Latest news with #Perthshire
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grandfather, 75, who died after becoming trapped in a scalding hot hotel room bath may have lived if old taps had been replaced, inquiry finds
A grandfather who died after getting trapped in a scalding hot hotel room bath may have lived had the old taps been replaced, an inquiry has found. Wallace Hunter, 75, was staying at the Pitlochry Hydro in Perthshire, Scotland when he became stuck in the tub. Guests and emergency services desperately tried to smash in the door but were unable to open it in time as it was bolted from the inside and opened outwards. The pensioner was eventually found lying unresponsive in the bath with water running that was so hot firefighters and police had to wear gloves to get him out. He died from third degree burns to 83 per cent of his body. Now Sheriff John MacRitchie has told a fatal accident inquiry at Alloa Sheriff Court that Mr Hunter's death in December 2019 could have been avoided had the annual tap checks been carried out. He added that a 'full analysis' should have been conducted by the hotel after other guests complained about the water temperature. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the mixer tap was more than 30 years old, the probe heard. Its temperature control was 'very sensitive' and did not satisfactorily isolate the hot water when the cold water shut off. In a written judgment, Sheriff MacRitchie said: 'At the time when it was first realised that Mr Hunter was having difficulty in operating the tap, he was conscious and able to describe to Mrs Hunter that he was having these difficulties. 'He was still conscious and making sounds after Ms Cespedes had come from reception and gone up to the second floor and into Room 211. 'In those circumstances, there remains a real and lively possibility that Mr Hunter had not, by the time his difficulties in shutting off the tap had become known to Mrs Hunter, reached the stage yet of his having been subjected to the excessive water temperatures that resulted in his being fatally scalded. 'It is correct to state that it is not possible to definitively state whether earlier rescue would have resulted in Mr Hunter's survival. 'However, because it is known that Mr Hunter remained conscious for a significant period of time without any indication that he was being scalded, after he stated that he was having difficulty turning off the tap, there remains the real and lively possibility that had Mrs Hunter or others been able to enter the bathroom and assist Mr Hunter from the bath and/or turn off the tap at an earlier time Mr Hunter may have survived.' The sheriff added: 'The lessons learned from the death of Mr Hunter should now be utilised to prevent such events from happening again elsewhere, and the findings of this inquiry should alert all hotels or other establishments to recognise the real potential for such a fatal scalding to take place, and to analyse relative risk accordingly.' He also concluded that Mr Hunter's death could have been prevented by doors which opened from the outside. The sheriff said: 'The lessons learned from the death of Mr Hunter should now be utilised to prevent such events from happening again elsewhere, and the findings of this inquiry should alert all hotels or other establishments to recognise the real potential for such a fatal scalding to take place, and to analyse relative risk accordingly.' The inquiry heard Mr Hunter, who had a mild cognitive impairment, was very independent but suffered a lack of confidence around technology. It's not known why he became trapped in the bath, as scalding water gushed from the tap but he had been able to communicate with his wife. A guest in the bedroom below spotted water pouring down their bathroom mirror and contacted reception. The former manager of the Pitlochry Hydro hotel told the inquiry that replacement locks with a safety release would have only cost an estimated £80 a room. The Daily Mail has approached Pitlochry Hydro for comment.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pensioner's hotel scalding death could have been prevented
The death of a pensioner who was fatally scalded after being trapped in a Perthshire hotel room bath could have been avoided, an inquiry has ruled. Wallace Hunter died at the Pitlochry Hydro in 2019 after being trapped in the bath, while guests and emergency services tried to smash in the door. A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) found that the failure of safety components in the unmaintained bath tap caused Mr Hunter to accidentally discharge scalding water into the bath in which he was lying. The hotel is under new ownership following the collapse of Specialist Leisure Group in 2020. Mr Hunter's family said the judgement was "the most difficult thing we have ever had to read". His son Keir previously described the 90-minute effort to rescue his father as "a horror story." Efforts to help the 75-year-old from Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, were hampered by the door opening outwards and being bolted from the inside. Sheriff John MacRitchie ruled that Mr Hunter's death could have been avoided if there had been annual maintenance of the bath tap and "a more formal analysis of guest complaints about the discharge of excessively hot water in the hotel bathrooms." The sheriff said: "These defects on the balance of probabilities contributed to the death and the accident resulting in the death of Mr Hunter. "It is reasonable to infer that the lack of, not just annual, but any maintenance of the tap and its components did in fact contribute to the death." The sheriff added that the fitting of a bathroom door lock release, operable from the bedroom, would have allowed emergency access to the bathroom to remove Mr Hunter from the water and could also have prevented his death. The inquiry heard that all bathrooms at the hotel with outward-opening doors have now had their locks removed completely. My dad died after being scalded in a hotel bath Inquiry into man's death after hotel bath scalding Mr Hunter was staying at the hotel with his wife Janice at the time of the incident in December 2019. He was found to have suffered third-degree burns to 83% of his body after fire crews finally managed to break down the door. The inquiry heard that a Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the mixer tap in the bathroom was more than 30 years old. Its temperature control was "very sensitive", and it did not satisfactorily isolate the hot water when the cold water shut off. The inquiry heard that a number of complaints about the controls, high temperatures, "boiling hot" showers or lack of cold water were recorded in the hotel maintenance log in the nine months leading up to Mr Hunter's death. In a joint statement issued by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, Mr Hunter's son Keir and his daughter Kimberley said: ''The sheriff's judgement is the most difficult thing we have ever had to read. "It describes in full detail our dad's excruciating and drawn-out final moments but also shines a light on the fact that his death could and would have been avoided had the hotel used qualified maintenance staff and had the most basic of maintenance regimes in place for its hot water supply. "The fault which caused our father's death had been complained about by many previous guests and was well known to the the hotel management. "They ignored these warnings." Glen Millar, a partner with the legal firm, said: "I have been involved in some of Scotland's highest-profile fatal cases over the years but I fail to recall any where a death has resulted from such a litany of avoidable failures. "It is clear that what happened to Mr Hunter could have happened to any one of the many elderly guests who stayed at the hotel in the years leading up to this tragedy. "It is to be hoped that the judgement will now lead to swift settlement of the separate civil action the family have had to raise at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.''
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Inside the Scottish auction of rare treasures, from a Culloden cannonball to £12,000 frock
Every year, the Scotland Collected auction at Lyon & Turnbull offers buyers the chance to own some of the country's finest treasure. This year is no exception. On August 20 and 21, with a public viewing at their 33 Broughton Place premises from August 17 to 20, they'll be selling over 700 incredible lots. You could end up being the proud owner of, among many other things, an Edwardian sporran, a Victorian style antler settee, a Flying Scotsman train set, a bust of Robert Louis Stevenson, or a bottle of rare whisky. We spoke to head of sales John Mackie, and a few of the other specialists, about the forthcoming sale. Are the Scotland Collected auctions especially popular? As Scotland's oldest auctioneers, we are proud to hold our annual Scotland Collected auctions. This sale attracts buyers from all over the world, particularly those with Scottish lineage or those with an interest in our history and its craft. Are your buyers usually from abroad, or from here in Scotland? We have a mix of collectors, those who are based in the UK and those in countries like the USA, Canada and Australia with a strong Scottish connection. However, it is always surprising to see what wide and varied quarters the bidders come from. What particularly interesting lots do you have in the sale? Following on from the record-breaking Cairncross Collection auction in August 2025, we are excited to announce the largest private collection of Scottish freshwater pearl jewellery ever to come to market. Carefully collected over a number of years with the assistance of Cairncross of Perth, this collection was amassed by a private connoisseur who hopes their enthusiasm can now be passed on to a new generation of collectors. It is a remarkable opportunity to see, not only a comprehensive record of the renowned Perthshire jewellers designs celebrating the flora of Scotland, including designs rarely found at auction, such as the Timorous Beasties' brooch and a horse-chestnut design; but also a vast array of of Scottish freshwater pearls, showcasing the wide range of colours, shapes and lustres this magical Scottish gem can take. This year's auction is particularly varied with a range of Wemyss Ware, provincial and Scottish silverware, hardstone jewellery, Jacobite works of art and collections formed by individuals and families over many years. It also includes one of the largest collections of Scottish pistols to come to the open market in perhaps decades. These and other weapons link closely to the nation's turbulent past but are made with such quality they are works of art in their own right. These connect in with our wider Jacobite section which is always a very popular area to collectors. The collection spans early 17th century examples, which are extremely rare, to the iconic silver and steel Doune pistols. We are also delighted to present a collection from the former Earls of Airlie - a lineage stretching to Robert the Bruce and King James VI of Scotland and II of England. The Ogilvy family was established with lands in Angus as early as the 15th century, with Airlie Castle's foundations laid in 1432. For successive centuries, they have always had a close relationship to the monarchy; raising armies during the Jacobite rebellions to more recently, Lord Ogilvy 13th (8th) Earl of Airlie (1926-2023), who, acting as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth II, saw him oversee many significant Royal events. Which items do you expect to do particularly well? A wonderful lot in the sale is a dress worn by Lady Margaret Ogilvy, the Countess of Airlie, which reputedly was worn when she was a guest at Holyrood Palace in 1745, where Bonnie Prince Charlie was in attendance. Lady Ogilvy and her husband, David Ogilvy, 6th Earl of Airlie, were prominent Jacobites and supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland. Eighteenth-century Scottish clothing with provenance is rare, but to have a piece connected to such a remarkable original owner, and one who may even have danced with the Prince himself, sets the imagination alight. Do the staff have any personal favourites? Kier Alexander, silver specialist: 'We usually offer a fine selection of work by the Scottish silversmith Graham Stewart,and this year is no exception, featuring his iconic honeycomb candlesticks, a beautifully engraved bowl, and a remarkably large centrepiece.' John Mackie, head of sales: 'At this time of year with the countryside in full abundance just looking at a hedgerow with its dog roses, buttercups and other wildflowers reminds me of the myriad patterns that inspired the well-known and collectable Fife pottery Wemyss Ware. Personally, I am very fond of the small pigs that the factory produced from the late 19th century onwards – the early examples are well-modelled and their slightly bewildered expressions are very engaging!' Colin Fraser, specialist: 'It has to be the 18th century invalid feeder, made by Hugh Clark of Perth. Not only is he a particularly rare maker, but invalid cups are seldom seen. This appears to be the only known example from Perth. Although it looks just like a rather odd cream jug this would have been essential to making sure a patient received food and most likely medicine from their carer.' Anything that's particularly rare? Colin Fraser: 'Rare items include a cannonball recovered from the battlefield of Culloden which is a wonderful example of a Scottish relic with an incredible story and provenance back to a family closely connected with the cause. Having been in an exhibition previously this is the first time it has ever been offered for sale.' Any items that are very collectable? Wemyss Ware was developed in the late 19th century as a more sophisticated, decorated range to complement the standard transfer-printed and other wares produced at the Fife Pottery. In many ways Wemyss is perfect for collectors, with its myriad range of patterns and shapes, each hand-painted by a particular artist and, by and large, identified by a maker's mark. It is an instantly recognisable aesthetic: the brightly coloured decoration on a stark white background, drawing inspiration from the Fife countryside. For more information, see
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Pensioner's hotel scalding death could have been prevented
The death of a pensioner who was fatally scalded after being trapped in a Perthshire hotel room bath could have been avoided, an inquiry has Hunter died at the Pitlochry Hydro in 2019 after being trapped in the bath, while guests and emergency services tried to smash in the door.A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) found that the failure of safety components in the unmaintained bath tap caused Mr Hunter to accidentally discharge scalding water into the bath in which he was hotel is under new ownership following the collapse of Specialist Leisure Group in 2020. Mr Hunter's family said the judgement was "the most difficult thing we have ever had to read".His son Keir previously described the 90-minute effort to rescue his father as "a horror story." Efforts to help the 75-year-old from Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, were hampered by the door opening outwards and being bolted from the John MacRitchie ruled that Mr Hunter's death could have been avoided if there had been annual maintenance of the bath tap and "a more formal analysis of guest complaints about the discharge of excessively hot water in the hotel bathrooms."The sheriff said: "These defects on the balance of probabilities contributed to the death and the accident resulting in the death of Mr Hunter. "It is reasonable to infer that the lack of, not just annual, but any maintenance of the tap and its components did in fact contribute to the death."The sheriff added that the fitting of a bathroom door lock release, operable from the bedroom, would have allowed emergency access to the bathroom to remove Mr Hunter from the water and could also have prevented his inquiry heard that all bathrooms at the hotel with outward-opening doors have now had their locks removed completely. Mr Hunter was staying at the hotel with his wife Janice at the time of the incident in December was found to have suffered third-degree burns to 83% of his body after fire crews finally managed to break down the inquiry heard that a Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the mixer tap in the bathroom was more than 30 years temperature control was "very sensitive", and it did not satisfactorily isolate the hot water when the cold water shut inquiry heard that a number of complaints about the controls, high temperatures, "boiling hot" showers or lack of cold water were recorded in the hotel maintenance log in the nine months leading up to Mr Hunter's death. In a joint statement issued by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, Mr Hunter's son Keir and his daughter Kimberley said: ''The sheriff's judgement is the most difficult thing we have ever had to read."It describes in full detail our dad's excruciating and drawn-out final moments but also shines a light on the fact that his death could and would have been avoided had the hotel used qualified maintenance staff and had the most basic of maintenance regimes in place for its hot water supply."The fault which caused our father's death had been complained about by many previous guests and was well known to the the hotel management. "They ignored these warnings."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Dirty campers 'flytipping, raving and asking locals to use loos'
People living near a Perthshire loch say their lives are being made a misery by constant antisocial behaviour and littering from "dirty campers". The visitors have brought generators, gazebos and even a flatbed truck with its own fresh water supply to Loch of Clunie, near Blairgowrie, before leaving the area in a mess. One local woman told BBC Scotland that she been verbally and physically abused by drunken campers and that she did not feel safe. Perth and Kinross Council said it would increase patrols in the area and was working with police to tackle the issue. Emily Crichton has lived in a cottage next to the loch for three years. She said she had been verbally abused, flashed at and, on one occasion, physically assaulted by a man who later admitted the offence in court and was fined. This year campers have arrived with gazebos and 10-person tents. She said: "Earlier this month there was a flatbed truck with a fresh water supply on it for three generations of campers who were there for 10 days with a generator with loud music. "I have people wandering into my garden asking if they can park there, people coming in and asking if they can use my loo. "We have people having raves, it's like a music festival. "I'm not a shrinking violet. I like a drink and I like loud music, but it's intolerable and I don't feel safe." Visitor rangers and locals have been collecting vans full of rubbish, which have included dirty nappies and a hypodermic needle. Ms Crichton praised the "amazing" visitor ranger service, but said Perth and Kinross Council had been "absolutely useless". She said: "Some of the rangers have been doing the job since before I got there so they know the area well and they're very invested in it. "Every time I make a complaint, I'm told there's no law being broken. I cannot accept that." Ms Crichton said the problems at the site began "as soon as the sun comes out" and usually run from April to October. She said: "It's misery, it has really affected my mental health." Ms Crichton said she could not sell her cottage in good faith knowing the issues that the new owners would be likely to encounter. She added: "I bought that house because it's in a very beautiful area. I really considered selling up, but I can't lie to people. "It's absolutely insane that there are no consequences for these people." One man who posted on the Loch of Clunie Facebook page said he had recently visited the loch with his 10-year-old daughter. He said: "It was like Skid Row. Drunks everywhere - one or two being quite aggressive. "Rubbish everywhere. Maybe half a dozen cars abandoned with parking tickets on them. Stayed for five minutes and left." Strathtay Councillor Ian James told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme that the area was a special area of conservation. "You can imagine how beautiful it is," he said. "But every weekend, actually most of time in summer, we're getting inundated with people who are pitching up with their vehicles, pitching tents and just leaving the place in an awful state when they've left." Mr James said the campers seemed to be unaware that people lived near their makeshift campsites. He said: "For those people, it's an absolute nightmare. "They're putting up with loud music and drunken behaviour. Although it's a beautiful area, it's just not a nice place to be when it's like that." The councillor said countryside rangers had "filled vans full of rubbish" and locals were also picking up rubbish on a daily basis. He said: "Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of wild camping, but I think people are missing the point of the Land Reform Act, which allowed reasonable access. "This is totally unreasonable." He said that many campers had been drinking so were unable or unwilling to move their vehicles. Mr James added that some campers were "OK with someone in a uniform" but local people had been threatened in the past. In recent years one of his friends had been stabbed after asking people not to camp in his garden. He said: "If this was Perth city centre, we'd have the police turning up and everybody would be trying their best to stop it, but this is in the countryside so it's unseen by most." A Perth and Kinross Council spokesman said the local authority wanted visitors and residents to be able to enjoy areas like Loch of Clunie in a "safe, responsible and courteous manner". He said community support and enforcement rangers "pay particular attention" to popular areas, including Loch of Clunie, and carry out patrols from Fridays to Sundays for about five to six hours a day. He added: "Parking attendants patrol the clearways, issuing guidance and penalty notices as appropriate. "We fully recognise the community's ongoing concerns about repeated incidents of irresponsible camping near residential properties. "Given the understandable feelings of vulnerability and anxiety this has caused, we have advised residents not to engage directly with visitors and to report any threatening behaviour to Police Scotland." The council said it would be increasing patrols in the area and working closely with Police Scotland to provide additional reassurance. The spokesman added that while camping was a legitimate activity under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, this was limited to a maximum of three nights. However, because the code is a guidance document it does not confer enforcement powers to Police Scotland. A police spokesperson said: "We understand the impact anti-social behaviour and disorder has on the local community, and we would like to thank locals who continue to bring these incidents to our attention. "Officers continue to work with local partners to address any concerns in the area, and where criminality is established, those responsible will be dealt with appropriately."
