The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Joy as couple net £58m lottery win.
Lucky local couple bag life-changing multi-millionpound prize
A Mearns couple have hit the jackpot after scooping a massive £57.9 million on the lottery.
The staggering windfall ranks at number 14 in the list of the biggest National Lottery prizes.
The couple live in Laurencekirk will go public and speak about the lifechanging win at an event at the Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen today.
Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, had put out an urgent call out for ticket holders across the UK to check their lotto slips as the winning ticket had gone unclaimed for more than a week.
The winning EuroMillions ticket for the huge prize pot was drawn on July 10 and was worth £57,975,367.70 for matching the five main numbers – 3, 8, 26, 33, 45 – and Lucky Star numbers 7 and 10.
There was widespread speculation in Montrose that someone in the town had won the prize just after it was announced that the single winner had come forward.
But although the woman works in the town she lives in the Mearns.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at The National Lottery, said: “Wow, what an amazing win for one lucky UK ticket-holder. This win ranks at number 14 in the list of the biggest National Lottery winners.
“By buying a ticket for EuroMillions or any other National Lottery game, every player is helping to raise money for good causes.
“On average, around £30m is raised every week for projects across the UK, including funding everything from local community projects to preserving the nation’s heritage.”
Camelot said last night: “A retired man and his wife from Aberdeenshire have already started to plan for the future after winning the entire EuroMillions jackpot from July 10.”
Top of the list of UK lottery winners is Colin and Chris Weir from Ayrshire who scooped more than £161 million in July 2011.
The record-breaking jackpot is followed by Carnoustie woman Gillian Bayford and her now ex-husband Adrian after they landed more than £148m in August 2012.
Montrose SNP councillor Bill Duff said: “All I can say is I hope it brings them happiness and perhaps they will remember those less fortunate than themselves.”
Contrary to popular wisdom, National Lottery millionaires have declared the best thing about their win is not their newly-glamorous lifestyle, but the happiness gained from sharing the cash with others.