The return of A9 man
Only this time, home’s an ancient Fiat Panda
A MAN who lived in his Mercedes just off the A9 for three years has downgraded his mobile home – to a 14-year-old Fiat Panda. Charles Ingram – who became known as the “A9 man” – was evicted from layby 52 near Blair Atholl in September 2015. He has spent the last two years drifting between locations, most recently in the Rannoch area. In a film about him, called Man on Layby 52, he said: “Freedom, isn’t it? You see the sun come up in the mornings, the sun going down at night, the moon coming up, everything. You see nothing down there, I’m no staying in Perth. I’m not a townie.”
Charles, who is in his 70s, was with his Fiat Panda in another A9 layby just south of the House of Bruar this week. He indicated he intends to remain there for as long as possible.
But as snow began to fall on the Bruar area, he revealed the heater in the Panda no longer works. Charles faced court action after injuring an official when he was evicted from layby 52. He was fined £1000 and ordered to pay £100 compensation. Well-wishers paid the costs.
He first set up camp on the A9 in 2012 after reportedly losing his money in a business dispute, initially living out of his Mercedes 220.
Charles became a familiar sight to motorists but officials said they were forced to take action because his camp had grown and become more of a distraction.