A Portlethen man has been banned from the roads for three years after admitting hitting speeds of 130mph on a motorbike was spotted by traffic cops riding a silver Honda 1000cc motorcycle through Altens in Aberdeen on June 24 last year Police were carrying out speed checks at the Loch of Loirston area and saw Dinan’s bike travelling over the speed limit just before 7pm Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Dinan undertook and swerved around other road users It is not Dinan’s first brush with traffic laws – in 2021 he was fined when his souped-up sports car became stuck in the sand at Stonehaven harbour. Narrating the events his latest driving offence fiscal depute Lydia Williams said the officers saw Dinan “accelerate harshly” and take a sharp turn onto the Aberdeen to Stonehaven Road “He continued to accelerate,” Ms Williams said “Officers observed the speed to reach 130mph “He swerved around several cars and undertook another all while travelling in excess of the speed limit “He made a harsh braking turn onto the Portlethen road and the police were unable to take the same exit – meaning they lost sight of the bike.” Officers later traced Dinan at his home address Charges of Dinan claiming the bike had been stolen and then dumped near Netherley Smithy were dropped by the Crown Police checks revealed there was no valid insurance policy or MOT certificate in place for the vehicle Dinan’s defence solicitor Ian Hingston said the motorbike did not belong to his client but he did own a number of cars and thought he had valid group insurance “This was a lack of due diligence on his part,” Mr Hingston said “What is disappointing is he has always been a law-abiding citizen “He works as an engineer all over the world and has a licence to work as a personal security detail “He also drives for the blind in his spare time He is ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.” Sheriff Rhona Wark banned Dinan for 36 months and ordered that he must sit an extended driving test to be reunited with his licence was also fined £2,575 as Sheriff Wark said his driving posed a threat to the public “This reflects the severity and seriousness of the driving and the manner of the offence.” Dinan was admonished for driving without insurance and an MOT A forward-thinking and innovative operator Pocock is well aware that golf clubs and his fellow PGA Professionals must be pro-active now to ensure that the game continues to flourish in the future There are bountiful and well-documented challenges facing golf but the efforts of Pocock and his staff continue to push Portlethen to the forefront of club development and participation in golf “The future of golf is in the family,” said the 46-year-old Aberdonian who has taken measures to adapt to the changing demands and demographics of club golfers over 100 ladies have joined the club’s beginner programme with 41 going on to take up an introductory membership offer has always been relatively robust but Pocock has continued to build on those very solid foundations The creation of a five-hole Academy course was a major part of the vision Portlethen now has some 200 juniors actively involved in golf with around 60 to 70 of those fully paid-up junior members competitively priced initiative he had devised in his previous post at Bryn Meadows in Wales to help energise that particular area of the club we had about 60 ladies a week coming to structured coaching,” he said I asked the club about creating a stepping stone membership which I had employed at Bryn Meadows and it was a great success there “It basically means that the ladies get a limited use of the course at the quiet times We have a six and nine-hole loop at Portlethen many ladies just want to play nine holes at a maximum the seven-day full offering for women is dying particularly for those who are not retired Having flexible options is the way to go if we are to keep them playing A lot of people simply don’t have the time There is scope to change all membership categories we now have a core group of women who have really grown in confidence Initiatives like this must be driven by the pro Someone has to take a lead and be hungry and passionate about it Pocock has always been a resourceful and energetic PGA Professional he co-founded the Valleys Golf Enterprise which was the first golfing social enterprise in the UK and helped deliver golf sessions to over 25,000 school children as well as adults in some of the most deprived areas in the country Pocock’s recruitment drive goes on and he is urging more PGA Pros to lead from the front “I just get a real buzz introducing new people to the game,” said Pocock “We need to bring a whole new tranche of people into golf but there’s tendency to sit back and wait for something to happen “That can often pay for stock and stuff for the shop but it’s a good money maker “We have 15 hours of group coaching a week there’s a junior leader for the older ones and a leader for the younger ones We have three primary schools and a secondary school that are all rammed There’s a stream of kids there so there’s lot of potential to get people in but lots of clubs are standing still and not doing anything “Keeping girls engaged is the big challenge It’s hard to keep girls playing unless they have a family member That’s why the family aspect is so important for golf going forward “There’s a lot of good work being done at various clubs PGA HeadquartersCentenary HouseThe BelfrySutton ColdfieldWest MidlandsB76 9PT ®PGA is a registered trademark of The Professional Golfers’ Association LimitedPGA Golf Management Ltd is a subsidiary of The Professional Golfers’ Association LimitedPGA.info is the official web site of The PGA © 2025 As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot There are a few reasons this might happen: please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page We're getting everything ready for you and you'll be on your way in just a few moments Energy firm Baker Hughes is negotiating a 10-year extension to the lease on its Portlethen base as it plans to develop the site Unusually, the lease negotiation was revealed in planning documents submitted to Aberdeenshire Council for the erection of a new industrial building at the Portlethen site on Badentoy Crescent The building would boost productivity on the site as work which previously had to be halted in periods of bad weather would now be able to move indoors and continue Some equipment storage would also be moved indoors Planning documents state: "The proposal aims to address the issues raised by the client in conjunction with consolidation of existing business activities and a 10-year extension of the site lease currently being negotiated "The building will generally be covered storage for certain items currently stored outside and also allow for business activities which take place externally to be moved inside during extended poor weather episodes." which has headquarters both in London and Houston took over the lease on the Aberdeenshire site two years ago Being a member of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce can bring significant value to your business Portlethen Academy has made significant progress since last year’s damning inspection report Inspectors from Education Scotland visited the Aberdeenshire school in February last year with the resulting report grading Portlethen Academy ‘Weak’ in both Learning inspectors found a much-improved school after visiting in November the results of which have now been published in a letter from the inspection body Head teacher Barry Drennan was praised for acting “rapidly and effectively” to address concerns raised in the original inspection These included a lack of clear leadership and direction from senior and middle management and the need to create a “culture of high expectations” Staff are now “demonstrating a clearer sense of direction” Senior and middle management are “working more effectively as a team and are developing a range of approaches to improve attainment.” more rigorous attainment review meetings have resulted in a sharper focus on what needs to improve Staff have undertaken professional learning and are now engaging with colleagues outwith Portlethen Academy Inspectors also noted that results had improved in national qualifications among S4 pupils inspectors asked pupils and parents to fill out a questionnaire 84% of pupils said they were happy with the quality of teaching at the school and 88% said they were encouraged by staff to do the best they can Among parents, 86% said their child likes being at Portlethen Academy and 80% feel their child is making good progress at the school Speaking to The P&J, Mr Drennan said he was “incredibly proud” of the progress made across the whole school community since the original inspection in February 2024 He said: “Our updated report shows progress across all identified action points and this is testament to the commitment and continued hard work of all pupils and staff along with our continued strong working partnership with our parent council I have been very clear on our direction of travel and priorities which have been put in place to improve the learning experience and outcomes for all our young people “This has included a review of our tracking and monitoring systems and processes improving data literacy of staff and how we use our pupil progress data to plan for next steps and continued professional learning on key aspects of high-quality learning I am extremely pleased to see that everyone’s hard work has been recognised at all levels as we have moved at pace with lots of key changes this report has provided us with the confidence that we have moved in the right direction “We will continue to further embed these processes and evaluate throughout the remainder of this session and beyond.” Inspectors said Portlethen Academy needs more time to continue work on areas of improvement and to be able to show that new approaches are having a significant positive impact on young people’s attainment They will return to the school within a year to carry out a further inspection You can read the inspection report from February 25, 2025, here.  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 The family behind Portlethen’s Farm Stop have been denied permission to build a family home next to the popular farming venture Andrew Polson of Polson Farms applied to Aberdeenshire Council seeking permission for the home at Glenfinnan on the outskirts of the town As the site is designated as agricultural land he argued the home would be built for an “essential farm worker” to tend to animals Documents sent to the council indicated this essential worker would be his daughter Christina the farm holding and Farm Stop are run by Mr Polson “There is currently no house within the landholding and therefore the two households currently share a house – which is not sustainable long term “Given the need to provide on-site accommodation to ensure the welfare of the stock a new house associated with the farm holding is sought.” Altogether, the family farm and Farm Stop is responsible for around 650 animals including 400 breeding ewes Planning documents said 24/7 care and management was needed all year round due to the range of livestock Workload on the farm increases during lambing and calving periods which are usually from February to May But due to the range of animals on the farm birthing can extend throughout the year and “demand a constant presence and vigilance” Mr Polson argued there is no property readily available for their needs He claims that those on the market are too far away and insists any home would need a paddock area for animals that need constant care and attention He believed his housing proposal ticked all of those boxes The documents added: “Ms Polson shares the running with her father and recently got engaged and is of a stage of life looking to establish her own household “Given the need to be close to the main farm hub and Farm Stop for good reasons of animal welfare a new house for an essential worker is sought.” as well as a lounge and office on the first floor She argued that the land “is agricultural and should stay that way” said the house would “negatively affect” the land’s agricultural use “No benefit to the farm land in building a house on it,” she said “Greenbelt land should be kept as such.” Council planners refused the application back in October They believed there wasn’t enough evidence to prove there was a specific need for the home in the countryside and claimed there were plenty of homes on the market to consider instead Planners stated that the lambing and calving season and any “out-of-phase” birthing did not require a permanent member of staff on site They even went as far as to say that the business had managed “successfully” to date without having an employee living nearby in their own home Farm Stop opened in 2022 and has been run by Christina since day one although her family help out behind the scenes The application recently went before the local review body for councillors after Mr Polson appealed against the refusal councillor Jeff Goodhall wasn’t convinced “I’m very hesitant to say that the qualifications for a farm worker are met here,” he mused I’m quite pleased that the farmer is so generous with the size of house and the view that goes with it “It’s very good of him to offer this to his farm worker but I can’t see any reason to uphold this review.” She said: “I don’t think it’s going to serve the purpose that it is proposed for and I really don’t see the need for it here “If there are people living in the house next door that have a role in the livestock for this farm then surely they’d be in a position to care for the animals in an emergency situation.” The local review body unanimously agreed to with the initial refusal Serving up banter with delicious home bakes is the secret to the success of Sally’s in Portlethen The café was known as Lulu’s under previous ownership Sally Adam has been running the café with the help of her husband And the Portlethen café is proving a success – so much so that they can’t fit everyone inside “We have to turn people away all the time now,” admits Sally “You always hope it’s going to be successful but it’s been better than we expected “We’re really lucky because we’ve got amazing customers.” The majority of the customers are returning customers – proof that Sally and her team have perfected their offering “80% of our customers are regular customers,” she says “So many of our customers have become friends now.” Sally wanted to create a warm, welcoming space for anyone – and that’s exactly what the team have achieved at Sally’s Cafe “We have a huge range of different people that come in,” Sally adds “We’ve got young families coming in “We get a lot of few ladies that come in on their own because they know they’ll get a good chat “They know that they’ll always get a bit of banter when they come into the café “That’s what we want to achieve that people know they can come and spend time here and feel welcome Sally does all the baking in her food trailer The team also bring the trailer to various local events offering up their home bakes to a wider customer base “I think people just love the fact that it’s all homemade.” At Sally’s you can find well-loved favourites like brownies and the Tuesday deal which offers soup and pudding for £7 is very popular too So what has Sally learned over the last five years “I’ve learned the benefits of consistency,” she says “People know what they are going to get when they come into the café.” “I guess I have also learned not to take things to heart,” adds Sally but we got a review that says we’re just an ordinary little café on an industrial estate We can’t help where the café is situated “People still like coming to visit us A cannabis farm has been discovered in an Aberdeenshire town Police were made aware of the cultivation at an industrial unit in Portlethen on Thursday morning An investigation into the discovery is ongoing Officers remained at the scene throughout Friday to carry out inquiries which included talking to staff at the other units on Barclayhill Place They were also seen removing plants and equipment from the building and into skips outside A police spokesperson said: “Around 11.30am on Thursday a cannabis cultivation was found at a premises on Barclayhill Place police discovered another cannabis farm on Craigshaw Road in Aberdeen The two incidents are not thought to be linked Two men, aged 20 and 34, were charged after drugs worth an estimated £384,000 were seized from the Aberdeen site Orton Zeneli and Armando Nihtyanova appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday Both men faced two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act and one charge under the the Electricity Act They will reappear in court within the next seven days A major Aberdeen employer that produces cutting-edge inflatable survival equipment Survitec manufactures everything from life rafts and jackets to evacuation systems The company employs 250 people in Aberdeen city and shire with a further 100 staff in Peterhead Survitec is moving into additional premises at Badentoy Avenue in Portlethen this week and immersion suit service station to the new 3,000 square metre site from its facility in Findon It also has premises at Whitemyres Avenue in Aberdeen Survitec says the move solidifies its long-term commitment to the north-east Survitec Group’s managing director for Marine UK division called the investment “significant” and emphasized the importance of Aberdeen to the company’s growth “A vast range of things come out of our Aberdeen sector and we have outgrown the facilities at Findon,” he said “We make things to protect people’s lives a lot of that work involves our offshore engineers who do all the certification installations and anything else that’s required “As a group we put a lot of effort into research and manufacturing for the supply of safety equipment 90% of which we don’t want people to use “But people have to have the confidence that when they go to use it The service station was previously housed at Survitec’s sprawling Findon site Findon will focus on the company’s growing lifeboat division Mr Vettese says this aligns with Survitec’s future growth plans in the region with a focus on marine safety equipment and HSEQ media for the world’s key aviation In addition to its ongoing success in the offshore oil and gas sector The company has secured contracts with a suite of Scotland’s ferry services and invested tens of millions of pounds in research and development into the world’s largest inflatable lifeboat capable of carrying over 1,000 passengers and crew “We have moved with the market,” said Mr Vettese “You’ve got to look at the future and of course the future is looking quite grim when it comes to anything carbon related we need to adjust and we are doing that as a company We’ve got to start that now rather than wait “If you take our Findon operations as a business unit but we have now moved some of that across to the marine market.” Mr Vettese said Survitec and its teams exist to help protect lives “That’s what we do and it’s a great thing to be involved in,” he said “It’s very important for us to be in Aberdeen “We have invested a lot in the Aberdeen market long time and the people here have confidence in us Survitec is the world’s largest survival technology solutions provider with eight manufacturing facilities and 3,000 team members worldwide It was a time when practically anyone who had access to money and land could build a railway line the decline in the fish trade saw passenger numbers slide to single figures and British Railways beat Dr Beeching in closing it Nobody could have predicted that 15 years later the Portlethen population would explode with the discovery of oil With only single-carriageway roads to Aberdeen and poor infrastructure a station was exactly what the commuter community wanted closing and reopening of Portlethen Station… the Aberdeen Railway Company quickly established a route from Aberdeen to Forfar and Arbroath Aberdeen’s temporary terminus was Ferryhill Station nearer the edge of the city; carrying the line into the city centre proved too tricky at the time It was another few years before Aberdeen Joint Station opened in 1867 The geography of the rugged east coast proved difficult for railway navvies with large areas of rock cutting required at Muchalls But the initial line from Stonehaven made good progress in 1849 and reduced the travel time from the coastal town to Glasgow to ‘only’ 6 hours and 15 minutes A journey from Stonehaven to London was down to 21 hours which although still lengthy was far quicker than horse and carriage When Portlethen Station opened on December 13 1849 Given many people in the region had never seen a train before in their lives it’s fair to say the cattle were petrified with reports of some jumping to their deaths from wagons in sheer terror the station began to welcome passengers of the human variety Brechin Station manager Mr Anderson was appointed first manager of Portlethen Station a move said to be “deeply regretted” by the Brechin community But work on the remaining six miles to Ferryhill stalled due to 6,000 cubic yards of rock excavation outstanding Apart from a fish train derailment in 1923 little of note happened at Portlethen Station as likely to frequented by animals as people The community was still small and scattered When British Railways (BR) announced a station closure policy in May 1955 it was perhaps no surprise Portlethen Station was on the list It was the most drastic railway reorganisation since the end of the war Portlethen was identified for closure alongside Marykirk BR’s chief commercial manager for Scotland said some of the stations handled as few as seven or eight passengers a day He said withdrawing small stations would give BR “breathing space” to improve the express service between Aberdeen and Glasgow and the price of coal made running railways very costly It could not be denied that passengers numbers were low but locals said “diesel experiments that have been initiated in other parts of the country gave them heart” But nothing would happen quickly enough to make Portlethen Station pay It was acknowledged in Kincardineshire there was little traffic at any of the stations the Aberdeen-Stonehaven branch line was once essential for fisherfolk former Stonehaven stationmaster George Edwards recalled how extra clerks had to be employed during the prosperous herring fishing season Mr Edwards recalled how fisherwives from Newtonhill, Portlethen and Cove Bay took line-caught fish to the New Market in Aberdeen in such quantities that a special van had to be attached to the morning train Holiday periods also kept the branch line busy with special shuttles running every half hour until 11pm when the “boozer” departed “after much shouting But by the 1950s those days were firmly in the past With plans for a large housing development at Portlethen some wondered if the closure might be shortsighted Newtonhill resident Mr Palmer branded the proposals as “a ferocious dictatorial action” the last passenger service departed Portlethen and the station was consigned to parcels and goods only Within two decades there were already calls to reopen it to meet commuter needs By the mid-70s Portlethen had grown beyond recognition and the only way to reach Aberdeen was by bus or car on a single-carriageway road Rampant housebuilding continued and still trains rumbled past the old halt branch chairman of train drivers’ union ASLEF was confident a two-way service between Inverurie and Stonehaven could be profitable Mr Wright pointed out each of these satellite towns had ever-increasing populations which would guarantee a substantial patronage of the railways But it would be another 10 years before BR recognised the potential of commuters and reopened Dyce station in 1984 BR floated the idea of possibly reopening Portlethen Station All 1,200 homes in the village were sent a questionnaire advising them of a proposed 12-trains-a-day commuter service passengers were once again standing on the windswept platforms of Portlethen Station brought one of their most up-to-date trains Among the first passengers on the round-trip to Aberdeen were Portlethen Primary pupils who had carried out a history project to celebrate the reopening But conversation was very much about the future and whether ScotRail Aberdeen manager John Gough would be justified in pushing to get the village “back on the rails” Certainly commuters in Kintore and Newtonhill were watching with a keen eye to see if they might be next in getting back on track It would be another 35 years before Kintore station reopened and potential passengers in Newtonhill are still watching and waiting Porter Pharmacy has unveiled plans to create an ultra-modern centre near Portlethen – which will mean patients receive prescriptions much faster Andy and Lynne Porter, who run Porter Pharmacy, are eyeing a new site close to the A92 road between the town and Aberdeen The couple have eight branches including Westhill Cove Bay and Holburn Street – and now want to keep up with rocketing demand the proposed new centre would make sure prescriptions reach patients faster than ever Andy told us how important the Portlethen location would be He said: “We want to provide a good and timely service for getting prescriptions to patients “All of the pharmacies we have are within a 15-minute drive.” The move is expected to reduce backlogs at each pharmacy which currently fill hundreds of prescriptions daily Andy said they will be investing heavily in the future of their service including a state-of-the-art automated robot to help prevent medication mix-ups… A prescription will be scanned at a Porter Pharmacy branch and sent to the distribution site A driver will collect prescriptions and deliver them to each pharmacy twice daily Pharmacies will still dispense urgent medication the new site will handle most repeat prescriptions Porter Pharmacy has been looking to transition to this sort of model for several years with increased demand accelerating the process Andy said eliminating the time-consuming task of assembling repeat prescriptions will free up pharmacists to assist patients with health concerns He added: “The pharmacies in the communities are going to be much more freely available to help those who need it because the NHS is transferring more services over to pharmacies “We can now prescribe for issues like chest infections and minor ailments more and more people are coming to their local pharmacist who now has more free time as opposed to processing prescriptions.” Over the last two years, the NHS has given pharmacies greater powers to help ease pressure on hospitals and health clinics Andy said: “Within the last 24 months the number of people coming to us at each of our pharmacies has more than doubled “I can only see it increasing further in the future.” Work on the new Portlethen site is due to begin soon with Andy predicting a three-month timeframe there will be a private clinic offering services like weight loss management women’s health services and ear wax removal They plan to open up to four more pharmacies across the north-east by 2025 It was two years ago that Baker Hughes took over the Portlethen base of Altus Intervention as part of a global corporate acquisition which has headquarters in Texas and London has shed some more light on its plans for the site in the Aberdeenshire town Proposals have been submitted to the council seeking permission for a new industrial building on the site at the Badentoy Industrial Estate It is hoped this will boost production as the energy giant eyes up a long term future at the spot The building there was originally operated by QServ when it opened in 2004 then it became the Altus Intervention hub in 2013 And now Baker Hughes wants to boost business at the Portlethen site by adding this new 720sq m industrial building Papers sent to Aberdeenshire Council explain that it will allow work usually undertaken outdoors to take place inside – meaning it won’t be waylaid by adverse weather conditions A report states: “This development is part of the business consolidation process “The client has identified a requirement for covered workspace for both storage and general industrial use and this building will increase capacity for both throughout the site “The building will also allow for business activities which take place externally to be moved inside during extended poor weather episodes.” The new structure would take up space in what is currently a “significantly underutilised” overspill car park Architects also reveal that a “10-year extension of the site lease is currently being negotiated” Architects from Albyn Design and Build add: “The proposal will provide a premises of high quality and longevity appropriately extending its already long-term occupancy.” These plans come as a nitrogen tank is being relocated from another Baker Hughes base to Portlethen in a further bid to beef up the new site You can see the full Baker Hughes plans for Portlethen at the Aberdeenshire Council website How robot will help get prescriptions to patients faster as Porter Pharmacy plans new centre at Portlethen Old Portlethen property designed to make the most of its sea views and countryside surroundings Former Aberdeen oil and gas worker gearing up for £1 million vehicle repair business With coastal views as far as the eye can see 15 Broadhaven Road is an extra special property nestled in the picturesque and peaceful setting of Old Portlethen Penny McGarian and Cameron McHardy have lived at this four-bedroom detached house for six and a half years Asked what first attracted them to the property Penny said: “Mainly the stunning sea views Old Portlethen is a tranquil neighbourhood with a beautiful little harbour and is surrounded by coastal countryside which is great for walking “Since moving in we have completely renovated the ground floor opening up the kitchen to make a family living/dining space with a wood-burning stove “We also added on a utility room to the rear of the house and installed a new central heating system “Upstairs we have modernised the property by adding new flooring and decorating throughout.” Penny said the property’s most special features are the “amazing coastal views from the bedroom and living room on the upper floor of the property” This home enjoys sweeping views of the Aberdeenshire countryside as well as the sea and has been designed to make the most of that the accommodation is flexible and spacious with plenty of room for the whole family to spread out The interiors are well-appointed and modern while remaining in harmony with the natural surroundings The open-plan family dining kitchen is the heart of the property and has been designed with functionality and style in mind It features sleek and contemporary cabinetry a central island and high-quality integrated appliances The dining area flows seamlessly into the living space and offers lots of room for dining with family socialising with guests or simply relaxing A wood-burning stove helps create a cosy ambience which is especially pleasing in the cooler months The room enjoys lots of natural light while the large picture windows make a feature of the surrounding landscape The utility room adjacent to the kitchen is a very practical space for laundry and storage and has been fitted with a Belfast-style sink It also offers direct access to the garden There are two generously-sized bedrooms on the ground floor with a well-appointed shower room – ideal for when guests are staying over One of these bedrooms is currently used a home office ideal for anyone working from home or studying The main living area is on the upper floor and has been configured to capture the essence of coastal living There are dual aspect windows offering sea or countryside views and engineered wood flooring laid in a stylish herringbone pattern Adding to the charm and luxury of this room is an open fire Taking a tour around the rest of the upper level there are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom The large master bedroom is a serene sanctuary with calming décor The other bedroom is also very spacious and has fitted wardrobes separate shower enclosure and elegant finishes Outside the landscaped gardens are well maintained with areas of lawn There is a stone-chipped driveway offering ample off-street parking and a single garage The home has some added modern amenities for a comfortable and future-proof lifestyle There is a recently-installed boiler to ensure efficient heating throughout the home and partial underfloor heating on the ground floor Fibre broadband connectivity caters to the requirements of working from home There is also an electric car charging point Penny added: “Old Portlethen is a lovely little village full of warm and welcoming neighbours which is great for family life “Our favourite part about living here is the easy access to coastal walks with beautiful scenery “We walk around the fields and coastal trails every day and take trips up to the village play park which our kids love.” Asked what sort of buyer the home would suit she said: “This house is perfect for families and those looking for a peaceful retirement “We are really sad to leave such a lovely home and village We will miss every part of living here and we know the new owners will love it as much as our family has.” Price over £365,000 with Aberdein Considine (Ref: 431381) and on the aspc website. Check the average house prices and rents in your area with our Housing Market Tracker. You’ll recognise Portlethen’s Place to Eat food van The food van is run by husband and wife Darren and Patricia Robertson You can smell the bacon and chips the moment you arrive in the retail park And it’s great to see customers arriving at family-run business Portlethen’s Place to Eat even with big chain McDonald’s 100 yards away The bacon roll is their top seller at the food van It’s certainly not a place to visit if you’re on a diet but it’s an ideal spot if you’re looking for some friendly banter and hearty The bacon cheeseburger (£4.60) was the first dish we tried and we got this with added onions and burger sauce The Aberdeen Angus steak patty is sourced from G McWilliam butcher That meant we could appreciate the flavour of the meat more I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more with the addition of lettuce and gherkins but I still found it to be tasty and satisfying with a great crisp to them and nothing soggy in sight I am a bit fussy when it comes to macaroni and cheese and is much better than you might expect for a food van in a car park mature cheddar and red Leicester) combine beautifully to create a gooey A great mix of sharp and more mellow cheese made this punchy but not sickly Patricia tells me that this is one of their most popular dishes and that customers need to call ahead to pre-order this we eyed the chilli cheese hot dog (£5) from Portlethen’s Place to Eat and a heaped portion of homemade chilli packed with peppers and kidney beans I would have preferred if the cheese was melted on top as a lot of the cheese ended up falling off the hot dog The chilli was lacking in heat a little for me You can try Portlethen’s Place to Eat for yourself 9am-3pm Monday-Saturday Read our other Taste Tests here If there’s anything that Leigh Ryrie is adamant she’s not Leigh says the real heroes are the incredible families she supports through her role as the children and family support manager at the Aberdeen based charity Charlie House “The families are the heroes and superheroes,” says Leigh From paddle boarding and surfing to music therapy and weekends away Leigh and the amazing team at the charity help children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families make special memories “We just want to help them to make amazing memories as they’re constantly shown what they can’t do so we want to show them what they can do,” says Leigh “It’s all about the families and what they want “So we throw everything into every activity as we want it to be the best experience that they possibly have that day.” Leigh’s journey to supporting children and families across the north-east of Scotland began as a teenager when her big brother Richard was in hospital undergoing cancer treatment “I remember visiting him in hospital and thinking that everyone was quite down,” says Leigh “So my aim was to do my best to cheer him up and try to make him smile.” “It was that typical north-east thing where everyone just got on with it,” says Leigh “I was about 15 at the time and I felt I didn’t really have anyone to speak to as you don’t want to bother your parents “I was involved with amateur dramatics and I think that really helped as I could be a different person on stage.” “If it wasn’t for my brother I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today,” says Leigh Leigh went on to work as a play specialist helping them to prepare for procedures and help them to understand what was happening,” says Leigh Leigh’s path then led to Clan Cancer Support where she was a children and family support worker before she joined Charlie House have worked closely with families to ensure that they receive the support that they desperately need there was about 40 or so families and now we have over 140 families,” says Leigh “We’ve now got pre and post bereavement support parental and carer support as well as a siblings support group and we organise activities for all ages to try new things and most importantly have fun,” says Leigh “We also organise weekends away and activities for the whole family so that nobody is left out.” Although Leigh loves being there for families she also recognises the importance of self care too you’re always thinking about the families,” says Leigh “I sing at pretty much all the Charlie House events “I’m also involved with Right Here Productions so I’ve been a singing waitress and we do murder mysteries.” And watching all the families come together for the charity’s annual Christmas party encapsulates everything she loves about her work. “To stand back and see the look on the children’s faces as they walk into the party is very special,” says Leigh the team and I take a moment to reflect on the young people who are no longer with us.” For more information about Charlie House, check out their website charliehouse.org.uk, or the charity’s Facebook page or Instagram page @charliehousehq Portlethen mum Angie Wright was widowed in her 30s when her husband died in a car accident She then watched the same devastating grief repeat for her daughter and baby grandchildren when her son-in-law died in the pandemic So when she saw a P&J Facebook post asking for our readers’ perspectives on Mother’s Day she immediately got in touch to share her story and experiences this family does what they do best: they laugh hard love hard and rally to make it special “for each other.” It’s a drizzly Wednesday morning in Portlethen when I find myself standing at the door of Angie Wright A hairdresser in the town – and a resident there for over 30 years – she’s at the heart of her community she’s at the heart of her family too Angie’s got that “casual chic” thing going on but she’s immaculate in matching cream co-ords “You look amazing,” I tell her “Mum’s is the hub,” daughter Bex pipes up “Although when all the grandkids are here it’s a bit harder to keep tidy,” she laughs Angie fell in love for a second time with husband Bob Wright Bob ducks in and out while I chat to the girls who has been friends with Bex since they were teenagers “I try to treat them [Laura and Bex] as much the same as I can because Laura is just as much a part of this family.” “I have a difficult relationship with my own mum I was included in the fold here immediately You get to a certain point in life when you think the people who are good to me… they’re my people died 21 years ago on March 14 when her kids were just 12 and 15 “I was a daddy’s girl,” Bex says “I used to break my heart when dad would leave from the heliport.” The way Bex describes that time of their lives is that “the air was thick with trauma” the kids needed to look after me for a while,” Angie says “And I always remember how great Paul’s parents were Their main concern was not their own grief “History has repeated itself in more ways than one,” Bex adds “I wouldn’t have survived the last few years without my mother-in-law either.” he popped into the tattoo parlour where Bex worked to collect vouchers for a giveaway Though she liked him right away it took a “wee while” for them to get together “He was like part of the family before they were official,” Laura jokes “I think buying her a kitten from Mrs Murrays sealed the deal,” Angie added Kev proposed to Bex in their favourite place – Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote – and the couple started a family quickly was born in November 2019 and their second son “When Covid happened we stopped planning a big wedding and just opted for a registrar,” Bex explained In November 2o21 Kev and Bex held a joint birthday party for the boys celebrating their first and second birthdays “Maureen – Kev’s mum – was helping with the kids because we both had to go to bed “Everything changed when Kev told me he thought he needed an ambulance.” Bex phoned Kev’s dad to come and get him Bex and the boys all tested positive for Covid “After about a week he was starting to feel a bit better The very same day that I was also allowed to come out of quarantine In the early hours of December 7 Charlie – Kev’s dad – was called to the hospital when his son’s breathing worsened Informed that he was going to be put on a ventilator he rushed to see Kev while Maureen tracked her husband’s journey on her phone “I knew when I saw that he got to the hospital and right away turned back “I was only there a few minutes when they told me he had passed away,” Charlie added “That’s not something you forget I was in the police for years so was trained not to react emotionally Maureen had to call Bex to break the devastating news Neither were able to see him due to Covid restrictions His death was recorded as a pulmonary embolism and Covid A sense of it “not feeling real” was echoed by both Bex and her mother-in-law months and now years since Kev’s death Maureen has been a lifeline for her daughter-in-law “I know it will be hard for you to hear this mum,” she says “but I wouldn’t be here without Maureen.” “You don’t need to explain that to me,” Angie reassures her It’s no surprise then that Mother’s Days and special occasions have become a team effort “I never want my daughter to not have a card from her boys because Kev’s not here to organise it,” Angie explains “And I’d never want Maureen to miss out on Mother’s Day because Kev isn’t here either,” says Bex So the plan is for Bex and her boys to visit “both the mums” and for all of them to celebrate one another And Angie – of Marnoch and Wright – wouldn’t have it any other way “We have a big back garden and as far as the kids are concerned looking at Ava fixated on her “granda Bob” “there’s nobody quite like Bob Westen and Raylan all love playing football or going wild outside with Bob.” Which leaves the girls to celebrate together “We’ll have a lovely day together “And then I’ll throw them all out and get the house back in order,” Angie laughs “But there is nothing more important than family And we’re a family who knows that more than most.” Three staff members from Asda Portlethen will celebrate Mother’s Day with their colleagues this weekend Emma Cheyne and Michael Law all work side-by-side with their mums at the supermarket the Portlethen branch certainly feels like a family business for the trio The mothers – Catriona McGinness, Moira Cheyne and Karen Law – have worked at the busy store for a combined 69 years across different departments who have each joined the company over the past 11 years are now making plans to celebrate them this Sunday Catriona began her journey at Asda 27 years ago on the store’s cream counter and later joined the bakery team started working at the store three years ago after finishing school Neve said: “Having mum at work makes the job even better “There’s always someone to share a laugh with “I’m also really grateful to have her as my inspiration every day and I’m lucky to share these moments with her in work.” Neve said although they work in different departments she is always stopping by the bakery when putting together shopping orders One time Catriona even stacked the pitta breads too high and they all fell on Neve’s head – which her mum found “hilarious” Catriona said she was “so proud” watching Neve’s confidence and independence grow since she joined the store for the first few months I was still playing the role of ‘mum’s taxi’ driving her in everyday because she didn’t have her license yet,” Catriona added Neve is treating her mum to a takeaway of her choice to celebrate Mother’s Day Michael and his mum Karen have both worked at Asda for 11 years he has held various roles from the bakery to home shopping while his mum is a dedicated member of the checkouts team plan to visit Karen for a special Sunday lunch Fellow colleague Emma has been with Asda Portlethen for six years working in the bakery has worked with the grocery team for an impressive 31 years Emma will celebrate Mother’s Day by taking her mum out for lunch When Lisa Wilkie walks onto the stage at Courage on the Catwalk in May it will mark an end to the most tumultuous chapter of her life the 43-year-old mum-of-two has been diagnosed with breast cancer and emerged — tentatively — on the other side The Courage charity fashion show at P&J Live in Aberdeen will be a chance to draw a line under everything “It feels like a way to move forward on my own terms,” she says So while Courage on the Catwalk will close one chapter At the National Hyperbaric Centre in Aberdeen where she manages a facility training deep sea divers Lisa has spent years helping people recover from being pushed to their limits But nothing could have prepared her for her own fight to resurface from the depths of cancer It was at the end of 2022 that Lisa first noticed a lump she did what many women in her position would do — she went to the doctor she was reassured that it was likely due to hormonal changes associated with perimenopause She had recently stepped into a management role at the Hyperbaric Centre the lump had grown so much it pushed her arm out slightly she hesitated — she had already been told it was nothing “They asked me who was with me and told me to call my husband,” she says the diagnosis was confirmed: breast cancer Lisa was given The Red Devil — a drug as brutal as its name Lisa was determined to carry on as much as she could she pushed herself to return to work when she was able “I had to just put my head down and get through it,” she says “My husband couldn’t deal with it — he was worse than me making sure Lisa was cared for and managing the household alongside Blair and Brody Their family unit became tighter than ever many of whom she had known since childhood and reminding her that this period would pass Lisa and Barry had always planned to marry always pushing it further down the line due to life’s many interruptions family commitments — there was never the right moment Lisa and Barry were married in secret at Kincorth’s South St Nicholas Church It was the wedding they had wanted — simple they finally told their family and friends the celebrations pushed cancer into the background Lisa received a call that her latest scan had flagged a potential problem in her head Her chemotherapy was paused while further tests were carried out it was a reminder that even when she thought she was moving forward Lisa had completed her chemotherapy and underwent a double mastectomy “I didn’t want to spend my life worrying about finding another lump,” she says she was back at work at the National Hyperbaric Centre “I could have taken as much time off as I wanted,” she says even if it was just for a few hours a day.” but they also worried about her pushing herself too soon I needed to be back in the real world.” as she prepares to take part in Courage on the Catwalk she sees it as a symbolic moment — a step out of the shadow of illness and into something new Lisa was initially hesitant about signing up for the event saying she needed a moment to celebrate how far she had come Organised by cancer and blood disease charity Friends of Anchor, Courage on the Catwalk is an annual event where women from across the north-east who have faced cancer step onto the runway at P&J Live all aimed at building confidence before their big moment she knows Courage on the Catwalk won’t erase what she has been through But it’s also a chance to do something fun — something that has absolutely nothing to do with hospitals Rehearsals have been a mix of excitement and nerves The models’ WhatsApp group chat is buzzing with gossip shared worries and a common fear — falling flat on the catwalk in front of hundreds of people “Somebody’s already tripped over,” Lisa says joking that if anyone’s going to end up on their backside on the night But if the Courage show is the closing chapter of her cancer story there are worse ways to end it than with a laugh With its damp sand and biting coastal wind Balmedie beach is a far cry from the Sahara desert Yet on this stretch of north-east coastline a father and son from Portlethen are training for a race that could be described as a journey through hell Bronson and son Jayden Larkins will take on the Marathon des Sables a gruelling 160-mile ultramarathon that snakes through the scorching dunes of the Sahara they will endure blistering daytime heat of up to 60°C they’ll push themselves across distances ranging from 13 to 53 miles One brutal stage will see them run through the night navigating the vast desert by moonlight and headtorch It’s no coincidence the Marathon des Sables is dubbed “the toughest footrace on earth” “It’s certainly a lot harder than you’d think.” is a mechanical engineering student at Robert Gordon University and currently on placement at Dyce-based Wellvene Despite only taking up running seriously a couple of years ago with The Green Run Club in Aberdeen he has already tackled a marathon and run 31 miles in a training run with a friend But the Marathon des Sables is an entirely different beast “I enjoy running and I enjoy trying to get faster times but it’s definitely not speed that I enjoy the most It’s seeing how far and how long I can push myself,” he says “I find it much more enjoyable being able to go out for four partly comes from an experience that shaped his life — his recovery from a serious spinal injury after a skiing accident in Austria when he was 18 He fractured multiple vertebrae and spent months in a back brace and physiotherapy He was preparing to join the army at the time but was rejected due to his injury it’s just been about being grateful for still having the movement that I’ve got,” he says “That kind of took me to running — to keep fit and to see how healthy I can be.” Jayden originally signed up for the Marathon des Sables but it didn’t take long for his dad to join him “I told Dad that I’d signed up,” he recalls the decision was about more than just running I was probably the most unfit I’d ever been in my life,” he admits I’m probably the fittest I’ve been in 15 years.” I climbed Kilimanjaro with friends and colleagues we reminisce for ages because it was such a special experience “That got me thinking — I wanted to create something like that with Jayden but why not really challenge ourselves and make it meaningful?’” “It’s all about making those memories,” he says “It’s a very small group of people who can say they’ve done the race with their dad.” but doing so while carrying all their own equipment adds another layer of difficulty Each competitor must be fully self-sufficient for the week with their pack containing everything from food to sleeping gear “You scrutinise every bit of weight,” Bronson explains “The difference between carrying nine and a half kilos and eight and a half kilos over that distance is massive People don’t take extra clothes — what you wear is what you wear for the week.” the more I watch videos — I just can’t wait.” The challenge is personal, but the father and son are also using it to raise money for Walkoncemore a charity that supports people with spinal cord injuries ‘What a great cause — it all fits perfectly,’” Bronson says “We’re reaching out to contacts and companies to raise as much as we can.” Jayden hails the space he has been given by RGU to complete his epic adventure and then one day a week I do my uni work,” he says “Having that flexibility has definitely given me the chance to focus on running.” I’d like to think Jayden looks at me that way,” he says “That was a pivotal moment for me – I realised these extreme challenges that you always hear about other people doing aren’t just for ‘other people.’ They’re actually within reach Mum Dawn and sister Beau will be closely following the Larkins’ progress from Portlethen though both Jayden and Bronson say the women in the family are happier watching from the sidelines when it comes to this level of running it’s the scale of the challenge that unites them “He’s the one who got me into snowboarding He’s the one who bought me my first pair of running shoes And he adds: “There’s not a doubt in my mind that we won’t both cross that finish line,” Jayden says Click here to donate to Jayden and Bronson’s fundraiser An Aberdeen pensioner has been jailed for the repeated rapes of a woman and young girl more than 30 years ago was found guilty by majority by a jury on two charges of rape and one breach of the peace Judge William Summers said the offences were “profoundly troubling” and he had acted in a “most appalling way” A verdict of not proven was returned on two further rape charges relating to the same victims Hird carried out his attacks at various locations in Aberdeen and Portlethen over a five-year period Hird was convicted of demanding sex from the woman His second victim was aged just 12 when Hird first raped her and he carried out these crimes at addresses in Aberdeen and Portlethen until she was 17 Hird was also convicted of exposing himself to the young girl and masturbating in front of her Hird’s defence counsel David Moggach KC said his client still maintained his position from the trial adding: “He has always worked throughout his life and comes to court as a first offender.” Judge Summers said Hird had been convicted of raping the two females on “various occasions” adding: “These offences are profoundly troubling “It involves the repeated rape of two vulnerable females “You manipulated her [the adult victim] in a most appalling way and coerced her into having sex with you “The other was vulnerable because of her age Judge Summers said the victims had felt “humiliated degraded and worthless” adding: “The impact statement from the younger victim makes for even more difficult reading “She has suffered life-changing consequences both physically and emotionally “I recognise the courage and strength in them and it is to be hoped they can move on from these events and they do not define them.” Speaking to Hird’s Criminal Justice Report Judge Summers said: “It is of concern that you continue to deny responsibility for these offences “You have shown no victim empathy or insight into the harm you have caused there is clearly no alternative but a lengthy custodial sentence.” back-dated to when he was placed on remand in December 2024 of Bloomfield Road Aberdeen was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and a non-harassment order was put in place for the second victim New York-style pizza chain SBARRO has opened in Portlethen – and to celebrate bosses are turning back the clock to the 1950s when it comes to prices To mark opening its doors earlier this month the pizzeria is giving its customers a “mind-blowing” deal on XL pizza slices this weekend The Portlethen branch is SBARRO’s first Scottish store as the American company begins a major expansion programme in the UK When SBARRO first opened in the USA in 1956 it was famous for its 15 cents pizza slices So “as a treat” to mark the launch of the new store the company says they are paying tribute with knock-down prices Hungry pizza fans will be able to pick up a slice for only 15p on both Friday and Saturday afternoon’s this week They are normally sold at around £3 to £3.50 The new eatery operates out of Portlethen Service Station just off of the busy A92 road fresh off the removal of six-day roadworks last week A spokesperson for SBARRO said: “In 1956 Carmela and Gennaro Sbarro opened the doors to their Italian salumeria in Brooklyn Carmela ‘Mama’ Sbarro made pizza slices for shift workers looking for a quick meal “Her slices were so popular that they soon opened a second location focused solely on pizza and now there are over 630 Sbarro eateries across 28 countries “Our brand new store in Portlethen offers the best quality pizza slices that Sbarro have perfected over almost 70 years and we thought that the best way to reflect this was in the price we’re doing what Mama Sbarro did – selling the finest pizza slices at the same price point that they were in 1956.” SBARRO Portlethen will be open from 10am-10.30pm every day and is the 19th location the brand has opening in the UK a heat pump installation company based in Portlethen is set to achieve a £1 million turnover this year has recently moved into new premises at City South Business Park Mr Devine says he’s working toward creating a one-stop shop for all renewable technologies Previously a gas safety engineer with years of experience in boiler installations Robbie took a leap of faith during the pandemic moving into the renewable energy sector with a focus on air source heat pumps he says heat pumps were not yet widely accepted and there was plenty of skepticism about the technology Robbie’s decision was driven by his passion for renewable technologies and a desire for change “The pandemic was a turning point for me and it felt like the right time to make a change,” says Robbie but I was determined to make it work.” Robbie says convincing customers to invest in heat pumps was difficult Government incentives made the switch to heat pumps more affordable helping to fuel the company’s growth “Government grants played a huge role in getting customers on board,” Robbie explains “People were more willing to invest in renewable energy systems because the grants made it more financially viable.” Robbie worked tirelessly to establish his company and took on the challenging task of obtaining Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation This certification was crucial for accessing government funding and required months of preparation and study working long days installing systems and studying at night,” says Robbie Aberdeen Air Source Heating employs five people The business has grown steadily and is now on track to reach a £1 million turnover in just its fourth year of operation Robbie is no longer required to handle every task allowing him to focus on expanding the business and offering additional services “I love interacting with ‘technical’ customers who have a similar passion for renewables and see the benefits of increased efficiency by installing a heat pump,” he says “There are reduced tariffs to take advantage of along with government funding to offset the initial cost and more clients becoming wise to the benefits by installing battery storage to further reduce their bills.” Robbie says he’s happy to go on growing organically taking on one client at a time and focusing on doing high-quality work Looking forward, Aberdeen Air Source plans to continue expanding its renewable energy offerings with a long-term goal of becoming a one-stop shop for green energy solutions “I love the technology and I love the work,” adds Robbie “They say if you love your job you’ll never work a day in your life This is the first time I can honestly say I’m loving my work.” Ever since 25-year-old Lauren Milne started selling ice cream in February 2021 opening a parlour has been “a dream” of hers – and last week the young entrepreneur welcomed the first influx of customers to Lolly’s Ice Cream shop in her hometown of Portlethen The Hillside Court parlour had been open for just 24 hours (over four days) when we caught up and she revealed they had “made over 800 sales.” As a result of selling out of so many products Lolly’s Ice Cream was unable to open on Sunday (June 30) “We went through more than 50 full napolis [ice cream pans] which is over 250 litres of ice cream,” Lauren added “We completely underestimated how much the people of Portlethen love ice cream Even though we churned extra through the week we were still left with only a couple of half full Napoli pans by Saturday night so unfortunately couldn’t open on the Sunday.” Lauren and her mum Lisa currently run Lolly’s Ice Cream Lolly’s is a nickname given to Lauren by her family and friends The business owner said she “could possibly do any of this” without Lisa “I’m sure she never would have imagined she’d be running an ice cream shop with me but I’m so glad that I get to spend everyday with my best friend,” she went on to say “Also without all my close family and friends.” Lolly’s Ice Cream started out as an online shop before Lauren purchased an ice cream bike to attend weddings and events across the country The mum and daughter made ice cream from dawn to dusk in their home kitchen but demand was so high they quickly outgrew it “I knew that I was ready for the next step Once I started the process of looking at shops and equipment that’s when things started to feel very real for me and it was all so exciting,” Lauren said “When I first started making ice cream during lockdown I never dreamed I would be here now in my very own shop.” For more on the background of Lolly’s Ice Cream, click here It took close to a year to receive the building warrant approval to fit out the shop premises A lot of the work was carried out by her family friends and “incredible” partner Michael Stewart “No idea I came to him with was too big or too crazy I am so grateful and proud of him for all his hard work in helping me and for creating such a beautiful shop!” She also tried to use as many local companies as possible including SC Electrical and Sign Designs of Aberdeen It took roughly three-and-a-half months to build and bring Lauren’s dream shop to life She continued attending weddings with Lisa whilst the work was ongoing there’s a selection of 18 ice cream flavours available at one time which are continuously circulated out They include popular classics such as vanilla Lauren added: “With a range of over 100 flavours “Some of our most popular (and more unusual) flavours are ooey gooey butter cake There are some dairy-free fresh fruit sorbets available at the shop too You can also expect speciality coffee roasted by Glen Lyon Roasters in Perthshire The most ordered menu item so far at Lolly’s Ice Cream has been its candy floss burritos They comprise a scoop of ice cream in the customer’s choice of flavour which is then loaded with sprinkles encased in a ‘candy floss wrap’ “They are so cute and full of flavour!” the parlour owner says we will introduce a much wider range of goods such as crumbles She went on to say: “The response from the public has been overwhelming “The locals have been so supportive from the start everyone we met along the way had been telling us how excited they were for the opening.” Many customers have frequented to the parlour multiple times in one day Lolly’s Ice Cream is open from 1pm to 8pm Wednesday to Sunday You can keep up-to-date on any changes via the business’ Facebook and Instagram (@lollysicecream) pages I’m so happy and grateful to everyone who has supported us so far the local community are amazing!” Lauren said “It’s great to catch up with old faces and make new connections The shop has allowed us to reach a much larger audience and I can’t wait to serve more of our customers “We have been enjoying seeing some of the pictures people have taken with our neon angel wings Please don’t be shy and take your photos with them and tag us on social media!” A “mean and nasty” carer destroyed her 25-year career by stealing almost £3,000 from an elderly man with dementia while in her care sobbed in the dock as the court heard of her pilfering from a vulnerable pensioner when asked to buy groceries with his bank card Felber was caught by CCTV cameras using it 13 times to withdraw the OAP’s savings at cash machines across Aberdeen and Portlethen her defence solicitor told the court that his client had been of “excellent character” for over two decades and “was at a loss to explain why she did this” A sheriff said Felber had violated the “safety and security of individuals who are vulnerable and who rely on people to care for them” Fiscal depute Sophia Ramzan told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the victim was diagnosed with dementia and mobility issues and needed help from a carer the pensioner was at home when he received a visit from his carer service Felber was presented with the 72-year-old’s debit card so she could shop for his groceries “The accused did this for him and returned to the locus with the groceries and left without returning the bank card,” Ms Ramzan explained another carer arrived at the locus to carry out her duties “The complainer advised this carer that he did not have his bank card and that he had provided it to the accused who he believed had his card.” the victim received a call from the Bank of Scotland warning of unusual activity on his account and cancelled the card The elderly gentleman repeated his concern about Felber’s possession of the card and the police were then contacted Officers arrived at the man’s home on December 22 when they learned of the situation It was established that the card had been used 13 times to withdraw £2,947 from cash machines in Aberdeen and Portlethen CCTV camera footage later revealed that Felber was behind the withdrawals and she was cautioned and arrested Felber pled guilty to stealing a bank card from a vulnerable person while in her position of trust She also admitted a second charge of stealing almost £3,000 from the same person Felber’s own lawyer John McLeod described his client’s actions as a “mean and nasty offence upon someone who was vulnerable at the time” He added: “She is at a loss to explain why she did this because she has entirely destroyed her career lasting over 25 years “She will never get a job in that sector again She is at a loss to say why this came about.” Mr McLeod said that his client had “taken this extremely seriously” and owned up with “full admissions” upon being questioned by police The court also heard that Felber’s mother had died around the time of her offending with a claim that it may have contributed to her disgraceful behaviour “There have been several major changes in her life,” Mr McLeod added “She has made no bones about her involvement in this but she was previously a woman of excellent character.” Sheriff Andrew Webster described the charges to which Felber pled guilty as “significant and serious offences” He added: “The theft of a vulnerable individual’s bank card from their home and the repeated use of that card to obtain financial benefit for herself strikes at the safety and security of individuals who are vulnerable and who rely on people to care for them.” The sheriff said background reports on Felber gave “very little indication of any remorse” and a “failure to provide much of an explanation” for her actions He went on: “Even for a first offence this could result in a custodial sentence A restriction of liberty order also could be a viable alternative but I can’t make that assessment without a further report.” Sheriff Webster deferred sentencing Felber, of Thistle Drive, Portlethen until the end of the month for a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group The 1980s was a time of great change in Portlethen as new developments took it from a coastal village to one of the biggest communities in Kincardineshire and Portlethen Academy finally welcomed pupils Portlethen was seen as one of the success stories of development around Aberdeen in the years after oil was discovered going from a population of a few hundred to a few thousand Plans for a secondary school in the growing community had been mooted since the early 1970s Even as late as 1978 a question mark still hung over the possibility of a new school Portlethen had grown exponentially with new housing but without any additional community facilities schoolchildren were travelling around nine miles for secondary school provision at Mackie Academy in Stonehaven Parents and community leaders expressed great concern about overcrowding at Mackie Academy road conditions in the winter and a lack of bus services In 1976 new housing developments threatened to put so much pressure on Mackie that Portlethen pupils were nearly rezoned to Kincorth Academy in Aberdeen the Scottish Education Department was still reluctant to justify a new school North Angus and Mearns MP Alick Buchanan-Smith took his constituents’ fight to the House of Commons and argued for a “desperately needed” academy with proposals for another 1200 homes in Portlethen it was accepted that a secondary school was needed Tenders for the 750-pupil school were put out in 1984 Aberdeen firm Alexander Hall & Co were appointed contractors for the £4 million project Ward councillor Roderick Kinghorn: “We are still aiming to have this long-awaited and much-needed new academy ready for use after the summer holidays in 1986.” pupils were still attending Mackie Academy the reopening of Portlethen Railway Station the previous year saw a special school service train introduced to take pupils to Stonehaven Although it provided a safer travel route for pupils British Rail removed travel passes from two dozen schoolchildren for “a spate of bad behaviour on the trains” It was with some relief that Portlethen Academy finally at Easter 1987 opening its doors to first and second year pupils who was delighted with the “striking building” which featured large areas of glass and a spacious entrance way the first pupils from feeder primary schools moved up to Portlethen Academy It would not be until 1990 that the school reached its capacity with a full compliment of S1-S6 pupils once dubbed “the jewel in Grampian Region’s crown” was replaced by another when it became too small The current Portlethen Academy opened in August 2006 and the 1987 one was demolished ALL IMAGES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE COPYRIGHT OF DC THOMSON UNAUTHORISED REPRODUCTION IS NOT PERMITTED To purchase photos, contact: archives@dcthomson.co.uk When Tom Giles decided to trade in life as an Aberdeen oil and gas manager to open his own vehicle repair business he was ready for the challenge Now four-years later the 53-year-old is targeting £1 million turnover and is continuing to grow his team of employees Tom is the successful boss of Portlethen-based vehicle bodywork repair franchise Revive Tom has seen his business grow from strength-to-strength The business specialises in small to medium repairs, such as bumper scuffs based in Portlethen’s South Office Park generated a revenue of £538,000 and Tom is now aiming for £1m by the end of 2028 The former Weatherford UK manager said: “Running my own business was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be at the start but we’re at the point now where it’s all coming together “My start-up loans will get paid off at the end of this year and we exceeded revenue for last year “I’ve made a business plan over the next three I’d like to hit one million revenue.” Tom plans to increase his number of workers The team carry out repairs at the customer’s home or place of work – meaning they do not have to take time out of their day to drop their vehicle off and pick it back up from a bodyshop He said: “We’re at the point now where we’re booked and people don’t want to wait any longer “So I’ve got a new technician starting next month and someone to help with admin and organising the diary “The plan is to keep hiring every year to help reach target.” Although the level of work has been encouraging there’s still concerns over the rising costs of fuel and energy costs Tom said: “It’s still something that I need to watch closely with the price of both fuel and energy costs rising “I also haven’t found out what my business rates are going to be this year “But with the extra van I’ll have on the road for my new hire I’ll probably be around £2,500 for fuel.” motorhomes and coaches and carries out jobs for 15 car dealerships across the UK Looking back on his decision Tom has no regrets about his career change He said: “Job security isn’t that great in oil and gas “It’s up and down and you just never know what’s going to happen “Being my own boss means I can just work harder to make it work “It’s been going really well.” More than £22,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spent by Police Scotland to maintain a closed-down station in Portlethen A freedom of information (FoI) request from the Scottish Conservatives show that seven stations across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire were closed over the past five years £22,288.69 has been spent on the upkeep of the mothballed station since its closure as well as an additional £4,581.60 in business rates £51,497.68 has been spent in rates for Peterhead station which closed in 2020 However, the one that has caused the force the most is Grampian Police’s former Queen Street headquarters which have cost £398,749.09 in upkeep costs since closing in 2021 £6,004.32 has been paid for the upkeep of Seaton police station in Aberdeen and despite this Police Scotland defended this and said learning from their “successful” estates transformation in the north-east will “influence” work in other parts of the country Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr who represents the north-east at Holyrood said: “Parts of Police Scotland’s estate across the north-east are no longer fit for purpose “The force just can’t afford to maintain the fabric of some stations which have fallen foul of years of centralisation by the SNP “That presents a big challenge to officer visibility which is so important for community policing “Police Scotland is still stuck with huge bills for buildings which are no longer used “Millions of pounds have been spent over the last five years on some of A Division’s oldest buildings including almost £1.2m on the old Queen Street HQ before it was sold to Aberdeen City Council “The force is still stuck with the cost of upkeep for stations like Portlethen and Peterhead Scottish Government business rates are still being charged to Seaton This should all be getting spent on training and retaining officers.” the Scottish Government said: “While decisions around police stations are operational matters for the chief constable Police Scotland continues to dispose of properties no longer fit for purpose or required while at the same time reinvesting in purpose built properties to deliver modern premises “We have more than tripled the policing capital budget since 2017-18 and despite unprecedented challenges to public finances our draft budget for 2025-26 includes a record £1.62 billion for policing This includes £75 million of capital funding – an uplift of more than £10m from 2024-2025 – to increase investment in resources and estates.” A Police Scotland spokesman added: “In 2013 Police Scotland inherited a very large and ageing estate with high maintenance costs and environmental inefficiencies “Necessary repairs and investment have been made over the years to ensure our buildings have met health and safety requirements spending money on maintaining and repairing old and inefficient buildings is not best use of public money transforming the estate in Aberdeen has been a priority “Buildings which were surplus to requirements were disposed of which was at a point of requiring significant investment to bring it up to modern building standards “Our existing buildings at Kittybrewster Nelson Street and Nigg all underwent major refurbishment in 2021 to accommodate officers and staff who moved from Queen Street plus significant investment was made into new premises at Marischal College and Woodhill House.” At least two cars were involved in a collision on the A92 outside of Portlethen in Aberdeenshire It happened at around 5pm on Saturday on the main route that connects Aberdeen and Dundee with part of the road restricted as a result Two damaged cars were in the central reservation of the road which resulted in traffic being cut to one lane on either side An eyewitness told The Press & Journal that the police arrived and “blocked the northbound lane” As well as the police, both the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Service were also in attendance The fire service confirmed they were called to the scene at 5.16pm and left at 5.30pm Two fire appliances were sent from Altens in the south of Aberdeen Police Scotland has been contacted for more information A Portlethen woman who was partly responsible for a dog starving to death will not be banned from keeping animals because she tried to prevent the German Shepherd’s death earlier admitted culpability after it was discovered the dead pet named Blaze was not fed properly for at least a month and had not eaten for up to three days before his death A postmortem concluded Blaze had suffered severe emaciation that more than halved his body weight and faeces were found caked into his fur and paws Aberdeen Sheriff Court banned Johnson’s 26-year-old ex-partner Lee Derrett from keeping dogs for ten years and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work Sheriff Graham Buchanan spared Johnson a pet ban instead fining her £320 after learning Derrett had ignored her repeated requests for him to help Blaze who was “frightened” and in an “abusive relationship” with him to “mind her own business,” the court heard A previous court hearing was told that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) examined Blaze’s body after it had been handed into a local veterinary practice on December 1 2023 Further examination of the dog’s stomach confirmed he had been receiving “insufficient food for at least one month” and “hadn’t eaten for 48-72 hours prior to his death” The sheriff told Johnson: “You noticed that the dog had certain problems and encouraged Mr Derrett to take it to a vet but you were not sure whether he had actually done it “Where you say you went wrong was that you did not alert the authorities that the dog was needing treatment.” Johnson stated that the relationship she had with Derrett was “abusive” in nature and that she was too scared to go on at him Sheriff Buchanan said a social worker’s background report noted that when Johnson insisted Derrett take Blaze to a vet he told her the matter was “none of her business and she should keep out of it” had provided “exceptionally good” character references from her employer and a woman she cared for “I think what is fair to say is that your role in this offence was very very limited indeed and it was really Mr Derrett who was responsible for the state of affairs that ultimately led to the death of the dog,” the sheriff said Sheriff Buchanan described Derrett as “far and away the main offender” in what happened to Blaze “I’m prepared to accept that you tried to ensure that Mr Derrett did the right thing in relation to the dog,” he told Johnson The sheriff continued: “And you accept that perhaps you should have done more to alert the authorities but you didn’t because you were frightened and in an abusive relationship with [Derrett].” Sheriff Buchanan concluded he was “satisfied” that there was no need for the court to make an order prohibiting Johnson Starbucks and Co-op will open its doors this Thursday at a new petrol station near Portlethen and work has been underway ever since to get the service station ready for its grand opening The services were originally given the go-ahead in 2020 with owners EG Group finding retailers to move into the units back in June Plans were initially approved back in 2019 for services across from the KCA Deutag building just off the A92 road between Aberdeen and Portlethen along with four electric vehicle charging points Work only began on the service station at the City South Business Park in August owned by billionaire brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa are expanding further into the north-east market already owning one site in Peterhead and securing permission for a project at Stonehaven but the New York chain would be a newcomer to the north-east The new pizzeria is the result of a partnership between US-owned Sbarro and EG Group The pizza chain is a staple across the Atlantic with 600 locations but has only been in the UK for three years The Starbucks and Sbarro will be in the main building with the Co-op grocery store It’s not yet known who will occupy planned drive-thru units envisioned for the development Work is just about finished on the service station with construction firm Dandara saying the development has created 25-30 new jobs for the local area You can view the full plans here Aberdeenshire Council is expanding opportunities for reuse at household recycling centres so that more pre-loved items can be rehomed by a local charity.  Additional reuse containers are now in place at Banchory and Stonehaven household recycling centres to complement the containers already in place at Ellon and Peterhead.  Pre-loved items donated through the containers are safety and function checked then upcycled or processed by a local charity for resale This creates more opportunities for people to access affordable high-quality products with far less carbon impact than buying new.    The following cared-for items are now accepted for local charities via the reuse containers:  Electrical items with all parts and plug    Bric-a-brac/general household items    Garden furniture and equipment      The charities that will service and benefit from the containers are Stella’s Voice for Ellon and Stonehaven household recycling centres and Magpie for Banchory and Laurencekirk.  Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee Cllr Alan Turner said: “By extending the lifecycle of these items we support a shift towards a more circular economy but it is even better to rehome our pre-loved items so that they can be reused again and again.   “Initiatives of this kind reduce the need to extract new raw materials for new products—and avoid the emissions generated from doing so—while also preventing goods from needlessly ending up in landfill or being incinerated.”  Sustainability Committee (SC) Chair Cllr Sarah Dickinson who was nominated to be a champion for re-use at the time of the project’s feasibility study said: “None of this would be possible without the charities I am grateful for their help in providing more and more opportunities for reuse across Aberdeenshire.   “Choosing to reuse quality pre-loved items is an effective way to protect natural resources It is estimated that the reuse containers will save around 293 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per year. That is the equivalent of taking 156 cars off the road for a full 12 months or growing around 14,000 trees for a year.  Aberdeenshire Council welcomed £37,095 in funding for the new containers through the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund Small Grant Scheme administered by Zero Waste Scotland.  Recycling Improvement Fund Manager at Zero Waste Scotland said:  “It’s fantastic to see improved reuse infrastructure now in place in Aberdeenshire and donating goods once they’re no longer needed is a great way for residents and visitors to protect the environment and support local good causes at the same time.  “A total of 40 projects across Scotland have now benefitted from Recycling Improvement Fund grants helping hundreds of thousands of people to live more sustainably and create Scotland’s circular economy We are proud to work with Aberdeenshire Council to successfully embed reuse at its recycling centres benefitting both people and planet.”  Scotland’s ambitious climate change legislation sets a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045.   Aberdeenshire Council was the first local authority in Scotland to develop and approve a carbon budget aligning itself with the Scottish Government’s ambitious targets.  The council supported this effort through the creation of a carbon toolkit that analyses the potential costs and savings to be made through its various carbon reduction projects ensuring that emissions are reduced in the most cost-effective manner.  For more information about Aberdeenshire Council’s Household Recycling Centres opening times to access the reuse containers, please visit aberdeenshire.gov.uk/RecyclingCentres  Aberdeenshire drilling services firm KCA Deutag is set to be acquired by American competitor Helmerich & Payne (H&P) in a deal worth nearly £1.5 billion ($2bn) H&P said the deal will see them gain “leading positions” in the US and Middle East and become a “global leader in onshore drilling” has a significant land drilling presence in the Middle East alongside operations in Europe It also maintains “asset-light” offshore management contracts in the North Sea H&P said the acquisition will increase its rig count in the Middle East from 12 to 88 rigs with president and chief executive John Lindsey calling it “historic and transformative” for the company He said: “We are excited about what this means for H&P’s future as it accelerates our international expansion particularly in the Middle East and enhances the company’s global leadership in onshore drilling solutions “KCA Deutag’s assets and operations will add resilient revenues providing greater earnings visibility and cash flow generation we expect to generate sizeable incremental cash flows and are confident this transaction will deliver near- and long-term growth and value creation for H&P shareholders.” Acquiring KCA Deutag gives H&P “immediate scale” in core Middle East markets “in a way that would be challenging to replicate organically” as there is very little geographic overlap we view this transaction more than just acquiring assets but rather acquiring operations with quality people,” he added According to its website, KCA Deutag employs close to 11,000 people globally across 26 countries Joseph Elkhoury said: “This announcement represents a significant milestone in the strategic transformation journey of KCA Deutag and delivers benefits to all stakeholders: our employees shareholders and the communities where we live and work combining the strengths of our people together with our geographical footprint to create an organisation with an unrivalled global network service capability and technology offering.” H&P will remain headquartered in Tulsa The new H&P will have three segments including ‘North America’ KCA Deutag was founded in 1992, as Abbot Group by former executive chairman and Moray-based sheep farmer Alasdair Locke Abbot was floated on the stock market in 1995 and in 2001 it bought one of the biggest names in North Sea drilling Group activities are all under three business units – land With a strong focus on the energy transition Kenera brings together KCA Deutag’s RDS design and engineering specialists and Germany-based land rig and oilfield manufacturer Bentec under one business unit A “fantastic” lifestyle on the Aberdeenshire coast awaits the next owner of a traditional steading which is on the market at £450,000 It comes with a three-bedroom farmhouse and 63.6 acres of land The farmhouse and buildings are in need of “extensive” refurbishment the steading also boasts nearly half a mile of mixed coastline including rocky shores and cliffs The property rises from the shores of the North Sea to about 164ft above sea level and, according to Galbraith offers a “truly spectacular” outlook The farmhouse is of stone construction and centrally located next to the farm buildings dining room and two bathrooms on the ground floor while the three bedrooms are on the first floor The farm buildings consist of a traditional U-shaped steading in-fill court and a “serviceable” Dutch barn According to the James Hutton Institute capable of growing high yields of a wide variety of crops said: “England Farm presents a well-proportioned package of property buildings and land that we anticipate being of interest to a wide range of individuals “The coastal setting nearby to Aberdeen provides sought after privacy whilst being conveniently situated nearby to local services “The land lends itself to a variety of potential uses Mr Armstrong added: “The farmhouse and buildings are in need of extensive refurbishment and thus present a fantastic opportunity for new owners to put their own stamp on the property and potentially develop the U-shaped steading subject to any planning requirements.” He continued: “This property presents a fantastic lifestyle opportunity in a very eye-catching setting perfect for those keen to explore all that Aberdeenshire’s great countryside and coastline has to offer.” England Farm is just half a mile from Portlethen railway station with the local retail park and primary and secondary schools also nearby A Portlethen woman who was walking her son’s XL Bully without a muzzle has been warned the dog could be destroyed Susan Reid appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted not keeping the animal – named Tyson – on a lead or with a muzzle The 66-year-old was caught when a concerned member of the public took a photo of the unmuzzled animal and sent it to police Sheriff James Hastie warned Reid that the XL Bully could be destroyed and that she could face a ban from keeping dogs Reid could also face a sizable fine or six months imprisonment The Scottish Government brought in new legislation in February this year that deemed XL Bullys a banned breed and required owners to seek an exemption certificate The new law states that all XL Bully owners now must ensure that their dog is “kept on a lead and is muzzled at all times when in a public place” A string of high-profile attacks involving the banned breed have taken place in Scotland this year.  It was stated that Reid was photographed on March 13 this year as she walked Tyson around Badentoy Industrial Estate in Portlethen told the court that Reid had been looking after the dog The solicitor added that it was accepted that the dog was the banned XL Bully breed but said that on that day the dog’s muzzle had been damaged “The dog should have been on a lead,” Mr Kelly said “The muzzle was broken and she had taken the dog out where she thought no one would be.” Mr Kelly added that Mrs Reid’s son had employed a dog behaviour specialist to get Tyson used to the muzzle This person was deemed the most appropriate to undertake a report into the dog’s behaviour and Mr Kelly said that under the current law it would be “inevitable” that Tyson would be destroyed Sheriff Hastie told Reid: “In order to consider the potential destruction of the dog and for that I would need further information.” He added that a report into Tyson’s background would need to be provided to the court until October 24 in order for a report to be carried out For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.  NEW shots have been fired in a petrol price war in a Scots town  - and motorists are delighed Bosses at the Eg on the Move site in Portlethen are battling it out with a nearby Asda to lure in drivers And they’ve now slashed the price of unleaded by 2p It’s caused a frantic rush at the pumps and is undercutting Asda by 2p as well as being about 11p lower than the national average One resident said: “I don’t mind a price war as long as they keep bringing the prices down.” Another added: “These are the cheapest prices I’ve seen in a while The Eg on the Move facility opened in early August and immediately caused a ripple by slashing prices at the pumps It was flogging unleaded for £1.31 a litre and diesel at £1.34 well below the national average and lower than local petrol stations for miles around We told how punters were going out of their way to visit to cash in. Motorists reckoned they were saving about £5 every time they visited. They’ve both been selling fuel at exactly the same rates until this week when Eg on the Move made another unexpected cut Portlethen is now thought to be the cheapest place in the UK to fill up and the the new site is busy One local said: “I saw long queues of cars when I was in Everyone is desperate to take advantage of this “We’ve got no idea how long it will last so we better make the most of it I just hope they keep the prices low forever.” Asda and Eg on the Move have been asked for comment 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 For nearly 40 years Asda has been something of a landmark in Portlethen and a familiar sight for motorists travelling along the A92 it was “the biggest supermarket complex north of the Tay” But its ringing tills and high-profile success also attracted attention from criminals Asda Portlethen was the scene of a dramatic and brazen armed daylight robbery which resulted in a staff member being gagged The multi-million-pound hypermarket plans were rubber stamped by Kincardine and District councillors in 1985 Separate schemes had been put forward by two Aberdeen-based companies Kincardine and District Council told the two firms to get together and come up with a joint application There was delight when plans were finally lodged in September 1984 for a retail complex with an Asda hypermarket at a projected cost of more than £10 million and progress was largely met with enthusiasm locally Community council chairman Tom Kay said it was “just what Portlethen needed” The complex was earmarked for 18 acres of land behind Donald’s meat factory adjacent to the main Aberdeen-Stonehaven road And the supermarket giant hoped to be up and running before Christmas 1986 The 95,000-square-foot Asda was far bigger than the store at Dyce and was to be part of retail park alongside retail warehousing who spent years fighting for better retail for the sprawling community said the supermarket would be “a magnificent development for the north-east of Scotland” He added that it would make Portlethen the envy of other parts of the country But Aberdeen City Council’s own planning committee was concerned the Portlethen Asda approval “neglected the city’s interests” He felt a hypermarket south of the city would rail against the city council’s policy to preserve the trading viability of the city centre However, this was the same council that demolished St Nicholas Street and built a shopping mall in its place Committee convener David Clyne was so aggrieved he suggested writing to their MP to urge a change in law to return all planning applications to the city council for approval – even if they were not in the city his proposal was swiftly defeated by fellow councillors 10 votes to four Labour member Margaret Farquhar said Kincardine had every right to determine any application relative to their area Construction quickly got under way and a huge recruitment drive started in January 1986 Phase One of the campaign saw a whopping 20 managerial positions on offer and another 400 roles advertised Asda said prospective employees would soon see that “when it comes to Asda price we charge the least and pay the best” The first general manger of the shop was Steve Preston By the time the new store on October 13 1986, Portlethen was declared the second-biggest community in Kincardine. regarded as little more than peaty scrubland The Portlethen superstore had 24 checkouts It was unlike any other supermarket in the north of Scotland But this also made it a lucrative target for criminals In May 1992 Asda Portlethen was the scene of a dramatic armed robbery when a masked gunman dressed in camouflage stole a large sum of cash the man entered the store at lunchtime as a senior manager was filling the Clydesdale cashpoint before ransacking the machine and taking £200,000 The robber then escaped through a hole in the ceiling and out through the roof He made his getaway via a rope left hanging down an outside wall The alarm was only raised inside the store when astonished customers saw banknotes floating down from the roof Police armed with semi-automatic machine guns swooped in and a manhunt was launched around Portlethen Moss Police said they “took a dim view” of one member of staff being responsible for so much cash The supermarket offered a reward of £5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those involved in the well-planned operation police revealed the raid had been carried out with “military precision” It was thought both the robber and an accomplice and had been hiding in the roof before jumping the unsuspecting member of staff Grampian Police Detective Inspector Ron Falconer said: “This is one of the most serious and well-planned crimes we have had up here.” Police believed the gang had made several ‘recce’ trips to Asda while plotting the raid Grampian Police officers headed to the south of England to track down an armed gang who had also robbed Asda stores at Watford and Slough But the gang evaded capture and continued to hit Asda stores across England during a two-year crimewave Portlethen Asda hit the headlines again in 2001 to recognise member of staff Bill Strachan Bill was the longest-serving member of Asda staff in Scotland The great-grandad started at the store in 1993 clearing up litter and shovelling snow in bad weather before working as a night watchman for Aberdeen City Council until retiring at 65 Bill worked 8am to 10am five days a week at Asda He joked the hard graft kept him active and “out of the pub” it celebrated dedicated staff members who had been there since day one the colleagues spoke of their great friendships and how the hours were ideal for young mums An Aberdeenshire school will need additional support after it failed to meet a number of quality indicators during an inspection Education Scotland visited Portlethen Academy in February identifying several areas for improvement at the school A letter published today revealed the school failed to meet the quality indicators for learning teaching and assessment and raising attainment and achievement While the Scottish Government executive agency also highlighted some strengths these were outnumbered by the areas for improvement The inspection concluded that the school “needs additional support” as well as “more time to make necessary improvements.” Several areas for improvement were identified as part of the inspection. The findings described the learning experiences in S1 to S3 as “too passive,” adding balanced needs to be found between teacher-led activities and independent learning. They also highlighted that the pace of learning should be improved across the school, saying class tasks and activities are “not sufficiently challenging.” Education Scotland told the school that senior and middle leaders need to provide clearer leadership and direction to support all staff in driving improvements in attainment. It insisted all teachers need to use information more effectively about how well young people are making progress in their learning to plan for groups and individuals so pupils can reach their full potential. However, inspectors also found out two main strengths at the school. Inspectors claimed most pupils are motivated to learn and enjoy good relationships with staff and each other, leading to “positive learning experiences.” They also said pupils contribute confidently when given the opportunity to participate in discussions and interact well when working in groups. The inspection concluded that Portlethen Academy needs additional support and more time to make necessary improvements. Education Scotland will liaise with Aberdeenshire Council regarding the school’s capacity to improve. A new inspection will take place in six months, when parents will be informed of the progress the Aberdeenshire school has made. © Aberdeen Journals Ltd 2025. All Rights Reserved. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A schoolboy donned his prize-winning cardboard crown in front of the King as the monarch visited a flower show The King laughed as Oliver Keith tried on the homemade creation of silver cardboard, purple tissue paper and golden tinsel at the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen’s 200th anniversary show in the city’s Duthie Park He questioned the eight-year-old on the fit and how long it took him to make the third-prize winning entry before asking him if he would like to try it on The King became patron of the society earlier this year and it is marking its 200th anniversary with the late Queen and King George previous patrons Oliver, from Portlethen, near Aberdeen said: “He asked if it fits just perfectly for my size and if I would like to try it on It was unusual with me wearing one and him not wearing one.” Charles was also amused by displays of giant vegetables saying: “It’s amazing what you can achieve.” The kilted King arrived to the sound of the pipes and was received by Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen David Cameron He toured the show and spoke to officials and exhibitors show secretary for the National Vegetable Society (Scottish Branch) who was one of those who grew the oversized leeks The King congratulated him on the “extraordinary” vegetables Mr Muirhead said: “He was asking how you grow them You grow them under lights to try and trick them into thinking it’s still spring It’s like trying to cheat nature to try to get them to grow to that size “He was asking if you can eat them and the answer is yes The King required some assistance with the garden shears he was given to cut a ribbon to officially open the show having tried several times without success He laughed and said the shears were a “lovely idea” he raised the shears above his head and a crowd of about 200 cheered with one man shouting God Save the King and was then presented with a bouquet of flowers by Charlotte Keith He told the five-year-old the display was “very nice” Earlier, he was shown displays including photographs of the Queen Mother at the 175th show and also presented a trophy to a junior florist. The horticultural society chairman, Brian Grant, who accompanied the King around the show tent, said: “It was a great honour have him here for our 200th anniversary show. “It’s great that he’s agreed to become patron, taking after the late Queen. “He’s obviously a keen gardener himself and he was very interested. “Fortunately we’ve had a great day and he’s brought the sun down from Royal Deeside.” We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports This item has been moved to the National Archives as RAIB has published its report describing this incident. See report 08/2021 Between about 06:35 hrs and 07:40 hrs on 4 December 2020 two passenger trains passed through an emergency speed restriction located between Laurencekirk and Portlethen stations significantly exceeding the temporary maximum permitted speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) The first train was travelling north from Dundee to Inverness the second was travelling south from Inverness to Edinburgh The emergency restriction had been introduced as a precaution in case forecast heavy rainfall caused ground movements affecting the safety of the railway Neither of the train drivers was aware of the emergency speed restriction at the time they drove their trains over the affected section of track The events were identified after a Network Rail signaller noticed the relatively short time taken for the second train to pass through the area The first overspeed was then identified using electronic records of train movements There were no injuries or damage as a result of these incidents RAIB’s preliminary examination found no evidence that any other trains which used the line on 4 December did not observe the speed restriction until the second overspeed was identified by the signaller the only notification to drivers was a printed notice at their booking on points Lineside signage was not provided by Network Rail processes applicable to this type of speed restriction the method of working was changed so trains were stopped shortly before reaching the restricted area while signallers reminded drivers about the reduced maximum permitted speed Our investigation will determine the sequence of events that led to the incidents and include consideration of: Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road including any recommendations to improve safety This report will be available on our website You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Home   News   Article A 32-year-old man has been charged in connection with drug offences across the north-east.On Thursday, April, 30 officers discovered a cannabis cultivation at a property on Cuminestown High Street A second recovery was made from Haremoss Drive a further two properties were searched in the Torry and Bucksburn areas of Aberdeen and a large number of cannabis plants were found at Glenbervie Road Cannabis with an estimated street value of over £300,000 was seized during the operation.On Friday May 10 a 32-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the discoveries He is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court (today) Monday.Detective Inspector Andrew Machray said: “This operation underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.Officers are removing drugs from communities right across Scotland day in and information provided by the public is vital in helping us continue to do this I would specifically ask anyone who witnesses any suspicious behaviour in and around buildings that aren’t frequently occupied or has concerns regarding drug production and crime in their area to report this to us so we can investigate.”Those with concerns should report this to Police Scotland via 101 or to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Alastair Forsyth mounted a final day charge to win the Portlethen 36-hole Order of Merit Challenge and finish the campaign with a flourish There was joy too for Paul O’Hara whose runners-up placing secured him the Order of Merit title for the fifth time in the last seven seasons Forsyth had been four shots off the lead after round one but came barging up the standings with an eight-under 64 for a 10-under aggregate and a narrow A brace of eagles at the fourth and 13th bolstered Forsyth’s offensive while a birdie on the last hole O’Hara had covered his first seven holes of the final round in four-under but he could only pick up one more birdie coming home in a 67 as Forsyth held on Thomas Higson finished third on eight-under while Graeme Robertson the newly crowned Loch Lomond Whiskies Scottish PGA champion O’Hara’s enduring consistency was highlighted again in 2023 as he regained the rankings crown he lost to Craig Lee last year O’Hara finished fourth or better in five of them as he accumulated 770 points during the season Robertson was second on 710.50 points with Forsyth finishing third Fears have been raised that 300 new homes in Portlethen could lead to overcrowding at the town’s secondary school Taylor Wimpey wants to build houses north of town The housebuilder is seeking planning permission in principle after a masterplan for the site was approved in May The site is earmarked for 300 homes in the council’s local development plan education chiefs have raised concerns about the impact the homes would have on Portlethen Academy They stopped short of formally objecting to the plans though “We note this is a newly allocated site for 300 houses and have no objections,” officials said of the plans there are considerable capacity pressures at Portlethen Academy and mitigation will be required.” The secondary school has enough space for 970 pupils and it is almost full But, it is forecast to have 1,147 enrolled by 2026, which would take it to 118% of capacity Taylor Wimpey’s plans include a mix of detached with 25% being affordable housing in line with council policy The developer argues the proposals fit within the landscape and are a “logical extension” to the town New cycleways and footpaths would link the development with the existing Portlethen community A play park and community orchard are also included in the plans more detailed plans would have to gain council approval if this outline permission is granted nestled between the busy A92 Aberdeen to Stonehaven road and the railway line It can be found to the rear of the former filling station at Hillside, and just up the road from the popular Farm Stop Two access roads into the housing development would be built: from Findon Road in the north and a southern entry off Thistle Drive off Findon Road and a southern entry from Thistle Drive Roads would be designed with concerns for a ‘rat-run’ through the new builds in mind Taylor Wimpey also pledged to improve surrounding roads to help them cope with more traffic Taylor Wimpey held three in-person consultation events before submitting the plans School capacity concerns were raised by the community So too were worries that the GP surgery and dentist were full and unable to welcome new patients the developer has agreed to set aside cash to tackle any problems the 300 homes would bring to the town Residents also asked for “community friendly” areas and play parks suitable for children of all ages something the homebuilder says is included in the plan You can view the plans here A man has been charged following a two-vehicle crash on a major north-east road Police and paramedics were called to the A92 Aberdeen to Stonehaven road A man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment The road was closed in both directions for some time as crews worked to clear the scene A man has now been charged with road traffic offences A police spokeswoman said: “Officers were called to a report of a two vehicle collision on the A92 near Portlethen around 8.10am on Friday “A man was taken to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment “One man has been charged with road traffic offences in connection with this incident.” The road has now fully reopened to motorists Uncertainty surrounds the future of £7.7 million Portlethen recycling centre following the collapse of Circularity Scotland The facility was built to support the controversial deposit return scheme which was to be rolled out across Scotland from August with the DRS now delayed until 2025 and Circularity Scotland the firm due to manage the controversial scheme in administration it’s not yet clear what happens at the site in Badentoy Industrial Estate Up to 60 jobs were being created at the new state-of-the-art Biffa facility, from multi-skilled operatives and drivers Biffa today confirmed it was “reviewing” its position but refused to give any further detail or comment The centre is part of a network of Biffa-run facilities across Scotland that will count sort and bale billions of drinks containers collected through the scheme each year by the waste management company Work on the site started earlier in February with equipment due to be installed in April and it was expected to be completed last month Diggers could be seen on-site but there was no sign of any construction work While hundreds of wheelie bins were stacked high in preparation for the anticipated scheme launch The future of Circularity Scotland had been thrown into doubt when the Scottish government announced the deposit-return scheme which was supposed to launch in March of next year would not be introduced until October 2025 at the earliest The delay came after the UK government agreed to grant an exemption to internal market rules but only if the scheme excluded glass to bring it into line with similar proposals for elsewhere in the UK that are also due to launch in 2025 The chief executive of Circularity Scotland David Harris had said there was no reason why the Scottish scheme could not go ahead as planned next March despite glass not being included Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater called the collapse of Circularity Scotland a “disaster” for its 60 workers A Biffa spokeswoman said: “This is a deeply disappointing outcome We are reviewing our position and have no further comment at this time.” Two people were taken to hospital after a car came off the road in a rush hour collision near Portlethen The two-car crash on the A92 Aberdeen to Stonehaven road was reported to the emergency services just before 8am The incident took place at the junction with Bruntland Road Police and the ambulance service attended and the two female drivers of the cars Photos from the scene show a grey Mini Cooper which has come off the road and stopped on a grass verge next to a wall A “police aware” sign has been placed on the windscreen with a tape cordon surrounding the car a white Mini Cooper has been damaged on its front left side Both lanes of the southbound carriageway were closed for almost an hour following the collision There were reports of traffic sitting at a standstill in the area during rush hour with motorists advised to use an alternative route Stagecoach Bluebird confirmed its X8 and 7B services were delayed with “significant” delays expected throughout the morning A police spokeswoman said: “Around 7.40am on Wednesday we were called to a two -vehicle crash on the A92 near Portlethen “Emergency services attended and the drivers of the vehicles were taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary “The road was reopened around 8.45am.”