Perthshire estate worker stabbed

An estate worker was “just doing his job” when he was attacked by three men and stabbed at a Perthshire beauty spot.

Jimmy Mclean, 57, was taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was assaulted while checking land at Loch of Clunie near Blairgowrie.

Hundreds of tourists descended on the area at the weekend and Mr Mclean had been patrolling for fires set by campers when the attack happened at around 3.30am on Sunday.

His daughter Leanne told The Courier her dad was left with concussion after he was targeted by three yobs while doing his rounds.

Leanne said: “He had been back and forward making sure that there was no fires.

“The police had been going around all day advising people not to light fires because the weather was so dry.

“He went out at that time and a couple of them started on him but he walked away after one of them hit him.

“Then three of them jumped him and one of them stabbed him.”

She said the trio were believed to have travelled from Dundee and urged anyone who knows who they are to tell the police.

“It’s my dad’s job to look after the land, so this is his back garden, and for him to be attacked in his back garden is not right,” she said.

The attack happened as the police were overrun by tourists flouting lockdown rules to travel to beauty spots such as the popular Perthshire loch.

Leanne said: “The police had been fighting a losing battle all night. There were too many for them to handle.

“For the size of the loch there were more than 100 cars and they were travelling four per car, so I’m guessing there was about 400 people.”

She said she didn’t know who called the ambulance for her dad but the family are hopeful he will make a full recovery after the blade missed all his major organs.

She fears he will not be able to get back to work for a considerable time as his job involves a lot of moving around and he will be confined to his bed for some time.

Messages of support flooded in for Jimmy, who is well known in the area, after locals realised what had happened.

Leanne said: “The friends and family that have been in contact have been absolutely amazing, even people I don’t know but who know my dad.”

Visitors descended on Loch of Clunie after the lockdown was eased.