Red House Hotel on the market

ONE of Coupar Angus’ major employers i s on the market f or almost £2.5 million.

The Red House Hotel is up for sale after the current owners, who have had the hotel for 36 years, decided to retire.

A popular venue f or weddings and other family functions, the 20-bedroom property comes with a bar, snooker room and squash court.

The Red House Hotel was formerly called the Station Hotel and was built beside the old railway station i n 1849 by banker David Anderson, 12 years after the railway came to the area.

From the town passengers could travel on the local line to Blairgowrie, as well as on the main line from Perth to Forfar and Aberdeen.

It served residents and visitors until the railway closure in 1967 when the last train pulled out of town.

It is believed that Queen Victoria would have passed through the station as she made her way nor th to Royal Deeside.

Organisers have revealed they are waiting on a final sign-off from Dundee City Council for the festivities, which will take place over one weekend.

Slessor Gardens was initially touted as a potential venue but the event is now set to take place in City Square.

Dundee joins Aberdeen in hosting a Pride event for the first time, more than 20 years since the first Glasgow and Edinburgh Prides were held in 1995.

Preparations are ongoing for the event, with Dundee Pride awaiting charitable status in the hope of receiving grant funding.

Fife-based charity Pink Saltire is helping to organise the event and previously carried out consultations with youth groups and other LGBT organisations in Dundee.

Stuart Duffy from the group believes a Dundee Pride event is “well overdue”.

He said: “It’s all been really positive, we’ve had lots of organisations and acts getting in touch to get involved, perform or have stalls.

“We’ve been working with Dundee City Council and we’re waiting on two possible dates but we’re definitely set for this summer.

“Volunteers who were part of the initial consultation have stayed with us and they’re now in four separate working groups and they’re working on a lot of different things to get things ready.

“It’s all going well so far and it seems to be the right time for us to do it.

“There will be at least 10 planned Pride events right now in Scotland

DUNDEE’S LGBT community will rally together for the city’s firstever Pride event this summer.