The Rob Roy Way is a 78 mile Scottish Great Trail running from Drymen to Pitlochry.

A popular trail cutting through the picturesque Stirlingshire countryside is celebrating its 25th anniversary as its founder releases a special version of the route’s definitive guide.

The Rob Roy Way is a 78 mile Scottish Great Trail running from Drymen to Pitlochry and was established by Jacquetta Megarry, founder of the long-distance guidebook publisher Rucksack Readers, and the late John Henderson, in 2001.

It was created as a means of connecting the landscape to the legendary Rob Roy MacGregor, tracing trackways and a 3,600-year-old stone that would been known to Rob Roy, who died in 1734.

The Way has now become one of Scotland’s premier walking and cycling routes, moving from the Lowlands to Highlands and passing through four of the local Stirlingshire and Perthshire lochs – Venachar, Lubnaig, Earn and Tay.

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Ms Megarry said: “It’s actually due to the Stirling Observer that I was able to contact the late John Henderson, who was at that time working on a route between Aberfoyle and Pitlochry, while I was working on a similar trail between Milngavie to Pitlochry.

“We agreed to collaborate and agreed to start the new route at Drymen and the Rob Roy Way has become wonderful, not just for the scenery, but also for the stories and the history along the way.

“You can see the Loch Katrine water scheme which wiped out cholera, engage with the railway heritage of the area and walk over the Glen Ogle viaduct.

“It has definitely grown in popularity over the years similar to the neighbouring West Highland Way, although one trend I have noticed on the Rob Roy Way is the presence of a lot of cyclists and e-bikes because while it was designed as a walking trail, there are large parts of it which are very feasible for cycling.

“There hasn’t been an outbreak of windfarms as there has been in much of the countryside, the lochs and mountains are still beautiful and so the scenery hasn’t really changed over the years.”

Rucksack Readers published the first and only guidebook to the Rob Roy Way in 2002 and will publish its new fifth edition in time for the anniversary.

This new edition has extended coverage for cyclists and includes detailed description of the Glen Quaich alternative.

The path follows ancient tracks and drove roads used by the 18th-century folk hero and outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, showcasing the landscapes where he lived, fought, and hid.

Ms Megarry, now in her late 70s, is a veteran trekker having travelled to both Kilimanjaro and two trips to Antartica – as well as walking many of Scotland and England’s national trails.

She added: “I re-walked the Way for the new edition in February and March and got some fabulous photos.

“I thought a lot about John along the way after he sadly passed back in 2021 – we were each doing our research for this anniversary edition and asked me to take it on when he realised he wouldn’t be able to do it.”

The family of Joshua Bruton, 30, who died in an M5 crash in Gloucestershire, have paid an emotional tribute to the ‘gentle giant’ and loving dad to two-year-old son Caden

The family of a man who died in a crash on the M5 in Gloucestershire have paid emotional tribute to him.

Joshua Bruton, 30, described as a “gentle giant” who “could brighten any room”, was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle crash earlier this week.

In a heartfelt tribute, his family said: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Joshua Bruton, who was tragically taken from us following a motorway accident. Josh was truly the most amazing partner, dad, son, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, and friend anyone could wish for. Known to many as a ‘gentle giant’, he was a man defined by his immense kindness.

“He possessed a naturally positive aura that could brighten any room, and he had a rare ability to provide instant comfort to those he cared about. He truly went above and beyond for his loved ones, always putting their needs before his own.

“He was someone who worked incredibly hard, putting his absolute all into everything he did. Whether it was his professional life or his role within our family, his dedication and drive were unmatched.

“Above all, he was the best daddy to his two-year-old son, Caden. His little boy was his world, and the bond they shared was truly special.

“Life is going to be incredibly hard without him. The void he leaves behind is immeasurable, but we take comfort in the many hearts he touched and the kindness he spread through and through. He will be deeply missed by his entire family and his many friends, but his legacy of love and strength will live on in his son forever.”

Emergency services were called to the scene of a collision between a grey Luton van and a Volkswagen Transporter at around 12.20pm on Wednesday, May 6, reports Gloucestershire Live.

The van left the northbound carriageway near junction 9, for Tewkesbury, and Joshua, who was at the wheel of the van, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers are continuing to investigate the incident and are appealing for any witnesses to the crash to get in touch with the force.

This is an approximation of the rice dish that’s served at nearly every beach bar on the Algarve. It was one of my dad’s favourite dishes. He used to kind of growl when the bowls of it arrived. 

This is as near to the dish we loved as possible. I did wonder whether it contained cumin – maybe it did in some places – so you could add half a teaspoon to the vegetables. 

You could also add half a teaspoon of Marmite to the stock. The dish tasted quite beefy in some places but the addition is up to you. If you don’t have enough chicken stock, add water to make the liquid up to 750ml.

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Officers are understood to be working on the theory the mother died giving birth to her baby girl overnight at the family home

Gardai are probing the sudden death of a woman and her newborn child in rural Co Tipperary, it has emerged.

Sources have told us gardai investigating the horror incident in Carrick-on-Suir believe the woman may have died giving birth to her baby overnight.

It is understood the woman’s partner made the grim discovery in a bathroom in their home in the town at around 1pm today.

Sources tell us the woman and her partner are from eastern Europe and have been living in the town for a relatively short period of time.

Although gardai have only just begun their probe, officers are understood to believe the deaths of the mother and her baby daughter are a tragic incident.

The house has been sealed off and a full Garda investigation is now underway.

A Garda spokeswoman told the Irish Mirror: “Gardaí and emergency services are currently at the scene of an incident in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary this afternoon Friday 8th May 2026.”

Gardai have also established an incident room and are set to appoint a family liaison officer.

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Robert Francis-Davies, who died after a short illness, has been described as ‘an absolute force of nature’

Swansea’s longest-serving councillor has died following a short illness. At the time of his death Robert Francis-Davies was a cabinet member for the city council and had been a Morriston ward councillor since 1983.

The Labour councillor held a range of posts as he served continuously for just over 43 years, including the role of Lord Mayor in 2001-02. The council’s leader Rob Stewart described him as “a true Swansea legend and an absolute force of nature who worked tirelessly for the people of Morriston and Swansea”.

Mr Stewart went on: “He was always proud of Swansea and its people. He delivered such positive change during his many years as a councillor, helping oversee the building of the Swansea.com stadium, the National Waterfront Museum and many more.

“He was a proud support of the Swansea barrage and ensured our city continues to make the most of it with the development of the River Tawe corridor.”

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Mr Francis-Davies was “instrumental” in bringing events like Proms in the Park and the Wales Airshow to Swansea, the council leader added. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.

“RFD is an irreplaceable figure in the council and Swansea will not be the same without him,” he said. “My thoughts are with Suzanne, Rebecca, Andrew, Rachel and all of Robert’s family.”

The council’s chief executive Martin Nicholls described Mr Francis-Davies as an “unmistakable figure” whose knowledge and experience were “a real asset” to those he worked with.

In the current cabinet, Mr Francis-Davies served as the cabinet member for investment, regeneration, tourism and events. Before that he held positions including chairing the economic development and legal services committees, and vice-chairing the housing and finance committees.

He was a past executive member of the Museums Association and chair of the Council of Museums in Wales.

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The Greens celebrated two victories, but no party achieved a majority

It was a night of mixed fortunes for parties of all colours at Peterborough ‘s local elections on May 8. A dramatic contest saw 18 wards, around a third of all seats on Peterborough City Council up for grabs.

While some party leaders were jubilant and largely satisfied as the results filtered through during the early hours at Kingsgate Conference Centre, others were left disappointed and despondent. The Conservatives – predicted to be wiped-out by some pre-election polls – were arguably the party who left the count in the most chipper mood.

Six triumphs in North, Paston & Walton, Dogsthorpe, Hargate & Hempsted, Ravensthorpe and Park saw them increase their overall number of council seats from 10 to 13. Peterborough’s Conservative leader, Councillor Wayne Fitgerald, said he was “very pleased with the outcome” as this now makes the Tories, once again, the largest party on the city council.

“We are not dead and buried in the city,” he affirmed, adding: “The Conservatives are not going anywhere in Peterborough. We are very much alive, kicking and fighting [and] we’re in it because we believe what we believe in is the best thing for the city. I’m glad we’ve had a good night tonight.”

As a relatively unknown quantity, Reform UK came into these elections with a palpable degree of momentum and confidence. Andrew O’Neil was, up until now, Reform UK’s sole representative on the city council. However, victories in Bretton, Stanground South, Orton Longeville and Eye, Thorney and Newborough ensure he will be far from alone next time the council meets in the chamber.

He said: “We’ve picked up four seats [so] we now have enough to form a group on the council. I was hoping for ten seats, [but] I think we have enough to maybe make a difference.”

Speculating about how Peterborough’s coalition council leadership team will look going forward, Cllr O’Neil said: “There could be a change in the administration and we may be able to play a role in shaping the future council administration.”

An equal balance of wins and losses meant an evening of mixed fortunes for the Lib Dems which saw them end the night as they started, with eight seats. Party leader Christian Hogg – who retained his Fletton & Stangroun ward – said local politics was “a brutal sport”.

he said: “We’ve lost an absolute cracker of a councillor in Asif Shaheed (Paston and Walton) but we’ve got back Paul Wiggin (Hampton Vale). On the one hand I’m really pleased but, a bit like two years ago, it’s been tinged with sad loss [as] it means we’ve not got a councillor in Paston & Walton for the first time in over 20 years.”

At the start of the evening when the votes were being verified, Labour leader and current Leader of the Council, Shabina Qayyum, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that retaining three of the six seats they were defending would be a “realistic” prospect.

By the end of the night’s proceedings, the party had notched up two ward successes, in East and Central, results which saw the party drop from 13 councillors to 11 overall.

She said: “We’ve gone down a notch. It’s always heartbreaking to lose hard-working councillors from your own party and that’s been the case tonight. Both the mainstream parties… played good… and strong campaigns and sent a really strong message tonight to Reform that the national narrative that is prevailing isn’t quite what it’s cut out to be.”

The Green party also ended the night with two ward victories, with gains in both Orton Waterville and Fletton & Woodston seeing them increase their overall presence on the council by one. Leader of Peterborough’s Greens Cllr Heather Skibsted said she was “delighted,” not just with the brace of seats they secured but also with the fact they were won “convincingly.”

“We were hoping for more wins,” she said, but acknowledged the “rise of Reform had a big impact,” and that “national headlines had made a big difference.” Undeterred, the councillor said the party “will look at what’s happened, learn from it and come back and fight and get more seats next year.”

Peterborough First’s sole victory came in Werrington. However, losses in Hargate & Hempsted and Stanground South means the party now have fewer councillors overall. Speaking on Facebook, party leader Cllr Chris Harper said: “We clearly didn’t do enough in the short amount of time we had to convince many of you to vote local rather than along national lines.

“A minority coalition administration will again be running our city and who that will be we’ll have to wait and see. An interesting few months lie ahead, that’s for sure.”

This is how many seats each party now has on the council:

Conservatives: 13

Labour – 11

Independents – 9

Liberal Democrats – 8

Peterborough First – 8

Green – 6

Reform UK – 5

It is yet to be determined how the new make-up of the council will impact on who is the leader of the authority. Once the dust has settled from these results, the important business of accountable and representative local governance will once again begin.

Criminal Record has brought together a round-up of today’s biggest crime stories.

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Friday.

Man in court after grandad ‘beaten black and blue in home robbery’

A man has appeared in court after a grandad was allegedly beaten black and blue and robbed in his own home.

Gus Tierney told the Record he was viciously attacked by a robber who burst into his home in Renfrew, near Paisley, in the early hours of April 24.

The 68-year-old claimed he had £700 in cash stolen, and was repeatedly beaten to reveal his bank account pin number.

Police Scotland confirmed a 25-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Read more: Man in court after grandad ‘beaten black and blue in home robbery’

Teen texted ‘I may not survive tonight’ before fatal crash with drunk driver

A terrified teenager texted friends saying “I may not survive tonight” moments before she was killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Erin Slane, 19, sent the messages while travelling as a passenger in Kyle Patrick’s Ford Fiesta on September 1, 2024. Prosecutors said Patrick, 23, had been driving at speeds of up to 119mph on a secluded Perthshire road while heavily intoxicated.

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Advocate depute Graeme Jessop KC told the court Patrick had spent the night drinking in Perth city centre before offering lifts home to people. Investigators later found he was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit when police took a blood sample around two hours after the crash.

During the journey, Erin texted friends saying: “I may not survive tonight. I’m scared. Kyle is steaming.” Minutes later, Patrick lost control of the car on the B9099 near Stanley. The vehicle crossed the opposite carriageway, smashed through fencing and rolled several times down an embankment before coming to rest upside down in a field.

Patrick survived the crash and another passenger, 19-year-old Keira Jones, escaped with injuries. Erin, however, died at the scene. The court heard Patrick had also accepted £10 from another teenager for a lift earlier that night.

Read more: “I may not survive tonight” Terrified woman text pals moments before dying in crash

Four suspected voter fraud cases reported in Glasgow during Holyrood election

Election officials have reported four suspected cases of personation during voting in Glasgow constituencies in the Scottish Parliament election.

Three alleged incidents were recorded in Glasgow Southside, with a further case reported in Glasgow Easterhouse and Springburn. Personation is when someone attempts to vote while pretending to be another registered voter.

Officials confirmed the ballots involved would still be included in the count, but the cases will be reviewed and referred to police for investigation.

Vote counting across Scotland is due to begin at 9am on Friday after polls closed at 10pm on Thursday. The first constituency results are expected around midday, with further declarations continuing throughout the day and evening.

Read more: Four suspected voter fraud cases found in Glasgow

Farmer finds stabbed body of missing father-of-two in murder that remains unsolved

A farmer made a grim discovery early one morning after spotting a man’s body hidden beneath a hedge while collecting hay bales near Langbank in Renfrewshire.

Police found the victim had been stabbed multiple times and had his throat cut, with evidence suggesting he had been killed elsewhere before being dumped in the field.

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The man was later identified as 34-year-old father-of-two Martin Toner from Glasgow’s south side. He had been reported missing by his wife two weeks earlier and was due to stand trial on cocaine smuggling charges at the time he disappeared.

Toner, who ran a bin-cleaning business, was last seen on June 29, 2004, in Langbank’s Main Street, having earlier visited a gym in Pollokshaws. At the time, police initially believed he may have gone on the run due to his pending court case, but his family always insisted he would not have abandoned his children.

Despite appeals and a £3,000 reward, investigators were met with silence, with officers suggesting Toner’s alleged links to criminality may have discouraged witnesses from coming forward. His mobile phone and distinctive sports bag were never recovered.

The case remained unsolved for years until 2014, when former police officer Douglas Fleming was charged with Toner’s murder.

Read more: Mysterious murder of man found stuffed under hedge with throat slashed in sleepy Scots village

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Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, the list goes on. They’re just some of the star names from Belgium’s golden generation that wrote their name into the Red Devils’ history, finishing third at the 2018 World Cup.

While the vast majority of that glittering squad have now hung up their boots, there are a few stars remaining, still looking for one last taste of glory. The likes of Lukaku and De Bruyne remain key players at Napoli, but there’s a perception that the last of the golden generation are past their best.

They’re out to prove the doubters wrong at this summer’s World Cup. Sure, Belgium aren’t quite the same team that beat England to finish third in Russia, getting the better of Gareth Southgate’s men for the bronze medal, but there’s still a romantic hope they can go far in the competition.

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It’s no secret the most recent major tournament was a disaster for the Belgians, with Domenico Tedesco’s side dumped out of the 2024 European Championships by France after edging through their group with Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia. Real Madrid’s Courtois had fallen out with the head coach and was left out of the squad for the tournament, while Lukaku admitted he wanted to quit the team, claiming there was a toxic environment in the group.

Tedesco was relieved of his duties after the tournament, and French head coach Rudi Garcia was tasked with reigniting their fortunes ahead of the World Cup. Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast has given an insight into the current state of affairs in Belgium and why Hazard could have a say on this summer’s tournament, despite retiring from football in 2023.

“Absolutely,” he said when asked if it was last chance saloon for the final few members of the ‘Golden Generation’ this summer. “That’s the spine of the side. Obviously, Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku, who have one more tournament in them and are going to have to, not only be fully fit, but perform at their best if Belgium are going to do well.

“What we’ve seen in their qualification for the World Cup has been, for the most part, unconvincing. And they’ve really been untested on the whole. They were in a qualification group where Wales were probably their stiffest competition by quite some distance and were always going to be.

“But that’s not enough really to kind of give us a gauge on where this side actually are at. Garcia is the second coach to have come in since [Roberto] Martinez left and it’s part of what is really a continuing transition. I mean, the work that Tedesco did didn’t generally go down that positively with the fan base, but I think he’s been kind of quite harshly treated.”

Belgium sneaked through their group at the recent European Championship and weren’t particularly convincing before they were knocked out by France. Tedesco was sacked after less than two years in the job, with Belgian fans wondering what would come next.

Coyne said: “I think history might remember that relatively short spell that Tedesco did positively because the one thing he did do was realise that they were essentially at the end of a major cycle. That this was going to have to be the beginning of something new, and that the process in itself is often long, longer than fans’ patience tends to be, and sometimes quite painful as well, with a lot of experimentation.

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“That’s exactly what we saw under Tedesco, this kind of wave of youth and players getting their first caps, which I think was a good thing, and it was certainly something that had to happen. But at the same time, you’re still looking to get results, and I think he did.

“I think just patience ran out a little bit, and there was a feeling that they needed to kind of make a change, because I think the confidence and the speed of the process probably was waning a little bit, rather than what he was actually doing in itself. On the whole, there were far more positives, than negatives to take out of what he did during a short time.

“Garcia’s come in, his appointment’s interesting insofar as there’s been a lot of change at the Belgian FA in the background. So Roberto Martínez leaves, a lot of staff leave with him, and then the FA then go on effectively what is a downsizing programme under a new sporting director, where they’re cutting costs, basically.”

Despite Belgium being somewhat of an unknown quantity heading into this summer’s tournament they still boast an array of Premier League talent, including Manchester United’s No.1 Senne Lammens, Aston Villa midfield duo Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans and Manchester City’s electric winger Jeremy Doku, currently enjoying his best season for the club.

Although they don’t have the hype of the previous golden generation, they can also call on one of the country’s best-ever players – Eden Hazard – for vital tournament experience.

Coyne said: “Most of the side don’t come from the sort of background that a lot of the golden generation did. I think it’s very difficult for somebody to kind of fulfil that same role really on any level.

“I mean, it’s one of the reasons that Rudi Garcia has brought back in players like Axel Witsel, albeit on a short-term basis. And it’s more about having that experience and that presence in that camp to rub off on younger players than to be able to kind of go and play and contribute too much.

“I don’t think the expectation was that somebody like Axel’s going to get that much game time for obvious reasons, but just having him around.”

Thomas Tuchel has taken a similar approach in reintegrating Jordan Henderson into the Three Lions’ set-up, but England haven’t yet brought in one of their nation’s best-ever players to help the national side. While Belgium have given Hazard a call.

“It’s the same as being able to bring Eden Hazard into that kind of training environment as well and deliver some training sessions,” Coyne said. “He’s not officially part of Rudi’s coaching staff, but he has done some work in there because they know each other very, very well.

“There was an expectation that Hazard probably would join the staff. And who knows? I mean, there is still the possibility that he might join the staff to go to the tournament, just to be in there as well, because the influence of these players, it’s a very difficult thing to kind of put a value on in that.

“I think there are indications that some players who, given time, I think could step into what would be considered sort of a senior leadership role. They are still very, very reliant on De Bruyne and Lukaku as well.”

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De Bruyne boasts 115 caps for his country, while Lukaku has scored an incredible 89 goals in 124 caps. In the international break, 17-year-old Nathan De Cat made his first bow for the senior team – not only one to watch in the future, but someone the Red Devils believe can make an impact this summer.

Of those players called up for recent international friendlies, just seven players had over 30 caps, with De Bruyne, Witsel, Thomas Meunier, Timothy Castagne, Tielemans, Lois Openda and Doku among the most experienced players in the squad, though the latter two players only have 33 and 41 caps respectively.

Despite their reliance on the likes of De Bruyne and Lukaku, the Red Devils’ expectations are low ahead of the World Cup, but that’s where previous teams have thrived.

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“The thing they’ve built up historically, is they’ve always done better when they’ve had kind of no real expectation of them,” Coyne said. “And for a long time, up until probably the early 2000s, early mid-2000s, Belgium nationally had a reputation for being very good defensively and on the whole quite good in midfield.

“There was a good balance between the defensive side of the game and offensively in midfield. But it was always up top that the doubts were about, they always lacked world-class strikers.

“That was the thing that kind of held them back. The reason they did punch above their weight in a number of tournaments, pre the golden generation, was probably because the collective was greater than the sum of its parts.

“A series of coaches had really done very, very well, actually knitting together a really good team ethic. And that’s something people forget, that it is a team game.

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“Everyone focuses on the stars and the any nation and always talks about them at the expense of kind of the collective unit. Belgium were very, very good at employing that, over a 20, 30-year period leading up to the golden generation, exceeding expectations at tournaments for that very reason.

“They then have a terrible Euro 2000, and off the back of that start to invest in their footballing infrastructure in a major way. That’s what leads to a kind of revolution and their coaching methods and their academies, with some of the Belgian club academies now some of the best ones in Europe.”

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