the material being considered sadomasochistic The cumulative runtime for the video footage found was 264 hours and 57 minutes which equates to approximately 11 days and 57 minutes Kearsey pleaded guilty to one charge of downloading indecent images of children and a second charge of being in possession of child sex abuse material Defence solicitor Neil Shand told the court that Kearsey is currently being treated for cancer and acts as a full-time carer for his wife who suffers from dementia and needs almost 24-hour care The solicitor said Kearsey was currently receiving chemotherapy and will do so until April next year Sheriff Ian Wallace said he considered that Kearsey had no previous convictions his struggling physical health and the health of his wife He added that he believed that what would have been a custodial sentence could be reduced to and substituted to a community payback order to a community payback order with supervision and ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work The sheriff also ordered Kearsey to take part in a sex offenders programme and made him subject to the sex offenders register for two years A man has died at a property in Ellon – with another man arrested in connection with his death was found within a flat at Gordon Place at around 8.35pm on Wednesday A 44-year-old man has since been arrested in connection with the 36-year-old’s death Police locked down the property last night with forensics arriving at the scene earlier today Martin’s family said he was a “much loved son “He will be greatly missed,” they said with neighbours saying how shocked they are Many congregated on the street today to watch the police response unfold One resident spoke of officers knocking on his door just after midnight “It’s a tragedy,” one said said: “I’ve never known anything like this to happen in Ellon.” Detective Inspector Rory Campbell said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Forgie’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time “Officers will remain in the area while enquiries are carried out “Anyone with information can speak to them 2024 or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.” Ellon-headquartered Scotia Homes has suffered a £2.5 million pre-tax loss as the cost-of-living squeeze continued to takes its toll on trade in 2024 Tough market conditions have left the housebuilder grappling with a 6% drop in turnover dropping to £50.7 million for the year ending June 2024 Chairman Gary Gerrard said it was a particularly challenging year for regional housebuilders like Scotia He said: “In addition to the macro-economic and political uncertainty Aberdeen and north-east Scotland were also impacted by the job losses and high taxation across the energy sector.” Scotia Homes made a number of redundancies during the financial year The accounts show its workforce reduced from 196 to 181 staff during the period The company said this move helped slash operating expenses by over £500,000 “It is always a difficult decision for the board to make redundancies and to lose hardworking colleagues,” said Mr Gerrard in his strategic report “But in light of falling revenues and ongoing cost pressures it was absolutely necessary to protect the long-term sustainability of the business.” The £2.5m loss was due to an exceptional £3.9m impairment charge for historic landbank purchases and the impact of higher borrowing costs The firm’s operating profits rose to £3.4m for the year ended 30 June – up from £2.7m in 2023 Mr Gerrard remains optimistic about a recovery in the new-build housing market This follows a reduction in short term interest rates and cost inflation easing Scotia Homes is ready to capitalize on any market rebound The acquisition of Caledonia Homes in 2022 is already paying off with Scotia’s in-house timber kit facility now supporting nearly all of its sites driving both cost savings and sustainability efforts The company’s new Park View development in Kintore is also generating strong customer interest “Let us hope that this can be sustained across the wider business and 2025 marks the start of the recovery in buyer confidence,” added Mr Gerrard said the 2024 results demonstrate a resilient trading performance considering the difficult market conditions our gross margin was supported by a land sale and promotional activities which bolstered our performance,” he said “With a reduction in the level of housebuilding activity it was therefore necessary to realign our cost base to the sales rates being achieved.” Scotia Homes has current and future developments in Aberdeen, Arbroath, Aviemore, Ballater, Blairgowrie, Brechin, Braemar, Ellon, Forfar, Inverness, Kincraig, Kintore “I’d already been questioning my relationship with alcohol for years and then lockdown made it worse,” says Aberdeenshire mum came to terms with her unhealthy relationship with alcohol during the Covid-19 lockdown she decided to give Dry January a try for the first time many people will relate to the fact that alcohol was an escape during lockdown If you were predisposed to having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol I think lockdown made this ten times worse and you didn’t have to drive everywhere I found myself drinking more than I would have liked to have been But I had had strong feelings about my relationship with alcohol since becoming a mum I think you start to reassess who you are and the priorities that you have in life I was realising that my mind was preoccupied with: oh I have to go to the shop to get a bottle of wine for the night My experience with Dry January was really good If you go into that feeling like you’re really going  to be missing out then I think you’d have a completely different experience I had gone so far that I was so ready for change I felt that I was really at a crossroads in life Dry January felt like the perfect start for me to kickstart some positive changes It was going from drinking to escape your feelings what else do you do if you’re single I’d just have a glass of wine and watch the telly So it was hard not being able to do those things but replacing them with healthy habits really helps There’s still such stigma around the word ‘alcoholic’ Now I don’t class myself as an alcoholic but I think there are varying levels of alcoholism I certainly wasn’t on a healthy trajectory with my drinking I don’t think there has to be a rock bottom or a horrific incident that makes you go: ‘oh Many people binge drink and many people will just drink at the weekend The other side of the coin is the people who just drink almost every day And it may not be that you are drinking vast amounts – you may only be having a couple of glasses of wine it was getting up to probably a bottle of wine most days But none of my friends and family would have said: you better stop drinking Because they weren’t seeing me drunk all the time But it’s a constant reliance on that mid-level booziness that makes you realise that you’re not quite present You aren’t quite facing life as you should be And I think that’s what made me realise that I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol Socialising can be really difficult for some people If you’re an introvert and you rely on alcohol for going out and being sociable And I’ve had people come up to me and say: I can’t believe that you’re not drinking Because I will be on the dancefloor all night I think that you find an inner confidence that comes with sobriety when you start to realise that you can do all these things without alcohol But I honestly think I could be 20 years sober and I’d still sometimes want to drink I don’t think that feeling is ever going to go away for me I won’t go to my work Christmas night out If you’re comfortable and feel like you’re going to have fun The danger zone is when you’re not enjoying yourself and you stay You either carry on having a really rubbish night and you start resenting sobriety Now I run my Instagram page which has a large following family and people I went to school with have found out about the page So I’ve had no choice but to embrace this sobriety label I’m not ashamed to have my name against flying the flag for being a sober person years ago: ‘How boring must their lives be?’ I would feel sorry for them that they couldn’t experience the fun of alcohol But now that I’m a sober person I realise how narrow-minded that was of me But I think that so many people think the same way I started the Instagram page to hold myself accountable It has absolutely helped keep me on the path of sobriety And it’s an absolutely privilege for me to now be able to help other people kickstart their sobriety journey I’ve had people reach out to me to say that if it wasn’t for my page they wouldn’t have been brave enough to say to their friends and family that they’re trying sobriety That is like the most rewarding thing ever If I have any advice for someone trying to go sober I’d say don’t put too much pressure on yourself And find other things to throw your extra time and energy into If you or someone you know has been affected by the topics discussed in this article, please reach out for support online here