Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases A lifeboat volunteer from Wick who begged for a second chance has been told to stay away from his former partner had earlier admitted to sending repeated messages to his now ex-girlfriend when he could not accept things were over He would send messages to her friends and even her son requesting them to pass on notes asking her to reconcile At Elgin Sheriff Court, following a deferment for background reports on his circumstances, Macalpine was admonished for his behaviour. A lorry driver narrowly avoided a collision after he misjudged an overtake on the A96 Stuart Revill admitted careless driving at Inverness Sheriff Court following the incident on April 26 last year near the Auldearn junction His solicitor told the court Revill was “aware that there could have been far more serious consequences” At the hearing in Inverness, Revill admitted an amended charge of careless driving. Two men have appeared in court accused of attempting to murder a teenager with a hammer were arrested following the incident in the Hilton area of Inverness at the weekend It is alleged they assaulted 19-year-old Sean Smith with a hammer and a “sharp instrument” in Morvich Way on Saturday April 26 Mr Smith was taken to the hospital in Inverness with serious injuries. A drug dealer who was found hiding in a cupboard at his former partner’s house also had more than £5,000 of cannabis in his possession Lewis Henderson was in breach of a court order when he was found hiding inside his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom cupboard at a property in Turriff in November last year When police brought the 25-year-old out and searched him they discovered he had hundreds of pounds in cash in his pocket A further search of his bag revealed it contained more than £5,000 of cannabis, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. A Newburgh paedophile was snared by police with even more child abuse material just months after his first conviction for the crime appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being in possession of around 118 images of children on his phone many of which were of the most serious category was sentenced in March last year after he was caught with around 100 images on his devices but told police he hadn’t “meant” to download them and hadn’t been “purposefully” seeking them out Regarding his new crimes, his solicitor, Michael Burnett, expressed dismay that Williams was caught with more illegal images less than four months after his last court appearance. A man who beat up a pensioner in Aberdeen so severely that his eyelid became partially detached has been sentenced to prison for almost three years Paul Milne faced a host of charges earlier this year when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court following the attack and was back in the dock on Monday to discover his fate who is from Hatton but has been in custody since last August for another crime sat silently at Peterhead Sheriff Court as he heard he would spend 31 months in total behind bars Giving a narrative of Milne’s attack on his 76-year-old victim, fiscal depute Brian Young said the man stumbled upon a scene of Milne arguing in the street at about 3pm on March 9, and made efforts to calm matters down. A 53-year-old Aberdeen woman has appeared in court after £100,000 of heroin was found in a car on the A90 Rona Bain was arrested following the late-night traffic stop near Fordoun last week She appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and made no plea to a single charge under the Misuse of Drugs Act Police stopped the car at 12.50am on Friday on the A90 near Fordoun and the six-figure quantity of Class A drugs was discovered. Every day our reporters are sitting in courtrooms around the area and now you can get their stories sent directly to you Click here to find out how A danger driver has been jailed and banned from the roads after causing a crash that left the other man with “life-changing” injuries ploughed head-on into Mark Abel’s car on the A946 Aberdeen to Newmachar road but has only “vague” memories of the 2022 crash Mr Abel spent two agonising hours trapped in the wreckage and 11 more on the operating table and still struggles with his injuries to this day Speaking to The Press and Journal, Mr Abel, 37, said: “My life changed in a split second – the doctors told me later I was lucky to be alive.” A man has been found guilty of repeatedly raping a woman at a property in Peterhead was convicted by majority verdict following a week-long trial at the High Court in Aberdeen it was stated that the female victim told police she was raped around four times during a 90-minute ordeal The woman eventually threatened Urbonavicius, a Lithuanian national, with a blade to get him to leave her property. A former Inverness church organist and convicted paedophile has avoided jail despite displaying indecent images of children on a shelf in his bedroom Iain McIntyre – who has twice been jailed for possessing vast amounts of indecent images and videos of children – had 15 printed photos of undressed young girls at his home Inverness but who formerly stayed in Tain’s Mansfield Estate previously appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to possessing the images on January 10 last year Fiscal depute Emily Hood previously told Inverness Sheriff Court they were found by police who had obtained a search warrant for his home and involved girls aged between 14 and 15, mostly in states of undress. A man who has been working as a cleaner in an Inverness school has appeared in court accused of indecent online communications was arrested at his Inverness home after a ‘sting’ by a vigilante group at around 5.50pm on Monday He appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court today facing two charges under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act Stevenson made no plea to causing a child under the age of 16, or whom he believed to be underage, to view sexual images, by sending images of his penis. A Peterhead driver who caused a serious head-on collision that saw another car roll over and burst into flames has no recollection of how it happened was driving on the A920 Ellon to Pitmedden Road when her grey Land Rover veered into the oncoming lane striking a silver Ford and forcing it off the road The car – driven by another woman – turned over several times before its engine caught fire The other driver suffered multiple serious injuries and was placed on life support for several weeks, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. A man found walking topless by the side of the A82 threatened police officers urinated in their van and refused a breath test Brent Connor was “highly intoxicated” and “aggressive” when officers picked him up near the police station at Fort Augustus Connor appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and failing to provide a sample of breath. A Fraserburgh man has admitted to carrying out a violent early-morning attack on his victim to rob him of just £120 was in the dock at Peterhead Sheriff Court to stand trial for a host of charges and threatening to set fire to a woman’s home But the 33-year-old had a change of heart mid-way through the trial and changed his plea to guilty after hearing first-hand evidence of his attack Murray’s 27-year-old victim, who gave his testimony by video link, said he had been living in the Scalloway Court area of Fraserburgh at the time and had been alone in his flat when Murray arrived on his doorstep at 2am clad in a camouflaged balaclava and, in a Scouse accent, demanded entry into his property. An Aviemore taxi driver has been banned from the roads after being caught drug driving Philipe Brooks had more than three times the legal limit of a cannabis derivative in his system when his taxi was stopped by police on the town’s Grampian Road His solicitor told the court he had not been working at the time and was simply going shopping Brooks,  58, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit the single drug driving charge. A serial Aberdeen thief has been jailed again after admitting stabbing his brother-in-law with a bread knife Alexander Murison also admitted stealing a can of Coke and a mountain bike from an office in Aberdeen The 44-year-old stole the bike from inside Neo House on Riverside Drive on August 16 last year The court heard that just over a week later, on August 24, Murison assaulted his brother-in-law, during an early morning altercation at his Bucksburn address. A driver stopped by police in Inverness had cocaine worth £1,100 in a hidden compartment in his car Officers pulled Gheorghe Mois over on Kessock Road in relation to a separate matter but soon began to suspect he may be in possession of drugs A search of his car found nine bags of white powder in a hidden compartment beside the driver’s seat Mois, 33, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court, where, with the help of an interpreter, he admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply. An Aberdeen airline pilot says he is lucky to be alive after being knocked unconscious in a vicious attack by a yob outside a Busted concert attended the show at Aberdeen’s P&J Live in September 2023 with two friends was waiting for a taxi home when he was punched without provocation by Ben Corfield Corfield admitted punching Ross on the head and causing him to fall to the ground outside the concert venue. A fisherman who told staff in MSP Kate Forbes’ Dingwall office that he had Irish “connections” and access to AK-47 assault rifles has appeared in court Iain McIntosh made the alarming claims following a meeting at the SNP premises in the town’s High Street McIntosh – who was “agitated” during the constituency meeting – went on to say he would “use an AK-47 on them” which the two staff took to be a threat against police officers McIntosh appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour in relation to the incident on March 25 of last year. A Stonehaven paedophile has avoided jail after exposing himself to what he thought was a nine-year-old girl Glen Wilson was snared online by two decoys posing as nine and 13-year-old children struck up sexual chats with the ‘children’ from his Mary Street address between March 2020 and July 2023 Appearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing, he was placed under a Sexual Harm Protection Order for five years and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. A Banff man who tried to control his former girlfriend by including himself in her phone calls and sending her unwanted messages has been handed two weeks to prove he can turn his life around had been scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday for his campaign of abuse against his ex but was given a last-minute reprieve when custody was described as being on the horizon The court heard how Arnold was already the subject of multiple community payback orders for previous matters which he had thus far not completed Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin gave a narrative of Arnold’s 10-month relationship with his victim ahead of sentencing. A man who moved to an Aberdeenshire village for the quiet life has been fined after threatening to kill his neighbour Norman Gordon admitted to the crime at Banff Sheriff Court on Wednesday The court heard that during the argument with the man he also threatened to have his mother murdered Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin said Gordon, 58, of Priory Cottages, said the interaction between the two men took place on November 18 last year. An offshore businessman has been found guilty of making a racist comment towards an 11-year-old boy at a children’s football match in Aberdeen denied using a vile racist slur towards a child following a youth game at Spain Park calling him a “dirty hacking black b******” Following a part-heard trial, Manderson was found guilty by Sheriff Lesley Johnston. A Keith man’s disturbing campaign of controlling and violent behaviour towards two girlfriends has been revealed in court Mark Strathdee sat in silence in the dock of Elgin Sheriff Court as fiscal depute Victoria Silver spent more than 20 minutes narrating the case against him The 24-year-old previously admitted two charges of domestic abuse which were carried out between 2022 and 2024 Strathdee’s first victim, whom he dated between 2022 and 2023, said he used an iPhone app to track her movements, and his abusive behaviour happened so often that it became the “norm”. A young Aberdeen thug has avoided jail after attacking two strangers outside McDonald’s on Union Street carried out his unprovoked attacks just over a week before another incident in which he pelted a couple with rocks and attacked a man Main told the couple: “Do you know who I am Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that late in the evening of July 22 2023 Main had been outside McDonald’s with a group of youths. A range of improvements which the community asked to see implemented at a popular park in Turriff have been unveiled Following feasibility work which helped shape project designs the construction phase for The Haughs Improved Access Project has been completed Aberdeenshire Council contracted Hunter Construction to build a ramp at the underpass install low-energy use lighting and upgrade several paths within the park to improve access for walking and cycling These improvements will allow more people to use this green recreational space all year round particularly during the darker winter months which was a major ask of the community A programme of monitoring and evaluation will now be undertaken to assess the impact of the project The project was identified through earlier community engagement activities in Turriff and thanks to the efforts of the dedicated steering group significant progress has been made to take the project from an aspirational dream to reality Council staff helped secure both internal and external funding which has supported the various feasibility This final phase of the project has been made possible thanks to funding from the Place Based Investment Programme the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and the council’s own Environment and Sustainability budget Councillors also welcomed the news that the Friends of the Den have also completed a project to extend its CCTV coverage of the park This was made possible through funding including grant awards from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Formartine Area Committee and local donations.  a catering van has taken on a council lease to operate at The Haughs which covers the revenue costs of the lighting and CCTV extension While the vast majority of visitors treat The Haughs with respect and enjoy the facilities on offer it’s hoped that the addition of these extra cameras will help to reduce an element of anti-social behaviour in the area chair of the council’s Formartine Area Committee said: “These tremendous improvements at The Haughs really emphasise all the great community spirit which is alive and well in Turriff and also the excellent community engagement work our officers have undertaken over recent years through the work of the Haughs Redevelopment Steering Group "It has been absolutely vital that the views and ideas of our community were front and centre throughout the design process and I really hope that residents of all ages and abilities will be able to enjoy the park to a far greater extent now that the improvements have been completed.”  an asset transfer approved by the area committee last year enabled the Turriff Town Pride Group and Turriff in Bloom to secure a 15-year-lease of the Station Yard depot secure storage facility for the equipment used to maintain the town’s floral displays Morag Lightning of Friends of the Den added: “We are delighted to see these projects completed Having been part of the steering group from the start it has been fantastic to see the various local community groups local authority and local sports clubs working together for such a worthwhile cause We hear nothing but compliments regarding the improvements and it is extremely heart warming to have provided the community with something they asked for The increased footfall from all generations speaks volumes and we are extremely proud to have been part of the driving force.” on behalf of Turriff Town Pride and Turriff in Bloom Group said: “We would like to thank Aberdeenshire Council for granting the community asset transfer and lease of the Station Yard Depot to our group which has been in operation for over 20 years providing floral displays around the town plant and equipment has been held at members individual addresses and the depot will give us a secure base to operate from and continue our engagement with the community on many more environmental projects The whole of the Haughs improvement project has been a huge success and shows just what working together can achieve.” Home   News   Article Santander has confirmed its north-east banks in Turriff and Peterhead are to close The bank has announced 95 of its existing 444 branches in the UK will be shut There is no date for the Turriff closure while the Peterhead branch will be closed on Monday Santander said it has seen a rapid movement of customers choosing to do their banking digitally with a 63 per cent increase in digital transactions since 2019 while financial transactions completed in branches reduced by 61 per cent in the same period A spokesperson for Santander UK said: “As customer behaviour changes we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers to deliver the very best for them now and in the future “Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers we believe that the introduction of our new community bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and Work Cafés alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required.” The bank outlined approximately 750 staff across the UK would be placed at risk of redundancy if the proposals proceed after consultation with the unions has been completed Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin said: “This decision is another devastating blow to our rural communities where more and more banks are shutting up shop and leaving “I am concerned about the impact on both our older population who may not have access to online banking and for businesses who need local banking branches to manage their cash flow not everyone has easy access to transport to travel to other banking branches elsewhere “I am pleased that Santander has acknowledged the need for a banking hub of some form and I will be writing to them for further information on the details of this so I can update constituents as and when is possible.” Turriff and District councillor Alastair Forsyth who worked in financial services for almost two decades said he was disappointed but not surprised by the decision He said: "Having good access to banking facilities is very important for the economy of the town and surrounding district “We have many good investment and employment opportunities in the area and I am keen to help Turriff to be a welcoming and prosperous destination to visitors and businesses “When I was elected in 2017 Turriff had five banks and sadly we are faced with the prospect of no singular facility at all.” Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross said: "The closure of Turriff’s last remaining bank is a catastrophic blow to the community "Banking services are a lifeline to rural residents who use cash particularly the elderly and businesses in industries such as farming which the area is renowned for "Santander customers in Turriff will now be forced into making a 50-mile round trip to Fraserburgh which is completely unacceptable "As we have seen recently nearby in Ellon and New Deer with apparent disregard for the devastating consequences left behind "I have now requested a meeting with Santander to find out what mitigations will be put in place for both personal and business customers who are most dependent on the use of this branch I am actively working to help preserve some of these services by advocating for the establishment of high street banking hubs and I will be calling for this to be done in Turriff." has announced a recommendation for a new banking hub in the town Following the announcement of the closure of the final bank branch LINK has confirmed that the town will benefit from a new banking hub as part of a wider commitment to protect access to cash the hub will consist of a counter service operated by Post Office employees where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash make bill payments and carry out regular banking transactions there will be private spaces where customers can speak to community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy The banks will be working on a rotating basis so there will be staff from different banks available on different days and 19 banking hubs have been announced in the latest round Turriff is the third hub to be recommended in Aberdeenshire by LINK following Banff and Huntly The banking hub will now be delivered by Cash Access UK it will begin to engage with the local community and will start to look for potential sites There are currently 139 hubs open across the UK chief commercial officer at LINK said: “While more people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally we know that many people still rely on and choose to use cash and face-to-face banking “That’s why we’re delighted to recommend the new hub in Turriff There are almost 150 hubs open across the country and when it opens the Turriff banking hub will be vital for the local community and high street.” Santander’s Peterhead branch at 6 Marischal Street will clsoe on Monday LINK conducted a review of banking services in the area It concluded that there is no significant gap in cash access services and has not recommended the introduction of a banking hub or additional services Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam said: “The closure of Santander in Peterhead is disappointing and raises concerns for local residents and businesses who rely on in-person banking services “While Santander has stated this is part of a UK-wide restructuring it remains important that customers are supported in accessing alternative banking options “I will be engaging with Santander to seek further clarity on what measures will be put in place to assist affected customers and businesses I will continue discussions with LINK and other stakeholders to ensure that any future banking needs in the area are properly assessed and addressed.” By 2025-02-24T10:54:00+00:00 Kessock Service Station Ltd has applied to Aberdeenshire Council for planning permission for a new forecourt in Turriff The proposed site is just off the A947 Turriff-to-Oldmedrum road and currently houses an old tractor depot The new store on the site would have a frontage comprising aluminium windows powder-coated in dark grey Plans for the 256sq m shop indicate a ‘counter/servery’ which would suggest there would be food to go served There would be eight parking spaces outside the front of the shop including one disabled bay Register now Site powered by Webvision Cloud Home   Sport   Article Strathspey Thistle went into their final league match of the season against Turriff United with high hopes following an excellent 4-1 win away Keith only days earlier So confidence was high going into their meeting with the Turra even though the visitors had won the reverse fixture at the Haughs back in November convincingly Boss Ryan Esson made two changes to his starting line-up from the side that had overcome the Maroons days earlier with Paul Brindle and Jordan Laidlaw coming in to replace Sam Morrison and Daniel Whitehorn respectively Scotland international and Rangers striker Gordon Smith the VIP for the home side the home side got off to the worst possible start They concedrf three quick fire goals inside the opening 25 minutes The visitors were ahead as early as the ninth minutes The deadlock was broken from a corner to the far post where Owen Kinsella climbed above a static rearguard to power home a superb header for the opener Four minutes later they increased their advantage when a ball into the home penalty area caused all sorts of problems for the defence Reece McKeown was able to weave his way through to plant a right foot effort into the corner of the net beyond the helpless Euan Storrier The home side struggling to break down a stubborn Turriff rearguard And the visitors duly netted a third effort after 25 minutes when Mackenzie Taylor driblled his way into the penalty area before swivelling to beat the keeper with a low drive into the net The home side hit back and two minutes later they reduced the leeway when Lewis Mackie raced to the edge of the box to drive in a powerful cross for Paul Brindle to apply the finish from close range Storrier was again called into action with 10 minutes of the first period remaining when he made an excellent full length save to deny Taylor his second of the afternoon The home side had a let-off 12 minutes after the resumption when a long clearance from keeper Cameron Reid found John Allan on the edge of the box his well struck effort drifted inches wide of the far post The home side countered and two minutes later a powerful run from Zach MacPhee following a Dylan Lawrence through ball ended with the full back forcing the keeper into a fine save at his near post But any hopes of the home side rescuing something from the match ended after 63 minutes Storrier could only parry an effort from Mackenzie Taylor and Archie Gibson reacted the quickest to fire the loose ball high into the net With two minutes remaining striker Paul Brindle attempted an audacious lob from fully 30 yards that beat the keeper but failed to hit the target Esson will be looking to add to his squad during the close season in an effort to improve the Jags’ league position next time round His priority will be to stop conceding early goals - something that occurred far too often throughout this season if they are to give themselves a chance of winning matches Plans have been unveiled for a new petrol station in Turriff with a disused tractor depot marked for demolition to make way for it The site just off the A947 Turriff to Oldmeldrum road is occupied by HRN Tractors which closed the town’s dealership last summer This was due to cost-cutting measures across much of the industry The prime location now presents an opportunity for a well-used petrol station if plans lodged with the council this week are given the go-ahead Currently, Turriff has two petrol stations with one just a few hundred feet down the road The tractor depot is slated for demolition before work on the petrol station can begin as well as a separate EV charging station and a shop with front parking It is not clear at this point who the operator of the proposed store could be the application has been lodged by the same owners as the Kessock Service Station which also operates a vehicle repair shop on South Harbour Road in Fraserburgh The plans allude to a double service counter set up in the store meaning there could be space for a hot food takeaway The application is now in the hands of Aberdeenshire Council planning chiefs and can be viewed on the local authority’s website 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 Turriff Academy has launched its F1 in Schools competition after receiving funding from Moray East offshore wind farm one of Scotland’s leading offshore wind companies The F1 in Schools competition sees pupils design Teams are then assessed across areas including car speed make and race centres in the UK for the international challenge – the other being the City of London University who said: “This is a fantastic competition which allows our pupils to showcase their skills not only in design and engineering but in everything it takes to create an F1 team “It was brilliant to see their enthusiasm for the different elements of the competition and we’re all looking forward to the Scottish Championships.” Turriff Academy created 12 teams and each raced along a 20 metre bespoke track.  The top teams from the competition will now progress to the Scottish Championships later in November Success there will result in competing in the UK and Senior O&M Manager with Ocean Winds said: “It’s great to see one of our local high schools giving so much commitment to this STEM programme and we’re delighted to have supported the funding to help these students engage in STEM subjects in a demanding but fun way "In Ocean Winds we are really keen to help students engage with STEM and the varied careers in our offshore wind sector including at the Fraserburgh operations base.” Turriff United chairman Gairn Ritchie has revealed he will step down at the end of the season and will be replaced by Tom Cummings Ritchie has been on the committee at the Haughs for 16 years and has previously served as vice-chairman and secretary, before succeeding George Manson as chairman in 2021. the 55-year-old has decided to relinquish the role at the end of the campaign with Cummings who works as a director of a timber frame kit manufacturer said: “It’s been a great honour to be chairman of Turriff United I’ve been struggling to balance Turriff United work with my own work and my personal life “The role of chairman has taken over my life and I haven’t been enjoying it so I thought it would be best to step down “I’ll still be on the committee and I still want to be part of the club because it’s a great club I feel we’ve made big strides forward on and off the pitch in the last few years “I appreciate the support I’ve had from the club committee all the volunteers that help us and the local community I’ve been delighted to work alongside all these people “I’m looking forward to working with Tom in whatever role he wants me to take on “I’ve got absolutely no doubt that Tom is the right man for the job Retired businessman Cummings managed Cove Rangers and Rothes in the Breedon Highland League in 1980s and 1990s The 71-year-old admitted he was surprised to be asked to become Turriff chairman and added: “I was a bit taken aback by the offer “Turriff have got a very hard-working committee and the facilities at the Haughs are tremendous was that having someone from outwith the Turriff area as chairman might be detrimental to the club in terms of it’s links with the local community – which is the last thing I want and I’m looking forward to working with them all “With everyone working hard as a collective we’ll try to help the club improve and progress but slowly and surely we want to keep improving and get the club into a position to challenge towards the top end of the league and also in the cups.” Warren Cummings has been Turriff boss since October 2023 and Tom believes father and son can work well together as chairman and manager respectively He said: “Dealing with Warren and the management team will be no problem to me – fathers and sons work together all the time “If you ask Warren when he was a player who his biggest supporter and also his biggest critic was I don’t think it will come to a point where we’re in a bad situation “Warren knows what myself and the committee want to do and working together we’re all going to do the best we can for the club.” Turriff face Brechin City at Glebe Park on Saturday Anthony McDonald is still sidelined for the Hedgemen Deveronvale welcome back Adam Reid and Tobias Davies-Browne for Forres Mechanics’ visit to Princess Royal Park Banffers player-manager Garry Wood is suspended while Jack Mitchell and Jayden Goldie are doubts Charlie Macdonald is the Can-Cans’ only absentee Michael Dangana is missing for Formartine United’s North Lodge Park encounter with Wick Academy Murray Addison and Ryan Spink for their clash with Fraserburgh at Kynoch Park Liam Strachan and Connor Wood are out for the Broch Nairn County face Inverurie Locos at Station Park and are missing Wayne Mackintosh and Millar Gamble Greg Mitchell and Anton Chauvin are unavailable for the Railwaymen Wallace Duffy is determined to keep doing his bit to ensure Brora Rangers’ Breedon Highland League title challenge remains on track The league leaders face last season’s champions Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park on Saturday Brora have won their last five league matches without conceding a goal – the latest of which was Wednesday’s 1-0 success against Nairn County That run has taken the Cattachs to the top of the table said: “We just have to do our business – we must keep winning “We now have five clean sheets from our last six games (in all competitions) because we’ve got players who can put the ball in the net to win games “It’s good to play our part and help out the attackers on nights like Wednesday Meanwhile, Buckie’s Josh Peters was pleased to show what he’s capable of in midweek after notching four goals in 19 minutes against Strathspey Thistle. Wednesday’s game was the first time the 28-year-old striker has started since December 28 and he added: “It was good to be back playing and scoring because I haven’t had much game-time in the last couple of months “The manager has brought in a couple of new players in the last couple of months and has tried a different shape “I maybe didn’t have the start to the season that I wanted either – all of that has probably led to me being left out more than I expected I’m confident when I play I’ll get chances and score goals It was nice to show what I can offer when I got the opportunity.” Lossiemouth manager Steve Porter is hoping they can see the best of new signing Liam Harvey between now and the end of the season The 20-year-old former Aberdeen and Elgin City striker has joined the Coasters on loan from Buckie Thistle for the rest of the campaign but has struggled to secure a regular starting berth and will spend the rest of this term with Lossie Boss Porter said: “Hopefully Liam can score goals for us I coached him when he was young at Elgin before he moved on to Aberdeen and it’s good to work with him again “Liam’s got a great attitude and he’s someone we know can come in and do a job for us “Hopefully a run of games with ourselves will help Liam kickstart his career a bit Hopefully we can get him firing and get the best out of him.” Huntly have recalled striker Brodie Allen from his loan at Lossie ahead of this game and also welcome back Ryan Sewell from suspension Clachnacuddin manager Conor Gethins has hailed defender Ben Cormack after he signed a contract extension The 20-year-old has penned a deal until the summer of 2028 and Gethins added: “Ben’s been a mainstay throughout the season “He’s never injured and he’s turned into a real leader for us I’d say Ben has become one of the best defenders in the league.” Clach are without Andrew Macrae and Joe Malin for Saturday’s game against Rothes at Grant Street Park The Speysiders are missing loanee Jamie Young – who’s ineligible against his parent club – and Owen Alexander hungry diners are preparing to enjoy a mouth-watering range of delicious meals during the first ever Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week the week-long event has attracted an incredible 66 restaurants cafes and hotels to sign up so far across the region customers will be able to enjoy a host of food and drinks offers which will help increase footfall by showcasing the amazing offering across Aberdeenshire to locals and visitors alike provenance and choice at a traditionally quieter time of year And it’s not too late to register a business for Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week – sign up by emailing restaurantweek@aberdeenshire.gov.uk   said: “With such a wide selection of venues participating in Restaurant Week it’s also a great opportunity to get out and about this November and explore what Aberdeenshire has to offer But it’s not just about hospitality – our local high streets and attractions can all benefit from extra footfall and spend "Our small businesses are the beating heart of our communities so how about planning a day out that includes your chosen venue but also includes a visit to a town centre a day out in Aberdeenshire has so much to offer.” The Restaurant Week website has been visited by thousands of potential customers eager to see the special offers and tasty dishes which participating venues have cooked up for the week-long promotion One of the participating businesses is the Udny Arms Hotel at Newburgh – with owner Lorna Younge saying: “We are really excited to be involved with Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week as it provides a great way for us all to showcase the incredible produce and cuisine the region has to offer As we are about to celebrate our first year in business what better way to celebrate than with a range of special offers for our loyal existing customers and new diners alike.” Jack Duncan of the Fife Arms at Turriff added: “It’s great to be part of Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week and everyone here is really looking forward to welcoming diners to enjoy some delicious food in great company and surroundings The wealth of eateries taking part across the area and the wide variety of cuisine on offer is tremendous giving people a fantastic opportunity to try new things at special discounted prices.” chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee said: “Next week’s promotions will help to highlight all the fantastic places to eat across the region and there really is something for all tastes and budgets thanks to our wonderful participating businesses With the hospitality sector facing ongoing challenges around supply chain costs and the wider cost-of-living we really hope Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week will give these businesses a much-needed boost and bring a wealth of new customers through their doors.” It’s a great opportunity to try somewhere new and an affordable way for families and friends to dine out together 1.    Visit www.aberdeenshirerestaurantweek.com and click on the offer tab to see all of the food and drink venues taking part and use the filters to search for your preferred dining option2    Click on the venue profile to see their offer    We recommend you contact your chosen venue in advance to book a table (if required) and to check availability4 and enjoy your fabulous dining experience!5    Don’t forget to share your experiences and tag us and the restaurant/cafe on your social media and help us spread the word about our wonderful food and drink establishments right here in Aberdeenshire LaurencekirkFarquharson’s Bar & Kitchen Cruden BayHuntly Golf ClubLoch-Hills Garden Café HuntlyPeterhead Prison Museum CaféQuayside Restaurant & Fish Bar MintlawScott Skinner’s Restaurant & Bar A former Turriff man has avoided jail after admitting to sending pictures of himself to a teenage girl appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be convicted of one charge of sending a sexual image to a 15-year-old girl initially from a number registered to his wife The image showed Mitchell naked from the waist up and he had zoomed in on his crotch area Ms Ramzan explained that Mitchell also messaged the girl on Snapchat and used a filter which showed him wearing devil’s horns he sent a photo of himself adding “shower” and “hot” emojis and the girl replied to ask what he meant Mitchell said he was just out of the shower and asked if she “had much on” “The girl answered asking if he knew who she was and that she was only aged 15,” continued Ms Ramzan “[Mitchell] replied sharing another photo with his right leg and a close up of his groin area “She replied again stating she was 15 years old.” Mitchell responded to say he thought she was 17 and told her she was “pretty as well by the way” Mitchell then sent her a picture of him naked from the waist up The teen had taken screenshots of Mitchell’s photos and messages and later that day told her mother Mitchell’s then-home address in Turriff was searched and he was taken to Fraserburgh custody suite to be interviewed “He denied it was for any sexual purpose and said he would not have done that knowing that she was 15.” Mitchell pled guilty to intentionally causing the 15-year-old to look at a sexual image for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification Mitchell’s defence solicitor Alannah Comerford Commerford said her client was a first offender with no previous record She said: “He is fully aware his behaviour was unacceptable and inappropriate – it was not reflective to his character “He does not know why he did it and is very regretful to be appearing in court today works offshore and Ms Commerford added: “He is a proactive member of society because he is employed.” Sheriff Morag McLaughlan placed Mitchell under a supervision order for two years and ordered that he carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody She also ordered him to carry out “any program work” that his social worker deemed necessary and made him subject to the Sex Offenders notification requirements for two years A Fyvie man who led police on a chase around Turriff has been branded “extremely stupid” and banned from the roads for more than a year who Peterhead Sheriff Court heard has a previous driving ban under his belt already raced away from a marked police car in the town last year before he lost control of his vehicle and hit a kerb Police would later catch up to the 25-year-old after cutting short their pursuit over safety concerns and charge him told the court on Tuesday his client was pleading guilty and had acted in an “extremely stupid” way on the day of the incident – May 8 He said if the builder had simply stopped as requested nothing would have likely happened to him Mr Burkinshaw said: “If he’d just stopped in the first place “He’s obviously aware he will lose his licence That is going to be quite a significant burden Sheriff Craig Findlater banned O’Neill for 16 months and imposed a total fine of £1,375 which he will pay back at the rate of £100 per month He said: “You accept that your behaviour was dangerous “You put others and – just as importantly – you put yourself at risk.” wish to drive again he will also need to pass the extended driving test The court made reference to a previous driving ban which O’Neill was subject to during the course of his hearing at Peterhead But it is not the only time he has appeared in the dock Last year, he was fined £400 for what was described as a “methodical” campaign of abuse against another man in Turriff And in 2022, after being “egged on” by friends, he damaged another car’s tyres which later caused it to crash he said he apologised and said: “I know it was stupid.” A Turriff ‘supergran’ set to compete in a global fitness final in Chicago has revealed her pride at representing Scotland at the tender age of 70 Carole Munro will fly to the US in June to compete in the Hyrox World Championships after winning a qualifying event in London grandmother and former Scottish karate champ only recently started competing in Hyrox a grueling fitness race that has gained popularity in recent years but is already a top contender in the 70-75 age group she will go head-to-head with the world’s best in front of 10,000 people at the city’s lakefront Navy Pier “I’ll be waving my Scottish flag,” laughs Carole Carole will take on the Hyrox course in Chicago which features eight kilometres of running interspersed with functional exercises such as sled pulls and kettlebell swings but Carole took up the event last year after her fitness-coach son signed them up for a pairs race The duo completed the event in less than two hours and Carole signed on for a solo race in Valencia that was due to take place last month But when the event was cancelled because of deadly rains in the city training at her son’s F45 gym in Surbiton completing the course in one hour and 56 minutes Despite her success, Carole says she’s nervous about the step-up in level for Chicago. The Turriff gran says she feels fitter in her 70s than she did in her 30s but a double hip replacement last year means training and competing are a challenge “I’ll be up against five other people [in Chicago],” Carole says “There’s one woman who does it really fast She has targeted second place in at the world championships and is training hard She’s built a rudimentary gym at her home and also goes to Brian Meekham’s Claymore Fitness gym in Gardenstone But her spit-and-sawdust approach isn’t shared by other Hyroxers — especially the handful of competitors in her age group she will go compete with life-long athletes that have their own private gyms and coaches the Hyrox World Championship will be the second time Carole has represented Scotland at sport Carole took up karate in her 30s after an unpleasant encounter while working as an Aberdeen door-to-door meat salesperson She quickly earned her blackbelt and eventually became a Scottish champion under the instruction of Aberdeen marital arts legend Ronnie Watt she’s surprised to be reprising the feat more than three decades later “I knew I’d always keep fit,” she says “but I never thought I’d represent Scotland again.” A Hyrox course comprises eight kilometres of running with athletes stopping every kilometre to take on one of Hyrox’s eight ‘stations’ Each of these stations is a functional fitness exercise — at the first athletes complete a kilometre ski on a ski machine; at the third pull a weighted sled 50 metres The eighth and final station for Carole’s age group is 75 wall balls a squatting exercise where you throw a heavy ball above a certain height Despite — or perhaps because of — Hyrox leaving many of it participants floundering in a puddle of their own sweat the event has surged in popularity over the past two years more than 200,000 people with an average age of 37 take part around the world The Hyrox World Championships run from June 12-15 Aberdeenshire’s Fife Arms Hotel and Restaurant described as a “very profitable business” has been put up for sale are ready to step away from the hospitality trade to spend more time with family Fife Arms Hotel is open to freehold offers over £775,000 with an annual turnover exceeding £1 million and an adjusted net profit of more than £200,000 for the period ending November 2024 The property boasts 10 en-suite letting rooms and a spacious restaurant seating around 70 guests It comes with a fully stocked bar and outdoor patio seating a substantial B-listed former school near Banff The residential school in Gamrie was closed down in 2023 after “significant weaknesses” were identified by the Care Inspectorate during an unannounced visit and social support for 12 young people between 8 and 16 years with challenging it now comes with a guide price of £675,000 with approximately 550 square metres of accommodation and sits on 43 acres of woodland four log buildings once used as classrooms and offices Agents say the property holds potential for residential development or a re-registration as a residential school—subject to necessary consents It is being sold by auction in-room on 27 March but is currently open to pre-auction offers a “highly profitable” guest house/hotel with breath-taking views of Loch Broom is now up for sale in Ullapool Harbour House is located on the world-famous North Coast 500 route and close to a busy ferry port to the Outer Hebrides It offers an opportunity to run a lifestyle business in one of Scotland’s most scenic spots The property features 21 en-suite guest rooms and a refurbished manager’s studio apartment Harbour House has a five star Traveller’s Choice rating on TripAdvisor and 9.1 score on Booking.com Inverskilavulin Estate in Glenloy near Banavie has been put on the market with a guide price of £2,950,000 the secluded estate looks out to Ben Nevis It is currently owned by the Mainardi family who have a 45-year background in the luxury hotel industry The property was purchased in 2006 from Clan Cameron of Loch Eil At the heart of the estate is Inverskilavulin House a five-bedroom residence complete with a wine cellar The sale also includes two three-bedroom semi-detached cottages An aggressive serial thug from Turriff has been jailed for hurling threats at a Press and Journal court reporter who appeared at Banff Sheriff Court last week from custody was given three months in jail for shouting aggressively towards our female journalist pled guilty at Banff Sheriff Court to shouting aggressively and uttering threats Simpson’s aggressive outburst came after he saw an article in which his own solicitor told a court he had suffered a catastrophic injury and one of his legs had to be amputated Storming into the courtroom on November 28 last year Simpson shouted at the reporter: “I have not lost a leg Simpson proceeded to undo his trousers saying:  “Shall I show you?” He also threatened to find out where our reporter lived Sheriff David Harvie jailed Simpson for three months for the threats In November last year he appeared in Banff for assaulting a man at the Tesco car park in Turriff. Earlier that month he appeared in court and admitted another assault, this time sparked by the sex life of his son. In 2022, Simpson appeared at Aberdeen sheriff court after threatening to shank police officers. And in 2020, at Banff Sheriff Court, Simpson was convicted of assaulting a pregnant woman causing her to go into early labour. 70-year-old Carole Munro is in a class of her own The Turriff gran-of-four was 60 when she took up triathlon an event she still competes in a decade later goes wild swimming and now and again does a parachute jump with her fitness instructor son Stuart — none of which is a traditional activity for someone her age But Carole really IS in a class of her own when it comes to the races she enters — literally “It’s embarrassing,” Carole says with a laugh “You’re the only one on the podium.” On November 23 she travels to Valencia in Spain to take part in a Hyrox event a race that combines running with functional fitness It will be her second Hyrox – her first was in London’s Olympia arena last December when she teamed up with her son to complete a doubles race tackling the Hyrox’s daunting indoor course all on her own as Hyrox is the latest exercise craze amongst millennials and Gen Zers most of her fellow racers will be at least half her age And it’s unlikely that many of them will have had a double hip replacement Carole aims to complete the Valencia Hyrox in under two hours In that time, she will run a total of eight kilometres, stopping every kilometre to take on one of Hyrox’s eight ‘stations’ Carol will complete a kilometre ski on a ski machine; at the third pull a weighted sled 50 metres The eighth and final station is 75 wall balls The event is so popular that Carole was unable to get a slot at this year’s Glasgow race, the only Hyrox held in Scotland But she’s been training harder than ever to compete in this ultimate test of endurance “I’m actually in better condition in my 70s than I was in my 30s,” says Carole who trains at a Gardenstone gym and at home in Turriff “I would like to finish in 1h 45m but if I get two hours But if you think doing a Hyrox at the age of 70 is the most interesting thing about Carole Carole’s journey to Valencia is just the latest in a long list of fitness firsts for the former Aberdonian She came to exercise relatively late in life taking up running as a single mother to three sons when she was 30 and working for a local butcher she had a distressing encounter with a man while bill collecting and he threatened me because he wasn’t going to pay,” Carole remembers She joined a karate club run by Aberdeen marital arts legend Ronnie Watt Ronnie, who still lives in Aberdeen, is one of Europe’s top karate coaches — in 2010 he was honoured by the Japanese government with the Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his services to the discipline Carole was bitten by the karate bug and practised every day She travelled to London to train with Japanese karate masters and quickly advanced through the ranks earning her black belt in less than 12 months She was even a Scottish champion belt for a while she also proudly trained on a budget; running while pushing her children in buggies When she did her first triathlon she cycled on a mountain bike instead of a more expensive road bike; though she admits she saw another woman on a bike with a basket on the front Her Hyrox training also sticks to the essentials She’s built a rudimentary gym at her home and also goes to Brian Meekham’s Claymore Fitness gym in Gardenstone she will go head-to-head with life-long athletes with their own private gyms and coaches It’s Rocky vs Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV but they’ve all got personal trainers and nutritionists,” Carole laments I just go on to the local gym and train there myself.” Carole plans to compete in more Hyrox events even though she’s had problems with one of her hip replacements She’s hoping another operation will fix it One day she may even do a Hyrox with her granddaughter “I’ll keep going as long as I can,” she says despite recently experiencing a shock result in her age group “It was the standing joke for a while — I got second and I was like It was during a random trip to buy a motorhome when Leanne Davidson and her husband Calvin first fell in love with Turriff who run the raffle prize business Bounty Competitions loved the Aberdeenshire town so much that they decided to make it their forever home From the wonderful scenery and the thriving cafes and restaurants to the strong sense of community spirit here Leanne tells us why Turriff will always be her happy place… Everyone always grabs a snap of the coo when visiting the area It’s definitely a talking point when people new to the area see it It doesn’t matter what shop/restaurant you walk into – you can be sure to get great conversation and a friendly smile We involved loads of local businesses and locals we met from the area The party went onto the early hours of the morning Three years on and it’s a party everyone still talks about to this day Now that’s a hard choice as they are all amazing But The Rustic Grill has the best steak on the rock Buying a motorhome from LM Autos and falling in love with the town and countryside This then made us purchase our home in Turriff and move from Ellon We never imagined moving as we were very settled but the feeling we had when visiting made us picture what the countryside life would be like Within months we moved and wouldn’t change it now We’re spoiled for great coffee shops and cafes in Turriff We are currently looking for the next big prize for Bounty and looking at what prizes we haven’t done yet We have recently launched our own gin brand (Big G Gin) and expanded our holiday lets (Bounty Holiday Lets) My perfect day in Turriff would start with a coffee in the garden on a Summer’s day Then taking our dog Bo for a walk around the Delgatie Castle forest there would be a stress free day in the office at Bounty HQ followed by chilling out in the evening with a Big G Gin and a takeaway from The Kastille while taking in the countryside views Firefighters came to the rescue of a Turriff farm this morning after a fire broke out within their chicken shed Crews were called to Woodend Free Range Farm shortly after 7am this morning to reports of a blaze within their 430-foot long industrial chicken shed four fire appliances descended upon the scene Staff at the property – owned by Duncan Farms – jumped into action in the early hours to extinguish the flames before calling for reinforcements Firefighters deployed six breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet to tackle the fire no staff or animals were harmed due to the fire with hens having already been returned to the range Bosses say thanks to the “rapid response” of local firefighters In a statement, a spokesperson for Duncan Farms said: “Shortly after 6.30am this morning a fire broke out at their free range farm in Turriff “There was staff on-site at the time and they had a rapid response from the local fire department “They managed to contain and extinguish the fire quickly which means that they’ve had no hen mortality and then hens are now back out on the range The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were called to the blaze at Woodhead at 7.06am this morning Four crews from Turriff, Aberchider, Macduff and Old Meldrum are at the scene but crews remain in the area to dampen down The final appliance left the scene at 8.36am A spokeswoman for SFRS said: “We have set four appliances to a fire in an industrial chicken shed near Turriff at Woodhead “The fire is in the central part of an industrial chicken shed “We have used six breathing apparatus It is understood the shed is 430ft long by 10ft wide Jack McKenzie has been placed on the transfer list by Turriff United The midfielder joined the Breedon Highland League club in January 2022 and has played regularly for Turra since then the 20-year-old may now soon be heading for pastures new with other clubs having been made aware of his availability McKenzie – who is under contract until the summer of 2026 – is likely to attract plenty of interest Earlier this month, Turriff also placed defender Max Foster on the transfer list. Highland League Weekly brings you highlights of Brora Rangers against Fraserburgh and Huntly versus Turriff United Our cameras were at Dudgeon Park to capture all the action and reaction from the clash between the Cattachs who are at the top of the Breedon Highland League We were also at Christie Park for the thrilling all-Aberdeenshire encounter between the Black and Golds and Turra Memory Match returns as Clachnacuddin defender Josh Meekings looks back on the standout game in his career Highland League Weekly is the Press and Journal’s exclusive football show which puts the spotlight on the Highland League Episodes of Highland League Weekly are published on the Press and Journal website at 7pm every Monday during the season This term we will again bring viewers highlights of at least two matches from every Saturday fixture card analysis of all the weekend results and talking points and feature interviews with a variety of people involved in the Highland League we will screen Highland League Weekly EXTRA highlights from important midweek matches These EXTRA shows will be available to watch on Thursday afternoons To watch Highland League Weekly you need to be a subscriber to The Press and Journal online – with our sports pack currently just £1 for your first three months To become a Press and Journal subscriber, please visit: www.pressandjournal.co.uk/subscribe/ You can also sign up to our Highland League newsletter which means you will receive an email direct to your inbox whenever a new episode of Highland League Weekly is published To sign up to the Highland League newsletter, please visit: www.pressandjournal.co.uk/newsletter-manager/ On social media there is a dedicated Highland League Weekly group on Facebook and a Highland League Weekly page (@HighlandLW) on X, formerly known as Twitter. We’ll be posting trailers and links to new episodes on these platforms A drug dealer who was found hiding in a cupboard at his former partner’s house also had more than £5,000 of cannabis in his possession Lewis Henderson was in breach of a court order when he was found hiding inside his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom cupboard at a property in Turriff in November last year A further search of his bag revealed it contained more than £5,000 of cannabis Fiscal depute Alan Townsend stated that on November 6 2024 the police were informed that Henderson had breached his non-harassment order in relation to his former partner police attended an address in Turriff to check on Henderson’s ex-girlfriend A family friend later arrived and allowed the police entry to the property and Henderson’s former partner then came to the door and spoke with them Police searched the premises and found Henderson hiding within a cupboard in the master bedroom They checked his clothing and found £500 in his pocket where they found a “large quantity of green herbal substance” Dozens of self-seal bags were found within the bag A further search of the property was carried out and various drug paraphernalia was found The maximum street value of cannabis seized was more than £5,000 Henderson pleaded guilty to one count of being concerned in the supply of cannabis and a second charge of breaching a non-harassment order Defence solicitor Alannah Comerford told the court that her client had given the explanation that he and his former partner have a child together “I have made it clear to him that it’s a court order and that it’s not up to them as to whether they comply,” the solicitor said Ms Comerford added that Henderson had “struggled” to integrate properly back into society following his release from prison and “unfortunately fell back into” drug dealing but he doesn’t want to live like that anymore – he wants to make significant efforts to live a positive lifestyle.” Sheriff William Summers described Henderson’s position as “precarious” due to his previous convictions and the fact that he had previously served a prison sentence Sentencing him to an alternative to a period in custody Sheriff Summers warned Henderson that if he didn’t comply it would be a “virtual certainty” that a prison sentence would follow subject to a community payback order with two years supervision and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work The sheriff also made Henderson subject to a restriction of liberty order for six months For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.  When brothers Brian and Eddie Morrison started their car dealership in rural Aberdeenshire 40 years ago they lit a BBQ to welcome passing traffic and sold all 16 cars onsite in a day with Friday queues full of fishermen and oil workers with chunky wage packets eager to buy the cars the brothers sourced during the week down in London Fast forward to today and Morrison Motors on the outskirts of Turriff employs 32 staff and turns over a tidy £24 million a year It has grown from its original garage on Banff Road to a six-acre footprint which now offers over 150 vehicles for sale There’s also close to £4m in vehicle rental stock hire with some customers as far out as Shetland The dealership has weathered the storms of economic shifts Brian says the secret to the thriving family operation is staying true to its roots of good customer service He says it was always the dream to set up a motor business here but the brothers had no expectations it would grow to the size it has Brian saved his wages working offshore in Dubai with brother Eddie chipping in earnings from his time on Piper Alpha and other oilfields near Aberdeen “I served my time as a mechanic in Turriff and went out to the Middle East as a young lad in 1977,” recalls Brian “I was there for five years with the intention of coming back and building a garage applied for planning permission and built their garage “That was the secret there and we have just expanded ever since “We built this business to turning over £24m last year Ford XR3s and XR2is were their bread and butter in the 1980s remembers Brian He says a Ford Escort RS2000 sold for £7,000 in 1983 could fetch £90,000 today if it was in the right condition in the eighties all the oil industry guys with their big bonuses and the fishermen used to come in on a Friday and queue to buy cars here,” he adds “We would come up from Blackbush in London with our Opels and our XR2is and XR3s and they would buy them as they came off the lorry he says customer motoring tastes run more to SUVs and family cars with hybrids and electric vehicles starting to get some traction at the Turriff dealership too In 2018, Morrison Motors became a main dealer franchise for Isuzu “That was a great success for the company,” he says “It’s a great add-on for us with all local farmers.” “We are the biggest independent garage locally,” says Brian “We used to be the biggest independent in Scotland.” Brian says his dealership was one of the first to adopt online sales and he is keen to embrace the electric car revolution when it really kicks in “It’s the future coming up and we have got to adapt to it and get used to it,” he says “We have got charging points here now and we’ve sold quite a few electric cars “We have always changed with the times and we have got to keep changing Brian looks to his grandson Connor Shepherd who joined the company in 2012 Connor’s head is full of ideas to take the business through the next 40 years With the UK government’s push for a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 businesses like the Morrison Motors are investing heavily in EV infrastructure including charging stations and training for staff It has also started to diversify its inventory to include a growing selection of electric and hybrid models all while maintaining the same level of customer service that has been the dealership’s hallmark for decades “We’re optimistic about the future,” says Connor “Our ability to combine the latest technologies with the personal touch of a family business gives us a unique edge in the market.” This includes investing in staff training and state-of-the-art automotive tools “The industry is constantly changing,” Connor adds “Whether it’s adapting to the rise of electric vehicles we’re ensuring Morrisons is future-proof.” Brian says Morrison Motors continues to support the local community offering decades-long sponsorship and support for local sports teams and youth groups “We’ve come a long way from those early days,” says Brian but if you stick to your principles and take care of your customers Brian is quick to emphasise that much of their success in Turriff is down to reinvesting back into Morrison Motors “We’ve been a very successful business and we didn’t borrow any money,” he says The money we make goes back into the company.” “We do our own work and we don’t argue with customers; if it costs money we just get it done,” he adds “Reaching 40 years in business is a testament to the dedication of our team and the loyalty of our customers “We are incredibly grateful for the trust placed in us and remain committed to upholding the values that have defined Morrison Motors since day one.” A unique tartan tractor is set to hit the road as part of a fundraising tractor run The JCB Fastrac, known to many as Doddie the iCON, will lead the Sandy Duffus’ Tractor Run – an event that aims to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation the charity set up by the late Doddie Weir to find a cure for motor neurone disease (MND) The army of tractors will leave The Haughs in Turriff on Wednesday at 6.30pm making its way through Rothienorman to finish at Thainstone Mart Behind the wheel of Doddie the iCON will be local farmer Sandy Duffus who was diagnosed with MND earlier this year is organising the event to raise money for the charity She said: “Approximately 1100 people are diagnosed annually with the disease in the UK and up to 5000 UK adults are affected at any one time muscle cramps and difficulty in speech and swallowing.” The two businesses behind the initiative are Annie Kenyon Architects and agricultural machinery specialists CC Powell who raised more than £20,000 for the foundation Annie Kenyon’s stand sold out of the range of Doddie Weir merchandise while CC Powell’s stand hosted the branded Fastrac - attracting thousands of visitors - many of whom bought a raffle ticket for £10 to win a tractor weight kindly donated by Jacobsens-Grange Farm Machinery was designed to support fundraising and awareness for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation founded the charity to fund research with the vision of “A world free of MND” While the foundation is actively making progress a cure has not yet been found for this fatal disease Chris Powell said: “We were absolutely blown away by the generosity from the local community We’re very grateful to owner Douglas Stephen at Crop Services for the loan of the Fastrac and allowing us to use it for the tractor run.” Annie Kenyon’s efforts to fundraise for the Doddie Weir foundation have been extensive including a pledge Donate a Tonne for Doddie campaign at Turriff Show in 2023 along with her partner Duncan Barton’s bike ride to Paris last year and a dinner dance at the P&J live – which will take place again next year Annie added: “We are absolutely thrilled that Sandy will be leading the tractor run next week – while ticking another wish off his bucket list Kayleigh was determined to promote the foundation even further and contacted me Chris Powell and Kim Tedcastle to organise the tractor convoy to allow local farmers and businesses to show our support to Sandy and his family and of course raise as much money as we can for the foundation.” Visit www.justgiving.com/page/sandyduffustractorrun to support the charity or to take part in the tractor run Turriff United have placed defender Max Foster on the transfer list The centre-half joined the Haughs side in October 2022 after returning to the north-east from Dubai Since his arrival at Turra, Foster has been a regular under former boss Dean Donaldson and current manager Warren Cummings. the 25-year-old is out of contract next summer and has now been made available for a move elsewhere who featured as a second half sub for Turriff in their weekend Breedon Highland League loss to Brechin City will attract significant interest given his displays for United during the last two years `,o=`${t.title}`,s=document.createElement("article");s.classList.add("minipanel"),s.innerHTML=`${n}${o}`,e.appendChild(s)}))}function b(e){if(!e)return;let t=document.querySelector(`.account-mobile-${N.status.mode()} .bookmark-list`),n;t.querySelector(".bookmark-page").style.display="none";let o=document.createElement("div");o.classList.add("panel-error"),o.innerHTML=`${e} John Allan (left) receiving a Shetland jersey from manager Neil Fenwick after he signed for Peterhead. Photo: Shetland Football AssociationJohn Allan (left) receiving a Shetland jersey from manager Neil Fenwick after he signed for Peterhead Photo: Shetland Football Association A FORMER Scalloway footballer who has been making his mark on the Highland League will return to Shetland in the summer to fight for an Island Games spot.  who has been plying his trade for Turriff United for the last two seasons has told the club he will not be signing a new deal He is set to move home once the club’s league campaign comes to an end in May The 27-year-old said a desire to represent Shetland at the 2025 Island Games in Orkney was a major factor in his decision “The Island Games has always been at the back of my mind,” he told Shetland News “I was gutted to miss out on Guernsey [in 2023] because I had just signed with Turriff “With it being in Orkney too next year it’s always been in my mind that I wanted to go.” Allan originally signed with then Scottish League One side Peterhead in January last year before moving to Turriff United that same summer This is his second season with the Highland League side and his goals have helped the team in to the semi-finals of this season’s Aberdeenshire Shield Turriff were keen to sign Allan to a new deal but he said the lure of returning to Shetland had proved too strong “When we were first speaking about a new deal I still wasn’t fully decided on what was happening,” he said They were very happy for me to sign and to go play at the Islands Games “I think if I was signing I would have had that added in to my contract “But I’ll be out of contract with Turriff in the summer so I’ll be able to play when I come to Shetland Already a member? Sign in to hide this message “I want to be in as good shape as possible if I’m selected to go.” Allan added Turriff had been a “really good club” that he would “always support” Asked who he might sign for when he returns to Shetland there was only one likely answer for the former Scalloway striker “I’ve never actually stopped paying my club fees so it would probably make sense to go back there [Scalloway]” Allan has already spoken to Shetland manager Neil Fenwick about coming back to the isles and added he hoped he could “end the season well with Turriff” before Island Games selection this summer Despite winning man of the match in his last inter-county appearance – scoring twice and assisting three in an 8-0 away win – Allan is under no illusions about walking right back in to the Shetland team “The talent that’s in Shetland just now is really good,” he said “I think it’s kind of under-rated in terms of the mainland There’s a lot of really good players coming through.” Seb Inkster and George Robesten – who is currently on loan at Brora Rangers from Ross County Allan hopes his experience on the mainland can “open a pathway” for footballers in Shetland to come test themselves south Reflecting on his own time with Peterhead and Turriff he said it had been “an amazing experience to play at that level” “Playing football every Saturday has been absolutely brilliant “I’ve definitely got a lot of respect for the guys that can do it in the Highland League for years Allan said it was a “very good standard” with a number of his Turriff team-mates coming through the youth ranks at Aberdeen “The level is really high,” he added “It [Highland League] is really different to league football – it’s really physical and it’s really fast during his Scottish sojourn he has loved the test And he has urged anyone offered a similar opportunity to jump at the chance “I would absolutely encourage anyone to do it,” he added “I’ve just absolutely loved it.” Shetland’s men’s side have been drawn alongside Jersey and Gozo at next summer’s Island Games in Orkney – with their final opponent to be confirmed The Blues were initially handed a so-called “Group of Death” – with Guernsey joining Jersey and Gozo – but Guernsey have since withdrew Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks: If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News varying from breaking news delivered on the minute We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security improved speed and the best overall experience on this site Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.You can unsubscribe at any time We exist to support independent news providers Your answers will power important research We will share aggregated and anonymous answers with your news provider And we will produce an overarching UK-wide report complete the survey and enter your email at the end then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: - Already a member? Sign in to hide this message Two men aged 64 and 40 were taken to hospital after a one-vehicle crash near Turriff yesterday afternoon Emergency services were called to the scene of the collision The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also sent two appliances to the scene The road was closed for several hours and the two men will be reported to the procurator fiscal for road traffic offences A police spokewoman said: “At around 4pm on Sunday, August 18 officers were called to a report of a single vehicle collision on the B9025, Deveron Road, near Turriff “Emergency services attended and two men were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by ambulance “They will both be reported to the procurator fiscal for road traffic offences.” John Allan is planning to call time on his Turriff United career at the end of the season – but would love to help his club to glory in the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield Turra face local rivals Deveronvale at the Haughs tonight in the quarter-final of the Shield with the winner securing a home tie against Keith or Fraserburgh in the last-four Striker Allan, who hails from Shetland, joined United in the summer of 2023, and plans to return to Lerwick next summer before he and partner Leanne go travelling next winter The 27-year-old said: “It was quite hard to reach that decision We’ve always wanted to do a bit of travelling and it was sort of now or never in terms of whether we would or not I was only thinking about doing a season here but I enjoyed it so much I decided to stay for this season as well “There’s the Island Games in Orkney next summer and I want to play in that for Shetland before we head away “Knowing that I’ll be finishing up at the end of the season makes me more determined to make the most of the remainder of this season “To do well in the Aberdeenshire Shield and to try to help the club have a bit of success would be great “It’s the last cup competition we’re still in this season but we know it will be a very difficult game against Deveronvale.” Deveronvale have won their last four matches and Banffers boss Garry Wood hopes their fine form can continue Vale have reached only one semi-final in the last five seasons as after this evening’s clash they meet Huntly on Saturday in the last-eight of the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup Wood said: “There’s a carrot there for both clubs to try to get into a semi-final we wanted to get the club up the league and then try to start having a go in cup competitions because they provide a realistic chance of having success this is a local derby and we’re expecting a tough game against Turriff.” One player who won’t feature for Vale is midfielder Rogan Read who has returned to his native South Africa having arrived at Princess Royal Park in August 2022 Wood added: “Rogan’s visa was up at the end of the year and he’s gone back home “It’s unfortunate – Rogan has been a key part of our midfield but it’s up to other people to take their chance now.” Keith’s Jordan Cooper wants to continue their good Breedon Highland League form in the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield The Maroons’ quarter-final against Fraserburgh at Kynoch Park tonight is subject to a noon pitch inspection due to potentially frosty conditions Keith have won their previous four league fixtures, and midfielder Cooper said: “It will be a tough game against Fraserburgh We’re on a decent run in the league and hopefully we can bring that into the Shield and try to keep the momentum going “We need to try to be consistent and try to keep reaching a certain level week to week “We’ve beaten Brora and Buckie this season and we go into this game believing we can beat Fraserburgh as well “It’s a big game for the club with the chance to get to a semi-final “We’re always underdogs going into games like this but if we turn up and play well we believe we can get a result.” Fraserburgh are in buoyant mood after reaching round four of the Scottish Cup by beating Annan Athletic on Saturday Manager Mark Cowie has challenged his players to hit the same heights against Keith as they bid to reach the last-four of a competition they’ve won nine times since it started in 1990-91 He added: “We can’t hit the standards we did on Saturday “We need to make sure we hit our standards week-in we’ll give ourselves a good chance of winning games “We know we’ll be in for a tricky game – it’s a quarter-final and both teams will want to progress and try to win a trophy.” Inverurie Locos manager Dean Donaldson wants to keep their hopes of silverware this season alive by reaching the semi-final of the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield The Railwaymen face local rivals Formartine United tonight at North Lodge Park in the last-eight of the tournament Although Locos are fourth in the Breedon Highland League boss Donaldson – who guided them to the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup last term – reckons the Shield is their last shot at glory this season then we won’t have any cup games left this season “It would be good to win and keep the season going to an extent – in terms of still having silverware to play for it gives you something extra to play for and something extra to look forward to “You’re judged on the trophies you won at the end of your career and you want to win as much as possible I’d expect it to be a battle like it always is against Formartine.” Formartine are on a four-match winning streak which manager Stuart Anderson hopes to extend as they aim for a semi-final spot The winner of this tie will be at home to Hermes or Buckie Thistle. Anderson added: “I can’t complain about our form Our performance against Rothes on Saturday maybe dipped a little “Inverurie are a really good team and their results this season are evidence of that “There’s not much between the teams and both teams will be going at it Turriff United made it six matches unbeaten for the first time in more than seven years by beating Keith 1-0 at the Haughs Goal difference was all that separated the sides who were sitting 13th and 14th in the table at kick-off and this was a tight and hard fought encounter over the piece United perhaps carved out the better openings and Reece McKeown’s strike was the difference between the sides The result means Turra have won five and drawn once in their last six outings – their best unbeaten run since they went eight matches without defeat between April and August 2017 Keith had Rodrigo Vitols between the posts after bringing him in on loan from Aberdeen Both Vitols and opposite number Lee Herbert were called into action early on United custodian Herbert held a dangerous cross-cum-shot from Cammy Wilson in the first minute Soon after at the other end Mackenzie Taylor did well to link with Callan Gray whose drive from 16 yards was parried by Vitols diving to his left There was little between the sides in the first half with both battling to try to gain some control of proceedings As the interval approached Keith’s Michael Ironside volleyed over from 10 yards following Wilson’s cross from the right In response for Turra Lucas Smith’s looping header from Gray’s right-wing delivery was cleared off the line by Spink Shortly before half-time United’s Taylor had two good openings On 40 minutes he danced away from Spink on the left side of the box Then in the 45th minute Ryan Robertson’s slip allowed Taylor to gallop clean through on goal only to shoot straight at Vitols In the early stages of the second half Turriff’s on-loan Aberdeen midfielder Ellis Clark forced a decent save from his Dons colleague Vitols with a shot from 25 yards Then United’s Kieran Yeats made two vital interventions to keep the score level Firstly he cleared the danger when Herbert’s fresh air swipe could have left Ironside with an empty net Yeats was involved again in the 55th minute as he blocked Wilson’s shot from Jordan Lynch’s cutback from the left Taylor did well on the right and his low cross was swept into the left corner by McKeown from 12 yards After falling behind Keith had plenty of pressure as time ticked down and they sent plenty of balls into the box The closest they came to an equaliser was a powerful Nathan McKeown shot from the edge of the box which Herbert blocked with 20 minutes left On 78 minutes United could and perhaps should have made it 2-0 Sub Timi Fatona burst down the right flank and his delivery was knocked narrowly wide of the target by fellow sub Arran Smith Nairn County got back to winning ways with a 4-1 victory against Rothes at Mackessack Park Ben Barron opened the scoring for the Wee County only for Matthew Wright to swiftly put Nairn back ahead Wright and Barron both found the net again in the second half to complete the scoring Brora Rangers ran out 5-0 winners against Lossiemouth at Dudgeon Park The teams were level for 55 minutes but after Tom Kelly’s opener Tony Dingwall Connor Bunce and Andrew Macleod also got on the scoresheet for the Cattachs Leaders Brechin City beat Huntly 5-1 at Christie Park Dayle Robertson and Ewan Loudon struck in the opening quarter of an hour to put the Hedgemen two up Angus Grant’s 25th of the season gave the Black and Golds hope but that was snuffed out in the second half as Fraser MacLeod netted and Robertson scored two more to complete his hat-trick Fraserburgh won 3-2 against Clachnacuddin in a dramatic finish at Bellslea The Broch looked to be on their way to victory thanks to goals from Marley Sweenie-Rowe and Paul Young But James Anderson’s double brought the Lilywhites back level before Jamie Beagrie’s late winner for Fraserburgh Inverurie Locos and Banks o’ Dee drew 0-0 at Harlaw Park Calum Dingwall could have put the Railwaymen in front but saw a 26th minute penalty saved by Daniel Hoban Dee were then reduced to 10 men as Iain Vigurs picked up a second yellow card shortly before half-time Buckie Thistle defeated Wick Academy 3-0 at Harmsworth Park courtesy of a brace from Joe McCabe and Liam Harvey’s counter F0rres Mechanics against Formartine United at Mosset Park was postponed at short notice after match referee Scott Donohoe deemed the pitch to be unplayable Pupils from two schools got a taster of careers in agriculture at a demonstration event Around 30 students from Banff Academy and Turriff Academy visited Scotland's Rural College’s (SRUC) Craibstone Farm at Tulloch The S3 pupils were split into small groups and followed a timetable of different taster sessions run by HND agriculture students These included tipping and health checking lambs; body condition scoring sheep; identifying faults on different agricultural machinery; ploughing; learning about cereal production; animal nutrition and different feed types; throwing lures and handling a gundog; learning about different working dog breeds; identifying different agricultural equipment; body condition scoring cattle and learning about cattle management said: “The weather was glorious at Tulloch and a good time was had by all “Pupils received goodie bags from SRUC and were encouraged to consider coming to Craibstone for further education in the agricultural sector.” A Banff grandad who won a house in Turriff has revealed that he’ll hand it down to his grandkids Aberdeenshire was announced as the lucky winner of the latest Bounty Competition yesterday His prize was a two-bedroom house in Turriff – which he was “over the moon” to claim He chose the north-east property in a decision between that or £85,000 in cash Kenneth also received £10,000 to donate to two charities of his choice – Alzheimer Scotland and Epilepsy Scotland and they will receive half of the money each Kenneth revealed that it won’t be himself staying in his new lodgings Speaking to Bounty Competitions he said that the house will be going to his grandkids instead He revealed he intends to rent it out until they are old enough to move in Turriff couple Leanne and Calvin Davidson, who run the business showed Kenneth to his grandkid’s future home yesterday afternoon Calvin, speaking to The Press and Journal said he was delighted that Kenneth “made the right choice” He said: “We think it is absolutely amazing “He’s definitely done the right thing in taking the house we always say the prizes are the better option by far He’s going to rent it out and make money from it so that is going to be a good earner for him “It’s for his grandkids as well so I think that is amazing He’s done Bounty Competitions right.” He added: “It’s amazing that he is thinking of his family and hopefully get his grandkids on the property ladder Cafes in the local area are celebrating after they triumphed at a national awards ceremony The Scottish Cafe and Bakery Awards 2025 event was held recently in Glasgow For five years this prestigious ceremony has celebrated many cafes in Scotland that represent excellence in the food industry Winning the Best Coffee House category was Traffords Coffee House in Turriff Tearoom of the Year went to Delgatie Castle just outside of Turriff Eli’s Cakes and Crafts in Gardenstown was runner-up in the Ice Cream Parlour of the Year category The winners were announced at a glittering ceremony which was held in Glasgow’s Double Tree by Hilton A spokesperson for The Scottish Cafe and Bakery Awards 2025 said: “This year’s winners reflect those who put so much effort into providing high-quality food snacks and hot beverages to customers across the country “We would like to congratulate all of our winners and highly commended recipients on their accomplishments.” The success of these awards has led to organisers Creative Oceanic launching Cafe and Bakery Awards in England Northern Ireland and London all of which have been successfully established over the years Emergency services were called to the A947 in Aberdeenshire at around 8pm on Tuesday. Scottish Fire and Rescue, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Ambulance Service were called to the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road following the collision at around 8pm on Tuesday. As a result of the crash, one casualty was trapped in their vehicle, and was successfully rescued by firefighters. Three people were taken to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 8.05pm on Tuesday, September 17 to reports of a road traffic collision near Turriff. “Operations Control mobilised two fire appliances to the A947, where firefighters were met by a collision involving two vehicles. “Crews helped release one casualty who had become trapped in their vehicle. “Three casualties overall were transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment. “Crews left the scene after working to make the area safe.” Police Scotland and SAS have been contacted for comment. STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" Holders Banks o’ Dee will start their defence of the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield with a home tie against Deveronvale The draw for the 34th edition of the Shield was made at the headquarters of the tournament’s sponsors on Monday afternoon In the first round, Dee – who beat Aberdeen in last season’s final to win the competition for the second time – were paired against Deveronvale at Spain Park Inverurie Locos will host Aberdeen at Harlaw Park Buckie Thistle have home advantage against Huntly and Dyce will welcome Formartine United to Ian Mair Park Round two will take place a fortnight later with two of the sides who received byes – Keith and Fraserburgh – meeting at Kynoch Park Turriff will play Dee or Vale at the Haughs after also receiving a bye Hermes were the other side who got a bye and they will be at home to Buckie or Huntly Dyce or Formartine will tackle the winners of the tie between Locos and the Dons The full draw for the Aberdeenshire Shield is as follows Round one (ties to be played on Wednesday November 6): Banks o’ Dee v Deveronvale Round two (ties to be played on Wednesday November 20): Turriff United v Banks o’ Dee/Deveronvale Dyce/Formartine United v Inverurie Locos/Aberdeen Semi-finals (ties to be played on Wednesday December 4): Dyce/Formartine United/Inverurie Locos/Aberdeen v Hermes/Buckie Thistle/Huntly Turriff United/Banks o’ Dee/Deveronvale v Keith/Fraserburgh The first day of Turriff Show’s 160th anniversary year saw the overall horse champions decided A huge number of entrants competed in the various sections at The Haughs showground Good weather saw thousands of spectators look on as the judges picked their winners was won by large breeds mountain and moorland pony Bracklinn Rosebud showed by Kirsty Dunning She said of the win: “It’s fantastic to win the championship and she has done so well “She is 11-years-old and has been performing great all season “I’m originally from Turriff but live in Keith now and the pony is based in Rothienorman “She was supreme light legged champion at Banchory and she has won at National Pony Society as well.” The reserve champion was riding pony Tylo Erebus showed by Claire Chisman of Fraserburgh was won by small breeds mountain and moorland pony Lingardswood Sarsaparilla showed by Shannon Mair of Inverness It was ridden by her daughter Francesca (7) Shannon said: “We have had a great show season and it is amazing to win the champion at Turriff “The pony is six-years-old and she has been reserve before so its great to go one step further “It has been a busy time as we were at Perth Show on Friday at Turriff and then we are away down to Wales to compete.” The reserve champion went to hunters and hacks under saddle horse Cullenbay Heaven Sent showed by Fiona Menzies of Insch Warren Cummings hailed “dogged” Turriff United after they made it six games unbeaten for the first time in more than seven years Turra defeated Keith 1-0 at the Haughs in the Breedon Highland League to make it five wins and a draw from their last six outings It’s United longest run without defeat since an eight-game unbeaten run between April and August 2017 Manager Cummings was pleased to overcome the Maroons and said: “We had to be dogged in the last 20 minutes we had to deal with a lot of balls into our box “Lee Herbert didn’t have many saves to make “It was pleasing we were dogged and resilient At this time of the season with the way the pitches can be that’s what you have to do to get results “We’re building momentum and we’re pleased but we’ll just keep taking it game by game “The bad period (one win in 14 games between August and November) where we were struggling to win hasn’t left my mind but we’re turning the corner and I’m pleased with how it’s going at the moment.” With regular goalkeeper Craig Reid absent Keith have secured Rodrigo Vitols on a short-term loan from Aberdeen The 17-year-old was called into action early on to turn away Callan Gray’s decent strike from 16 yards The endeavour from both sides couldn’t be faulted neither team was really able to gain much control of proceedings In the 35th minute the Maroons had their best chance of the first period when Michael Ironside volleyed over from 10 yards after Cammy Wilson’s cross from the right broke for him Turra responded and Lucas Smith’s looping header from Gray’s right-wing centre was cleared off the line by Ryan Spink On 40 minutes United striker Mackenzie Taylor danced away from Spink on the left side of the box but Vitols saved the low shot which followed At the end of the half Ryan Robertson’s slip let Taylor gallop through on goal Early in the second half Turriff’s Kieran Yeats made two vital interventions to deny his old club The left-back cleared the danger after goalkeeper Lee Herbert’s fresh air swipe at the ball almost presented Ironside with an open goal Then Yeats blocked Wilson’s net-bound shot after Jordan Lynch had done well on the left flank to create an opening Herbert’s long ball forward was flicked into Taylor’s path on the right and he did well to cross for McKeown Cummings added: “Mackenzie and Reece have a good partnership We didn’t have much quality in the final third overall “But we produced one moment of quality and that was ultimately the difference.” After that Keith enjoyed plenty of pressure aside from a Nathan McKeown strike from 15 yards with 20 minutes remaining which the home goalkeeper blocked Substitute Arran Smith could have doubled United’s lead on 78 minutes but he fired wide from fellow sub Timi Fatona’s right-wing cross For Maroons manager Craig Ewen the performance of debutant Vitols was the positive to take from a frustrating 90 minutes in what was only their second outing since November 30 He said: “I thought Rodrigo was excellent in everything he did and looked like he could be heading for the top of the game but in everything else he did he looked top class I said at half-time that the first goal would be crucial and that proved to be the case “From a defensive point of view it was poor We huffed and puffed all day and we had five or six half chances in the game “We lacked quality in the final third all day whether it was at set pieces or having that bit of guile to unlock the door with our final pass or shot in open play “Unfortunately that quality wasn’t there and that’s the difference between getting points and not.” Nairn County overpowered a youthful Rothes to gain revenge for their 3-2 home defeat in the corresponding fixture at Station Park Nairn manager Ross Tokely was delighted with his side’s performance and said: “I thought the boys were pretty good though the disappointing thing was the goal against us “But on a heavy pitch I thought we dominated the game and could have scored more “Sean McCarthy in the Rothes goal is a very good goalkeeper and he did well but I thought Rothes got in quite easy in that first half so I had a word with them at half-time “We managed to keep them at bay in the second half and it was nice to score some goals and also play some nice football Rothes’ run of bad luck continued with top scorer Ross Logan who scored twice in the Speysiders’ 3-2 win at County earlier this season It took a brilliant double save from McCarthy to deny Ben Kelly and then Matthew Wright as the visitors pushed for the opener Another fabulous save from McCarthy in the 29th minute prevented Kelly from opening the scoring with a clever lob County opened the scoring in the 32nd minute in a goalmouth scramble with Ben Barron getting the final touch to send the ball over the line Four minutes later Tom Brady equalised with a blistering 12-yard drive County regained the lead two minutes from the break with the unmarked Wright beating McCarthy at the back post It was 3-1 on the hour mark when Rothes defender Brodie Mitchell turned the ball into his own net in attempting to clear a Wright effort Nairn made it 4-1 with 12 minutes to go when Barron had the simplest of tasks to tap the ball over the line from four yards for his second goal of the afternoon Rothes manager Ronnie Sharp said: “The turning point in the game came two minutes from half-time when we conceded a soft second goal and that changed the whole half-time talk “If we had gone in at the break at 1-1 the second half would have been a different game but we went to sleep at the set-piece for that second goal and that was a bit of a blow “But I felt we were good in the first half we played some good stuff and scored a great goal We need to keep working hard in training but we can’t keep giving goals away as that really hurt us badly today.” A Dayle Robertson hat-trick saw Brechin City remain top of the table with a 5-1 win at Huntly Brechin boss Patrick Cregg felt the timing of their goals – with two early in the first half and another shortly after the break – was crucial He said: “We got that cushion with two goals and a goal advantage when they’ve pulled one back but I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the second half “We were really efficient in front of goal Dayle will only improve playing alongside Cillian Sheridan He showed what a good all-round striker he is and he’s a real asset on and off the pitch for us.” City broke the deadlock after ten minutes with Robertson hitting a shot in off the bar from close range The advantage was doubled just under two minutes later with Ewan Loudon getting in behind the home defence before driving in his 13th of the season Huntly reduced the deficit on 32 minutes when Ryan Sewell floated in a free kick for Angus Grant who headed in his 25th of the campaign It took Brechin 97 seconds into the second half to add to their tally when Lewis Milne got to the by-line before cutting back for Fraser MacLeod who drilled home Brechin added a fourth on 62 minutes when Lewis Milne’s corner picked out Seth Patrick who headed off the bar before Robertson turned in the rebound The Black and Golds were awarded a penalty on 78 minutes following a shirt pull by Scott Bright on Grant Grant stepped up but his effort was saved by Lenny Wilson City wrapped up the scoring a minute later following a quick break up the pitch with Robertson completing his third hat-trick of the season with a neat flick inside the far post It was a third game without a win for Huntly as manager Colin Charlesworth felt the scoreline wasn’t reflective of the game He said: “It was end to end but they were clinical “A 5-1 scoreline looks horrible but there are some positives to take from it and we created some good chances against a good team “If we shut up shop it could’ve made for a tense ending to the game but you can’t concede five at home and expect to get anything out of the game.” A blistering second half from Brora Rangers saw them claim all three points against Lossiemouth to keep pace with Breedon Highland League leaders Brechin City. All of the Cattachs’ goals came after the interval and manager Steven Mackay said: “It was a classic game of two halves the decision making in the first half was not what it should be “But after the first goal the floodgates opened and we created some really nice goals We are relentless at times when we move the ball “The first goal was so crucial then the confidence grew.” In the first few minutes Connor Bunce had an effort cleared off the line by defender Owen Paterson Brora dominated possession in the first half but Lossiemouth’s resolute shape and defending limited the Cattachs’ chances George Robesten forced a good save on 30 minutes when his fierce effort was pushed away by goalkeeper Arran Anderson After the restart Brora upped the ante with Anderson being called on to make fine stops from long range efforts by Craig MacKenzie and Bunce In the 55th minute debutant Wallace Duffy managed to fire a low cross into the box and the clearance landed at the feet of Tom Kelly whose first-time effort beat Anderson to break the deadlock Tony Dingwall lined up a corner and his swirling delivery beat everyone to nestle in the top corner The Cattachs were now in the mood and following persistent play from Shane Sutherland and MacKenzie the latter waltzed into the box and finished at the near post Max Ewan passed out wide to Bunce who drove into the box onto his right foot and arrowed a shot into the top corner to cap off his man of the match performance Duffy was bundled over inside the box and referee Gordon Morrison pointed to the spot with Andrew Macleod stepping up and sending Anderson the wrong way to make it 5-0 Lossiemouth manager Steve Porter said: “We started really well and were defensively strong there were a couple of mistakes for the goals then we lost our way Jamie Beagrie’s 88th minute header saw Fraserburgh round off 2024 with a win but only after Clach had fought back from being two goals behind The home side started in determined fashion and Marley Sweenie-Rowe headed the opener after only four minutes They failed to add to their tally due to superb goalkeeping from Clach’s Logan Ross who had to go off with a head injury just before the break Paul Young added a second for the Broch following a fine run and finish from 20 yards with 18 minutes remaining Clach upped the pace with James Anderson pulling one back five minutes later with a ten yard shot before the prolific striker fired home an equaliser six minutes later with the ball hitting the underside of the bar before dropping beyond Joe Barbour Clach sensed a winner but substitute Scott Barbour sent a fantastic ball across the face of goal with two minutes remaining which allowed Beagrie to head home from eight yards to give the Broch victory Broch manager Mark Cowie said: “It was a strange game and we were in total control in the first half and should have been further ahead “We failed to do that because of a lack of anticipation making the wrong choices and a lack of sharpness from our front three as they haven’t played a lot recently “It was disappointing to have just the one goal lead and we knew Clach would be a different animal in the second half “It came from us having a crazy spell when our decision making was really poor and suddenly it was 2-2 and you think they have the momentum “Then we got a great goal from a fantastic ball from Scott Barbour which allowed Jamie Beagrie to grab the winner “Although we are just not clicking properly at the moment we are not losing but we need to be a bit more ruthless in both boxes.” Clach manager Conor Gethins was unhappy with his team’s first half display but he was proud of how they reacted after the break and felt they deserved something from the game He said: “This is never an easy ground to come to and we have a lot of players who are new to this league and are still learning but we penned Fraserburgh in during the second half When was the last time Clach came here and did that “We got caught on the counter attack for the winner but even then we hit the post with the last kick of the ball so I am proud of them for their attitude and workrate “Had it not been for Logan Ross we would have had no chance to mount the fight back but we are not the Clach of old and teams are now realising that.” On a day when Brechin City and Brora Rangers won convincingly Banks o’ Dee dropped two points in their pursuit of the Breedon Highland League title as they drew with Inverurie Locos It may have ended goalless but this game at Harlaw Park wasn’t short of talking points In the fourth minute Locos central defender Calum Dingwall appeared lucky to escape with a yellow card after a clattering challenge on Max Alexander Dee midfielder Iain Vigurs was not so fortunate with two first half yellows adding up to a red card five minutes before half time On 26 minutes handball in the Dee box was penalised by referee Filippo Mazzoni but goalkeeper Daniel Hoban guessed right diving to his left to save Dingwall’s spot-kick once in each half while at the other end goalkeeper Zack Ellis made the save of the game to deny Andy Hunter said: “It’s a bit of frustration for us to drop points “However I’m delighted our players put in such a hard shift in the second half “I think it was a harsh second booking for Vigurs How Calum Dingwall stayed on the park is beyond me “The referee let that go but sends Vigurs off There were decisions that went for and against both sides that were terrible “It was a great penalty save from Hoban but everyone in the ground could see the hands of our player were by his side.” Locos boss Dean Donaldson said: “It was a good Highland League game There was plenty to get people off their seats in the first half right to the corner but Daniel Hoban made a really good save “We’ve put our young players in this environment to see how they’ll get on but even with ten men Dee were always causing a threat They’re a good team with good players and I’m delighted that over the course of the season we’ve taken two points off them.” Two goals from the returning Joe McCabe and a late strike from substitute Liam Harvey gave Buckie Thistle an excellent victory over Wick Academy at Harmsworth Park Jags boss Lewis Mackinnon was full of praise for his charges He said: “I thought we were in control in the first half and created numerous chances “Andy (MacAskill) worked wonders in the pocket playing balls in behind for Jack MacIver and Joe McCabe on the right-hand side good movement in the box to create the space for Joe to power home the header “His second one was a bit fortunate as he’s not having a shot from there but he’s trying to whip a ball in with pace and got his reward we still had the desire to win the ball back and get the third through Liam Harvey.” Good build up play between Marc Macgregor and George Ewing saw the former blast the first real chance wide from 16 yards on eight minutes Nicolson missed a great chance to open the scoring when he shot wide from 16 yards after a mix up over a high ball between the home defence and goalkeeper Lewis Gallacher McCabe made the breakthrough when he powered home a corner from the left from MacIver in the 43rd minute McCabe got his and Buckie’s second on 53 minutes firing over a cross from the right that flew into the far top corner of Gallacher’s goal MacAskill almost made it three with a driving run and searing drive that just cleared the crossbar Liam Harvey completed the scoring in injury time after good play from McCabe and Lyall Keir Wick manager Gary Manson said: “I didn’t think there was an awful lot between the teams in terms of clear-cut chances but goals win games and the second one in particular was a real body blow for us they kept plugging away and had a couple of half chances that could have changed things.” impressed for the home side and Manson said “It was his first start in his preferred position playing behind the striker “I’m sure there will be a lot more to come from him in the second half of the season He’s a livewire and has a bit of everything in his game.” Dylan Stuart celebrated as a fan the last time Turriff United won a trophy And as they try to reach their first final in a decade the defender says it would be a dream come true to win silverware with his hometown team Turra take on Fraserburgh at the Haughs on Wednesday night in the semi-final of the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield United last won a trophy when they lifted the Shield in April 2015 Stuart watched from the sidelines as they rallied from 3-1 down to defeat the Broch 4-3 in the final Since then Turriff haven’t reached another cup final and have lost in the semis on seven occasions and said: “I was at the club’s last final and it’s a great memory “Turriff were 3-1 down and Nikolas Wozniak came on and scored two including an overhead kick which was the winner “I was there with a few of my pals and we were all going mental “I watched Turriff regularly growing up and have some great memories “That Shield final and the Scottish Cup game against Morton when I was the mascot are two great memories that stand out from when I was growing up it’s always been my goal to win a trophy with the club and if it was to happen it would be a dream come true to win something with my local club “It’s a massive game for the club – if we could pull off a result and get through it would be a huge thing for us it would be great if we could have a bit of success “I know how much work the committee put in and to reward them by getting to a final and potentially winning a trophy would be brilliant “Eddie Morrison’s one of our committee members and his business sponsors the Shield so we all know how happy Eddie would be if we could win it “It’s people like Eddie and all the committee at the club that you want to try to win things for “It’s been a long wait for the club to get back to a final and there have been some painful defeats along the way “Hopefully our luck in semi-finals changes this time and we get into a final.” Fraserburgh have lifted eight trophies in the last 10 years but midfielder Logan Watt is eager to deliver silverware again this term the 21-year-old says the Broch need a fast start after finding themselves two goals down in the first quarter of an hour against Formartine United on Saturday Watt added: “The expectation every year at Fraserburgh is to win trophies We’ll need to be at it to get into the final and hopefully we can play well “We were disappointed on Saturday against Formartine (2-1 loss) but I felt we got better as the game went on “We can’t start slow against Turriff – or we’ll make it very hard for ourselves to get through – we need to be at it from minute one.” Watt is aiming to continue his recent good form in cup competitions having netted three goals in his last two appearances in knockout fixtures He said: “I’ve found a bit of form in the last few games I haven’t scored as many goals as I’d have liked this season (six) Hopefully I can get on the scoresheet again Scott Adams is motivated to help Formartine United to success in the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield while boss Steve Watson is aiming to deliver arguably the greatest result in Hermes’ history The Breedon Highland League outfit clash with Junior opposition on Wednesday night at North Lodge Park in the semi-final of the Shield Attacker Adams was part of the Buckie Thistle squad who won the Highland League title last season who started and scored against Fraserburgh on Saturday “It’s been a wee while since Formartine has won anything but it would be a good end to the season for us if we could get to a final and potentially win a trophy “We’ve got a strong squad and if we could do it this season then it would be great and would set us up for the future which was great – and it motivates you to win more I was hoping we could have success and hopefully we can do that in the Shield.” Hermes won a remarkable quarter-final tie against Buckie Thistle In a match played in strong winds at Lochside Park, the Aberdeen outfit trailed the Jags 4-0, but came back to triumph 5-4. This is only the fourth season Hermes have played in the Aberdeenshire competitions Watson believes if his charges can reach the final it would rank alongside anything in the club’s history He added: “Anything can happen in cup football “We saw two shocks in the Scottish Cup and FA Cup on Sunday – with Queen’s Park beating Rangers and Plymouth beating Liverpool – so hopefully these things come in threes and we can be the third shock I think you can take encouragement from shocks like we saw at the weekend “We’re going to need an even better performance than we had against Buckie to get past Formartine “If we could get through to the final of an Aberdeenshire competition it might go down as Hermes’ greatest result “With the teams that are in this competition to reach a final would be a tremendous achievement “It will take a lifetime best from us to get through it’s the group of boys we’ve got at Hermes.” Two cars have been involved in a serious crash in Turriff on the A947 One person was injured in the two-vehicle crash on the Aberdeen to Banff road The incident happened shortly after 8pm last night The road was closed near the town’s swimming pool as police investigated the crash It is understood that a helimed team attended at the scene A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 8.06pm to the A947 at Turriff “Two appliances were in attendance, one from Turriff and one from Aberchirder “We were called to reports of a two-vehicle RTC and we were asked to help release one person “There was an on-scene doctor and one person was passed to the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.” Police and the Ambulance Service were also both in attendance Our reporters are working to bring you the latest updates on this developing story Please check back later for more and follow The Press and Journal on Facebook and online for breaking news A prolific paedophile has been handed another prison sentence after he targeted a 14-year-old girl and sent her naked images of himself left his victim with “substantial and ongoing effects” and was handed a 32-month sentence Barclay – who has previously been branded a “menace to teenage girls” – asked the child to be his girlfriend and began to send her crude messages naked photographs and a short video of him pleasuring himself Inverness Sheriff Court was told the child continually told Barclay that she did not want to see material like that and it was “grossing her out” but he persisted Barclay admitted coercing the girl into looking at sexual images and communicating indecently with her between June and December 2022 in various locations a house in Elgin and a McDonald’s restaurant Fiscal depute Alison Wylie previously told the court the girl initially treated it as a joke but then Barclay’s approaches became more sinister and he started sending her indecent images she would immediately swipe them away to get rid of them “He would repeatedly ask her to send him back pictures in return of her vagina or breasts but she refused to do so and never sent him any She replied that she was ‘not like that’ and it was ‘just wrong.’ “On one occasion he told her to ‘get naked’ She refused and he said he was just joking but the interaction made her feel uncomfortable “During a routine visit by police on March 8 2023 a phone number was found on his phone which was attributed to her “It was called by a detective and she disclosed to him that he had sent her naked images of himself “On April 18 2023 she gave a statement to police disclosing all the events.” Barclay – originally from Turriff but now HMP Grampian – appeared for sentence before Sheriff Gary Aitken Sheriff Aitken told Barclay the charge was “grave in the extreme and demonstrated a course of behaviour over six months” before jailing him for 32 months The sheriff also placed Barclay on a six-year long Sexual Harm Prevention Order which includes severe restrictions on Barclay’s internet use possessing such enabled devices and a ban on communicating deliberately with any child under the age of 16 He added: “The public can be properly protected and you can be properly managed by an SHPO rather than imposing an extended sentence “Any breach of the order means you can be brought back and sentenced.” Barclay is on the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely which means he must report any new address and some personal activities like opening new bank accounts to police tasked with closely monitoring him Barclay has appeared in courts in Aberdeen and Banff and admitted crimes against children as young as 12 dating back to 2016.  In November 2020 he targeted another 14-year-old girl on Snapchat and send her sexual images of himself. He was jailed for that crime in 2023. Sheriff Robert McDonald told him: “You are quite clearly a menace to young teenage women as far as I can see.” Plans for a mix of private and affordable homes in Turriff to be built by Springfield Properties have been approved by Aberdeenshire Council. Springfield has been given the green light to deliver 60 houses including 38 affordable homes accessed via Meadowbank Road allocated for housing within the local development plan set by Aberdeenshire Council cycle and road links connecting to the wider area three and four bedroom homes will be built with quality insulation and innovative heating technology that does not require gas reducing the impact on the environment and helping to keep running costs low for the residents Springfield managing director Dave Main said: “We are really pleased our plans to bring new high quality and energy efficient housing across multiple tenures has been approved by Aberdeenshire Council “The planning application for homes in this area has been through a thorough process that’s taken a number of years but we are pleased to have worked closely with the council to have reached this stage “In the midst of a national housing crisis there is a clear need to deliver homes for people that need them designs include a range of homes from cottage flats and apartments homes for growing families and even bungalows – a house style that we know is typically highly sought after we will make arrangements to start work on site.” The parents of teenage Turriff footballer Orla Taylor have paid tribute to their “amazing girl” who died suddenly aged just 16 The Turriff United Youth player and coach from Fyvie developed sepsis after catching flu over the Christmas holidays “We just miss her so much,” said dad Scott “We never dreamt for one moment we would lose her,” added mum Fiona Orla was the youngest of Scott and Fiona Taylor’s three children and despite signs of a possible early delivery she “stayed where she was” eventually completing the Fyvie family a few days later than her due date she enjoyed time with her big brother Innes and older sister Freya and always enjoyed family time with grandparents laid back” little girl began school at Fyvie Primary “She rarely stopped… always on the go.” the “outdoor girl” especially loved jumping on her bike to visit her nana Yvonne “She also loved to play with our dogs in the field Or take her dolls in and out of the car,” said dad Scott even from a young age she just loved football.” her talent and hard work were immediately evident “She was always a little bit of a tomboy but even then she was able to show some of the boys how it was done,” said Fiona PE and football remained her big passions in life eventually becoming captain of the Under 16s squad playing in her number four shirt In a tribute from her club she was described as being so passionate about football that she began coaching her own team And she was so encouraging of everyone else playing that she took on the role of head coach for her old school “The club has said they will now retire her shirt Orla will be forever number four,” Fiona added And if she wasn’t playing and coaching “If her friends were playing she would be there Or she’d be freezing with her pals at Pittodrie I’ve lost count of how many subscriptions we have for sports channels too,” Fiona said “She had no problem roping the rest of us into watching with her,” Scott laughed “We’ll treasure memories of her – cuddled up on the couch with us – enjoying family movie nights and daft games nights too.” Fiona added: “We called her the hot chocolate queen.” “I regularly got a text to pick up marshmallows on my way home,” Scott said who worked part-time for Celebrations of Turriff A confident girl “who could talk to anybody” she secured her Nat 5s and enrolled at North East Scotland College excited to complete her uniformed services course to join the army She’d recently started going to a gym in the city and was enjoying nights out for meals with big sister Freya “Orla got on the bus at 7am to go to college then get the bus home and go straight to Turriff for training “She wouldn’t get in until about 8 o’clock at night “There was one night a couple of months ago when we were both working There was snow on the ground and she just took off on her bike the two miles down the road to the bus stop “I walked up to the top of the road the other day,” Scott said texting while the bike is going full speed down the hill “It isn’t real for us yet that we won’t see her again.” Fit and healthy Orla had “a bit of a cough” on the run-up to Christmas Fiona slept beside her daughter each night Orla attended the out-of-hours G-doc service at Inverurie Hospital twice between Christmas and New Year “Both times we were told she had flu By Hogmanay she was much worse so we called for emergency help We are so incredibly grateful to the nurse practitioner and paramedics who immediately began treating Orla Sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition, arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs with the immune system going into overdrive Orla’s flu led to a respiratory infection which developed into sepsis With her mum beside her she was taken by ambulance to the ARI with dad Scott following behind them in the car “We couldn’t fault the care she received From that first nurse responder to the resus team to the medics in intensive care who all did everything they could,” said Scott On arriving at the hospital just after midnight Orla was still “her usual happy self” despite being incredibly unwell Doctors broke the news that she would have to be put into a medical coma to best treat her condition which we are really grateful for,” Scott added In the wake of her death the Taylors say they’ve been overwhelmed by the kindness of their community Thousands of reactions to the news online sparked hundreds of tributes “We’ve always known how important the football community was But since Orla’s passing we realise that it really is a family And Orla was so incredibly loved by her football family and all who knew her.” A Celebration of Orla’s life will take place on Monday January 27 She’ll make one final journey past all the places she loved the funeral cortege will drive by Fyvie Primary School “We’ve been told her friends will be in their football kits,” added Scott “in honour of their captain and beloved friend.” “Her service is actually on the day when it would have been the PE prelim She would have been tickled by the fact it’s had to be postponed in her honour,” said Fiona Orla will be remembered as the fun-loving girl who fearlessly ziplined through mountains and trees in Canada and who had aspirations to be part of the army to join the police following in the footsteps of her late aunt A fan of a good detective series on TV and Zach Bryan music she was an avid multi-tasker taking “everything of life that was thrown at her.” Orla’s football legacy will also live on “When we heard that she would be the last person to wear the number four shirt we were incredibly proud “The weight of grief on everyone is immeasurable.” With work currently under way on a partial roof upgrade at Turriff Academy road closures will be put in place over the coming months The improvements will be progressing across multiple sections of the school to replace insulation fascias and rainwater goods over the next few months – completion is expected to be in April An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “Road users should note that to provide contractors with safe access the following traffic restrictions are being put in place there will be a westbound lane closure of Victoria Terrace and ‘no waiting’ from Dawson Court to Queens Road “The lane closure diversion is via School Hill “Phase 2 - School Lane will be closed from February 3 until April 27 with a further area of ‘no waiting’ on School Hill from either side of its junction with Clifton Road.” Turriff Show is getting set to celebrate its 160th anniversary in style on Sunday and Monday Scotland’s largest two-day agricultural event at The Haughs will welcome locals and visitors to experience the very best of north-east farming The show’s lead sponsor for 2024 is Melrose Farms and Haulage a family-run agricultural and haulage business near Banff the show attracted more than 24,000 visitors on what turned out to be two days of bright sunshine This year’s event will feature a wide range of livestock awarding one of the largest prize pots in the UK It will host two national livestock competitions with the Scottish National Bluefaced Leicester Progeny Show and the Scottish National Simmental Summer Show taking place In total 330 trophies will be presented and more than £88,000 is paid in prize money across 1500 exhibitor classes Industrial and craft classes are for skills including baking One of the main events in the show ring this year will be the Kipperridge Gundogs where world-class canine displays will be demonstrated Woolly performers will be also taking to the stage in the sheep section with The Sheep Show to provide entertainment over the two days There will also be more than 300 exhibitors' stands New to the show ground will be a horse-shoe shaped marquee combining the arts and crafts display It will be situated next to the food and drink stands The EQ Food and Drink Pavilion continues to be one the largest growing attractions as exhibitors showcase the region’s finest food The power to lift four times his bodyweight on his shoulders will see Turriff strongman Gavin Bruce make his World’s Strongest Man debut later this year competes in strongman’s under-105kg weight category as well as placing third in the same class at Britain’s Strongest Man This has earned him the chance to compete in the division at both the Strongman European Championships – at the York Barbican next month – and the U105kg World’s Strongest Man scheduled for the United States in December Gavin – who also recently finished eighth in the open category at Scotland’s Ultimate Strongest Man despite the competition featuring much larger and heavier rivals – is now excited to test himself against both Europe and the planet’s best under-105kg class strongmen He said: “It’s my first time at both but I’ll be getting experience as well and worlds is a three-day – I’ve never done that length of competition before so it will be a new process to me learning those different timings and warming up for events.” The weights at both the European and world events are set to be a step up from what Gavin has been used to in domestic competitions the Turriff titan revealed he and his fellow U105s will be expected to deadlift a 300kg axle barbell for as many repetitions as possible at the European event – the same weight used by bigger open category athletes for April’s Scotland’s Strongest Man qualifier Gavin’s lifting numbers are impressive however – not least his ability to carry an incredibly heavy yoke (a frame which goes across the shoulders and which athletes are required to walk with) or tackle the famed Atlas stones He said: “My best events are moving events – like a yoke carry “I’ve done a 210-kilo single for atlas stones and I’ve done a 200-kilo stone as part of a run – I did that this year in the Scottish qualifier… It was 120(kg) “The heaviest yoke I’ve done is 420 kilos for 15 metres.” Gavin added: “My static strength is improving but it’s lower than some other people I hit a personal best of 340kg for deadlift at Britains and it was by 40 kilos – it was quite a boost of confidence to know I could do that I’ve done 135 kilos for four (reps) at Britains “I’ve done a 260kg squat for four in competition.” Although he has not been to Europe’s or World’s Strongest Man before Gavin will be able to tap into the “invaluable” and “second to none” experience of his strength coach of four years – Laurence “Big Loz” Shahlaei Englishman Shahlaei was a regular in the televised open-category World’s Strongest Man for several years as well as winning the European title in 2016 Gavin’s rise to the elite ranks of strongman is the culmination of eight years of hard graft in the gym – though he says a combination of factors meant he was already “naturally strong” The six-foot-tall tyre-fitter – who placed third in a competition just four weeks after he started training in the gym in 2017 – said: “I’ve always done manual work since I left school which I think has helped me maintain natural strength “I’ve always been naturally strong “I’d done sports before – I did judo competitively for a long time when I was a kid and when I was in Boys’ Brigade we did quite a lot of different sports.” Gavin’s weight usually sit around 110kg outside of competition and he does not eat the kind of extreme daily calories associated with open-category strongmen He said: “I eat about 4,000 calories a day give or take – less on non-training days where I train specifically for the events I’ve got in Strongman Thursday and a Saturday – Monday is leg day Gavin is just the latest elite strongman to emerge from the north of Scotland with Invergordon’s Tom Stoltman now the three-time reigning World’s Strongest Man champion (in the open division) If you are interested in supporting Gavin with sponsorship you can contact him by email at gav3192@gmail.com A fundraiser held ahead of Scotland’s largest two-day agricultural show collected more than £27,000 The Turriff Show Ladies’ Day Committee has announced the money was raised at its annual charity lunch and auction the event supported the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance and the show - two charities where rural and agricultural communities are at the heart of what they do chairwoman of the Ladies’ Day Committee said they were overwhelmed by the support She said: “We are elated to announce that £27,207.71 has been raised - exceeding the funds raised in previous years “Our thanks go to absolutely everyone who attended the lunch and supported these wonderful charities “The event has become a much-loved date in the diary allowing people to connect and take time out from their busy lives “A special thanks go to Thorneybank Farm Shop who manage the sale of the tickets via their website “This year they sold out in less than a minute - quite some achievement.” was held at the Turriff Show ground on Sunday The star entertainment for the event was She Plays Live which had been kept under wraps until the day Adele said that they certainly lived up to their reputation as the very best DJ live act in the UK today Their lively spirit echoed from the marquee across The Haughs as the ladies took to the floor to dance the day away – ending the evening with the fabulous DJ Ollie the support from local businesses was phenomenal we are indebted to our amazing sponsors and the many local businesses including those who generously donated to the auction Thank you to all the fabulous ladies that attended.” The popular event was sponsored by Aestheitka The two-course lunch was provided by the Kastille and the afternoon’s entertainment was compered by Steven J Innes A MAJOR care home firm which has its roots in Buckie will see its plans to bring forward a new care home in Turriff move forward after councillors unanimously approved the outline application today (Tuesday) Parklands Care Homes an award winning care company established in Buckie in 1993 which is now one of the largest independent care home providers in the north of Scotland submitted two applications in 2022 for new sites, one in Turriff and one in Alford. Through its subsiduary Parklands Developments the application for Turriff sought planning in principle to construct a major new 40 bed care home with 11 associated houses named as "later life living bungalows".The site is adjacent to the A947 on the northern edge of Turriff and located next to the existing Turriff Caravans site The area in question is currently still agricultural land but is included in the Local Development Plan (LDP) as part of site OP1 formerly allocated for 450 homes Planners recommended the application for approval and on Tuesday discussion by councillors showed broad support for the application Turriff and District councillor Alistair Forsyth was amongst those supporting the move: “I know this site well and it is one of the most frequently asked question I have from residents is what is happening with our care homes?.We are exporting our care home needs to other towns and these positions are in short supply and it will contribute greatly to our ageing population where this type of facility is much in demand we have good transport support in Turriff and as a development I am encouraged to see this coming forward.” councillor Isobel Davidson brought forward an addition to the approval that a full ecological survey was carried out which was supported by her fellow members Following the meeting a spokesman for Parklands Care Homes said: “We are pleased that Aberdeenshire Council has approved - in principle - of our plans to build a new 40 bed care home and 11 later living bungalows in Turriff The concept of a later living village is new for Parklands and will enable older people to live independent lives within a care home setting allowing older people to live independently while enjoying the services and activities provided by the care home We are excited to be introduced this concept to Aberdeenshire as we expand care provision in the town We will now work to develop our plans in more detail and apply for formal planning consent Parklands is currently building a 58 bed care home in Inverness and hopes to start work on a 40 bed care home in Elgin later this year or early in 2025 Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800 Email: [email protected] Find new and used Farm Machinery,Farm Equipment, Livestock and Property for sale As host to the Simmental Scottish National Show it was a fitting result when the Simmental champion was crowned inter-breed beef champion at this year's Turriff Show It was the February 2020-born Annick Ginger's Lucia, from Reece and Andrew Simmers Keith, which claimed the supreme sash.   READ NOW: Texel wins supreme sheep title at Dumfries Show  Purchased from the Annick dispersal sale in 2022 and residing with the family's pedigree Backmuir Simmental herd the cow was also inter-breed beef champion at this year's Royal Highland Show It went on to to place reserve overall champion of champions later that day.  said her champion was ‘very feminine' and ‘a good example of the breed'.   READ NOW: Charolais claim beef inter-breed at Burwarton Show Standing reserve was the Highland champion The Prionnsa Dubh 3rd of Balmoral daughter was purchased privately from the Balmoral dispersal sale and was breed champion at this year's Royal Welsh Show and Great Yorkshire Show as well as reserve champion at Stirling Show.   READ NOW: Early NSA sale sets strong commercial trade Supreme champion in the sheep rings and champion of champions at the show was a Charollais ewe from the Ingram family's Logie Durno flock stood reserve with a Suffolk gimmer shearling.   Annick Ginger's Lucia (Simmental); reserve Lady White 144th Of Balmoral (Highland).   Auchmacoy Bianca (Lincoln Red).   In Your Field: Kate Rowell - "We all have our fingers crossed for a better August to get back on track" Letters: Paris Olympics Organising Committee's plant-based push 'misguided' BNG National Habitat Bank Creation & Unit A round-up of this week's livestock sales Limousin sisters claimed top prices at the on-farm sale held in Randlestown All material is copyright Farmers Guardian Limited. 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Part of Arc network, www.arc-network.com A Turriff councillor has been suspended for two months after sharing the contents of a confidential email with a reporter SNP member Alastair Forsyth reported himself to the Standards Commission after making the serious mistake Last August, a confidential message was sent to councillors regarding plans to turn Turriff Care Home into accommodation for asylum seekers The email revealed talks were being held with care provider Mears and the Home Office to house 46 women in the former facility on Woodlands Crescent the following day Mr Forsyth copied a portion of the message and sent it on to his personal email address as well as a journalist It was only after Aberdeenshire Council’s communications team were approached by the reporter that they discovered the private information had been leaked The local authority launched an internal email inspection in order to determine who had let the plans slip Officers also approached the journalist and persuaded them not to run a story on the matter The Standards Commissioner found that Mr Forsyth had breached four areas of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct Two of the breaches related to breaking confidentiality while the other two were based on the use of council resources The commissioner ruled that sending on the private information risked causing potential damage to the reputation of the council And as the email was clearly marked confidential it should not have been sent on to the journalist The commissioner also noted that officers had trusted councillors with the sensitive email and expected its contents to remain under wraps A hearing was held earlier today by a panel from the Standards Commission an independent body responsible for encouraging high standards of behaviour in public life Aberdeenshire Council’s head of legal Karen Wiles admitted Mr Forsyth was “very candid” after he was found to be the culprit of the leak She told the panel: “He was very open and outright and it appeared to him that this had not been the right thing to do.” Ms Wiles even explained that the councillor provided officers with the information he had sent on to the reporter she made it clear that Mr Forsyth raised the issue to the press as he believed plans for the care home was an “open secret” in the area He also believed his actions would help to relieve any speculation about the building’s future who was elected back in 2017 and reelected in 2022 said the situation was a “matter of regret” He argued that his constituents were “first and foremost” in his mind but admits he should have approached the matter in a different way The Turriff councillor said: “I’ve had a number of months to think about it There wasn’t any malice in the way I was going about things This particular saga has been going on since way before I was elected and even yesterday I was asked about what was happening to the care home.” But he admitted the error of his ways and took full responsibility for his actions Mr Forsyth added: “I’ve made no effort to hide or lie about it…but I hold my hands up – I did it the panel believed a two month suspension was “appropriate” due to the serious nature of the breach They noted that while the information in the email was not published Mr Forsyth had no way of knowing that would be the outcome Panel members also believed a news article could have created speculation on the use of the facility before a final decision had been agreed A fundraiser has been recognised for her immense efforts at the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Anniversary Dinner Annie Kenyon of Annie Kenyon Architects received the Doddie Champion Award for her work in raising money to find a cure for motor neurone disease (MND) since she lost her mum to it in 2021 She said: “It is an absolute honour to receive the Doddie Champion Award to recognise my efforts - however it really is a team effort and I’m so thankful to the amazing people that got involved.” Annie was one of the lead organisers of the Sandy Duffus’ Tractor Run alongside Kim Tedcastle and Chris Powell of CC Powell with the loan of the Doddie iCON - a tartan-wrapped JCB tractor - they set out to raise as much money as they could for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation They successfully raised an incredible £80,069 which will be used by the foundation to better understand the disease and find a cure The tractor run was held in support of Sandy Duffus - a well-known and respected man amongst the north-east agricultural community - who was diagnosed with MND at the start of the year More than 250 tractors followed Sandy as he drove the Doddie iCON leading the convoy from Turriff to Inverurie on August 14 Annie and the team presented the same tractor in the main ring at the annual Turriff Show - creating awareness of MND and encouraging showgoers to donate to the foundation Sandy said: “Seeing all the farmers come out and support the tractor run that day was utterly amazing - it truly demonstrates what a supportive community we have “I hope that the awareness created makes a noticeable difference towards finding a cure “May I encourage everyone to support the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation – as the money raised goes directly into the research that aims to find a cure “A huge thank you to all those who donated attended the tractor run and to the organisers behind the scenes for bringing the event to life.” Scottish rugby player and former teammate of Doddie Weir said: “It was fantastic to see the Aberdeenshire farming community rally round for Sandy and to raise such an incredible amount for the Doddie foundation this summer Annie added: “Prior to the incredible tractor run we held in the summer - an event that will forever be in our hearts - we held a Donate a Tonne for Doddie campaign at the 2023 Turriff Show as well as my partner Duncan’s cycle to Paris last year and thanks to the help of Megan Stephen - a dinner dance at the P&J Live - which will take place again next year raised in the region of £250,000 and I aim to continue working with those involved until we find a cure “I was fortunate enough to meet Doddie Weir and will forever be grateful for all he has done in the MND community both taught me to live every day to the fullest and do everything with a bit of a smile - as you just don’t know what is around the corner.” Visit https://www.myname5doddie.co.uk for more information on motor neurone disease and to get involved in raising funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. Win HappyPremiumSearch RayonorthsoundlocalnewsDriver jailed for causing death of Turriff grandad in Aberdeenshire crashKyle Reid, 27, lost control when he tried to overtake a vehicle on the A947 near Whiterashes in December 2020. A driver who killed a van driver in a horror double crash was jailed today for four years and three months. Kyle Reid, 27, lost control when he tried to overtake a vehicle on the A947 near Whiterashes, Aberdeenshire on December 11 2020. Reid's Ford Focus entered the wrong side of the road when he skidded and struck an HGV driven by Michael Malone. The collision caused Mr Malone's lorry to hit 62-year-old Anthony Duncan's VW transporter van, killing him, while passenger Stuart Morrison, 58, was seriously injured. Reid later denied performing the overtaking manoeuvre which caused the death of Mr Duncan - known as 'Web' - when quizzed by police around nine months after the crash. Reid pled guilty to causing Mr Duncan's death and Mr Morrison's severe injury by dangerous driving. He was sentenced today at the High Court in Glasgow. Judge Lord Mulholland said: "You were travelling too fast at 71 miles per hour which was 18 to 19 percent above the maximum speed for this road. "You overtook a vehicle and when you lost control you oversteered and were unable to correct this. "You entered the other lane reserved for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction and connected with the front of a lorry which then lost control. "The lorry collided with the van driven by Anthony Duncan when he lost his life and his passenger Stuart Morrison was seriously injured. "These collisions need not to have happened if driving in a safe manner. "A motor vehicle can be used as a lethal weapon in the wrong hands and unfortunate for them it was in your hands that day. "You have caused untold grief and misery for Mr Duncan and Mr Morrison's families and have given Mr Duncan's family a life sentence. "He was a much loved partner, father and son. I read the victim impact statement from his widow which was heart wrenching. "You denied carrying out the overtaking manoeuvre which was a deliberate attempt to avoid responsibility for the collision nine or 10 months after it. "You had plenty of time to work out what you were going to say to the police and this was not done in a state of panic." Reid, of Insch, Aberdeenshire, was also disqualified from driving by 11 years and seven months at the sentencing. It was revealed that he has previous convictions for speeding and driving without insurance as well as with no licence. Gareth Jones KC, defending, told the sentencing that his client shows "empathy" towards his victims. The advocate added: "Mr Reid suffered significant injuries during the collision and has had to go through lengthy rehabilitation. "He feels extremely uncomfortable in discussing the nature of his injuries he sustained and the effect it had on him as it pales in comparison to the injuries of his victims." Mr Duncan - who was involved with his local Highland football team Turriff United for 10 years - was hailed as a "genuine legend" in a tribute posted by the team after his death. His family's statement said: "We are heartbroken that Web was tragically taken from us. Web will be remembered for his selfless loving nature." They said the "loving husband, devoted dad, granda, brother and friend" would be "sorely missed by all". Hear all the latest news from the North East of Scotland on Northsound 1. Listen on FM, via our Rayo app, DAB, or smart speaker. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) battling depression and working an exhausting job as an Aberdeenshire farm worker Duncan’s girlfriend came to his home and found him unconscious on the floor It was a narrow escape that the 29-year-old from Turriff often thinks about “It scares the living hell out of me,” Duncan says of that night in 2022 “I was potentially minutes away from not being here It scares me to think that I let myself get to that point Duncan’s story is all too common in the agricultural industry The UK suicide rate for male farm workers is three times the male national average, according to the 2021 figures from the Office for National Statistics and Public Health Scotland three people in the UK farming and agricultural industry die by suicide In Scotland, the situation is more acute; suicide rates amongst agricultural workers are higher compared to the rest of the UK “We are still losing far too many people of all ages in Scottish agriculture to suicide,” says Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI the Scottish charity that works to ensure the welfare of those on Scotland’s farms who studied land economy at Aberdeen University and was an Inverurie Young Farmer for many years ticks off the factors that contribute to Scottish agriculture’s shockingly high suicide figures – long hours the isolation of modern farming and lack of social contact And while farming has long come with financial pressures in recent years changing weather patterns such as last year’s heavy rainfalls and the increase in the cost of living have made money flows even tighter On top of that is the unfortunate reality that both farming and suicide are predominantly male pursuits — and that farmers and farm workers have easier access than most to life-ending means “Too often our welfare team sees the devastating impact this has on families and friends bereaved by suicide,” Ms McLaren adds “The impact of these deaths on our close-knit Scottish farming and crofting communities is huge.” Scotland’s agriculture industry is trying to face up to its bleak statistics — what Ms McLaren calls its “poor track record in terms of mental health and suicide” RSABI will welcome its first full-time staff member focused on suicide prevention Launched in partnership with another charity the new role will be a “significant step forward in the drive to raise awareness and understanding” of suicide prevention RSABI works closely with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs and this summer started a programme of suicide prevention training with young farmers a charity that specialises in suicide prevention in young people RSABI also wants to improve understanding of the challenges it faces by launching new research into suicide in Scottish agriculture and the ones that do are often more than a decade old But perhaps the biggest effort is going into what support groups see as the most effective weapon against suicide — the simple act of talking RSABI has the ongoing #KeepTalking campaign which encourages people to connect with others if they are struggling and speak out if they see others in trouble Meanwhile, its Health Hut initiative within farming communities — including one at north-east auction site Thainstone Mart — allows people to access help anonymously The charity even works with former Royal Marines at north-east firm IED Training Solutions teaching more than 700 people working in the frontline of Scottish agriculture to help them to know what to say and do when someone is struggling “We need to keep using the word ‘suicide’ to break down some of the stigmas and cultural norms that exist in Scotland and in communities like agriculture and farming,” says SAMH chief executive Billy Watson but it is about awareness — knowing there are resources and creating pathways to them “If the only conversation you have is inside your own head it just compounds some of the things you might be feeling in that moment who is from a non-farming family in Turriff but has worked in agriculture since his early teens combined with the long hours and relatively low pay played a major factor in his suicide attempt His job when he made his attempt was draining he can log more than 100 hours a week at the farm near Ellon he works on depression brought on by the death of his father in 2017 and the suicide of three friends meant he was sleeping only two to three hours a night “There’s all sorts of stresses and pressures,” says Duncan who during the winter travels to Western Australia to work on larger farms “And just the fact that it’s isolating Duncan firmly believes that talking helped him return from the brink after his suicide attempt He came clean with his family about how he was feeling and the following day a month after his attempt and on the advice of one of his sisters he walked nervously into a men’s mental health support group and recounted everything that had happened “It was honestly like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders,” he remembers “And every subsequent meeting that I went to Mental health groups say there is more need than ever for people like Duncan to speak out about their experiences to make people more aware of struggles that friends or colleagues may be going through thanks to an increased awareness of mental health the younger generation of agricultural workers do seem more capable of talking through their problems with others That coupled with campaigns such as #KeepTalking gives support groups grounds for optimism “The good news is that collectively these steps are helping to gather momentum behind prioritising mental health in farming which is resulting in reduced stigma and more brave conversations,” Ms McLaren says “There are some real green shoots of change on the horizon and a lot to hope for.” Duncan now combines his farm work with speaking out on his experience in the hope he can help people in the position he once was — struggling in silence and believing the world would be better off without him “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy,” he says he’s come a long way from that evening two years ago “The good days will outweigh the bad days,” he says If you have serious concerns for your own or someone else’s safety If you are distressed, struggling to cope or have thoughts of suicide, you can contact NHS 24 by phoning 111, or Samaritans by phoning 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org you can contact the SAMH information service (9am-6pm Mon-Fri) to chat about mental health or get more information about mental health support in your area on 0344 800 0550 or info@samh.org.uk Or call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 Monday-Thursday 6pm to 2am or between Friday 6pm-Monday 6am RSABI has a 24/7 Helpline 0808 1234 555 and live webchat via www.rsabi.org.uk plus a welfare team based throughout Scotland Fraserburgh boss Mark Cowie is relishing a final clash with Formartine United in the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield and hailed their first half display to reach the showpiece fixture The Broch triumphed 4-2 against Turriff United in their semi-final tie at the Haughs with a blistering performance in the first 45 minutes giving them a 4-1 lead at half-time Getting through gives Fraserburgh a shot at winning the Shield for a record-extending 10th time. A venue for the final has yet to be confirmed but Wednesday March 12 has been mooted as the likely date Cowie said: “In the first half we were unbelievable and everything I asked for was there “At the start of the second half we were slowing it down we started trying to play in the wrong areas and Turriff caused us problems it’s all about results and we’ve managed to get through “We’ll have to be better than we’ve been in certain spells in games recently when the final comes around – but we will be “It will be a tough game against Formartine and it’s a tasty game to look forward to “On the first half display here we’ve got a good chance but on the second half display not so much Early on United goalkeeper Lee Herbert made an excellent save to tip away Greg Buchan’s volley but Fraserburgh broke the deadlock on eight minutes Scott Barbour’s cross from the right wasn’t gathered by Herbert which allowed Jamie Beagrie to score from six yards Scott Barbour delivered a corner from the left which Beagrie headed into the left corner The visitors made it 0-3 on 33 minutes as Logan Watt outmuscled Andrew Watt at the edge of the box before finishing into the bottom right corner Turriff gave themselves hope in the 38th minute when Kieran Yeats’ inswinging 25-yard free-kick from the right evaded everyone and nestled in the left corner of the net Aidan Sopel did well on the left flank to evade two challenges and his delivery was tucked away by Scott Barbour from close range Turra made four subs at half-time and they battled valiantly in the second period Mackenzie Taylor struck the outside of the near post with a strike from the right side of the box Midway through the half United did score again as Yeats fired another free-kick into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area Turriff kept pushing in the final 20 minutes and Joe Barbour had to make great saves to deny subs Arran Smith and Timi Fatona United have now lost eight semi-finals since last reaching a cup final in 2015. Manager Warren Cummings said: “I have to give credit to Fraserburgh for the first half But we didn’t get a foothold in the game and had a mountain to climb before we’d really got into it “It’s an opportunity missed because we weren’t competitive or streetwise enough in the first period.” Formartine United will have the chance to win the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield for the first time in six years after dispatching of Hermes 4-0 in the semi-final Julian Wade and Graeme Rodger saw United breeze past the North Region Junior opposition to tee up a mouthwatering final with Fraserburgh where they’ll be hoping to lift the Shield for the first time since 2019 when they beat Banks o’ Dee For Hermes there was to be no repeat of their miraculous quarter-final comeback victory over Buckie Thistle when they rallied from 4-0 down to win 5-4 but they can return to league action pleased with their efforts in this tournament Despite the resounding final scoreline at North Lodge Park United boss Stuart Anderson cut an animated figure on the sidelines in the opening exchanges lamenting the magnanimous reception his players had offered their visitors by allowing them to ease into the game And there can be no doubting they took on board his firm instructions to lift their standards and get the ball forward as they took the lead shortly after he had let them know his unequivocal opinion on their slow start There was a degree of fortune to the 24th minute opener but the change in intent to take the game to the visitors clearly pleased Anderson Dangana’s shot from 20 yards looked set to at the very least test Jacob Otto between the sticks but a deflection off the outstretched leg of team-mate Dominic Rae gave the keeper no chance and it flew past him into the net Formartine weren’t resting on their laurels anymore and Stuart Smith should have doubled the lead shortly afterwards when he met Mykyta’s cross 12 yards from goal and it was Mykyta – the nifty number 10 – who got it slamming a smart shot into the near post on his left foot after a nice interchange with Dangana on the right flank It was a healthy lead to take into the break but there was little chance of Hermes turning water into wine for a second consecutive round as Anderson’s side never looked like giving them the chance to get back into proceedings