Ruaraidh Britton

Ruairidh Younger, a 28-year-old Aberdeen man with cerebral palsy, severe scoliosis and a permanently dislocated hip, has become largely bed-bound because his NHS wheelchair causes pain and no longer meets his needs. His family, who provide round-the-clock care despite their own health and age-related difficulties, say his quality of life has deteriorated. After facing an eight-week wait at the overstretched Aberdeen Wheelchair Service, they were told a suitable custom wheelchair could cost about £15,000. His sister Charlotte has launched a GoFundMe fundraiser with a £4,500 target, which has already encouraged donations and lifted Ruairidh’s spirits.

Channel 5 will air both episodes of The Wire: Forensics Murder about the 1983 killing of Aberdeen taxi driver George Murdoch, who was attacked while collecting a fare in Cults. Despite extensive police inquiries, including thousands of door-to-door enquiries and witness statements, no one has been convicted. A 2023 forensic breakthrough produced a DNA profile linked to an unidentified man known as Male Z, and the documentary examines efforts to use familial DNA to identify the killer.

Eighteen-year-old Adam Golebiewski, from Banff in Aberdeenshire, lost both legs below the knee after accepting a lift from a drunk, uninsured driver who crashed at about 90mph. He is urging people attending Christmas parties to plan safe journeys home and look out for friends. The appeal forms part of a campaign involving the Scottish Government, Road Safety Scotland and Police Scotland, which reported 5,742 breath and roadside drug tests and 961 offences across Scotland during the 2024–25 festive period. Police are warning of tougher enforcement, while drivers caught under the influence face bans, fines, penalty points and possible imprisonment.

The Met Office has issued warnings about rare thundersnow as an Arctic blast brings heavy snow, ice, strong winds and potentially lightning to Scotland and other parts of the UK. An amber snow warning covers parts of North East England and Yorkshire, where 15–25 cm could accumulate on higher ground and cause substantial disruption, while five yellow snow and ice warnings cover wider areas. The cold snap is expected to ease from Friday as temperatures rise.

Heavy fog caused more than 20 cancellations and several delays or diversions at Aberdeen Airport, affecting British Airways, KLM, Loganair and Aer Lingus services. Flights involving London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Heathrow and several regional destinations were disrupted, while one KLM flight was diverted to Edinburgh and passengers were transported to Aberdeen by bus. Passengers were advised to check directly with their airlines; Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were not affected.

The Stealth Competitions Scottish Masters 2025 will take place at Aberdeen’s P&J Live on Friday, November 14, featuring legends teams from holders Aberdeen, Rangers, Celtic and Dundee United. BBC Scotland’s Sportscene will broadcast the tournament live from 19:15 to 22:00, presented by Connie McLaughlin with Rob Maclean commentating and Tyrone Smith reporting. The event supports Street Soccer Scotland and its social enterprise Kitback, with attendees encouraged to donate old football shirts for a chance to win show tickets.

Fiona Charles of Aberdeen was diagnosed with an aggressive, incurable glioblastoma after a GP reportedly said a brain abnormality did not look like a tumour. Her family pursued a private MRI, which led to further testing and the diagnosis in October 2024. Fiona has completed radiotherapy and is undergoing chemotherapy, while her son Jonny is training for the Edinburgh Half Marathon to raise money for Brain Tumour Research and a new Scottish centre focused on glioblastoma research. The campaign highlights the limited share of cancer-research funding devoted to brain tumours.

A 16-year-old boy was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after falling from the former Denburn Medical Centre on Rosemount Viaduct in Aberdeen at around 7:30 p.m. on May 16, 2025. Police, paramedics and firefighters attended, while the teenager’s condition remained unknown.

Luxembourg singer Hugo One went viral after strangers in Aberdeen mistook him for Elon Musk during a night out. One says people compare him to Musk several times a month, but he does not regard the resemblance as flattering and distances himself from Musk’s character and beliefs. The video of the encounter surpassed 1.5 million views, bringing increased attention and downloads to One’s music.

Roy Lyon has entered Richmond House in Aberdeenshire into BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year competition as a tribute to his late wife, Julie, who died six weeks after being diagnosed with multiple tumours in early 2023. The couple renovated 21 homes before settling at the former farmhouse, which Roy spent about 6,000 hours decorating in their shared Art Deco style. Encouraged by their daughter Victoria, Roy agreed to appear on the programme so Julie’s final home project could be seen by viewers. The property will feature on BBC One Scotland on April 28, 2025.

Dr Valerie Goggin, a 56-year-old geologist and mother of three from Scotland, was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 2015 after developing night-vision and peripheral-vision problems. She had to stop driving after notifying the DVLA, creating major difficulties for her family and daily life. North East Sensory Services provided workplace adaptations, IT equipment, social-work support and cane training. Although she initially feared using a cane, Valerie now regards it as an important mobility aid and plans to choose a more colourful, stylish design. NESS says it will continue supporting her as her vision changes.

A 23-year-old temporary teacher at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon's College was arrested on February 26, 2025, in connection with an alleged online communications offence after a video circulated on social media. The school suspended him, began an internal investigation and referred the matter to Police Scotland, which said enquiries remain ongoing.

Peterhead Community Hospital has suspended new admissions and non-essential visits to Summers Ward following a major influenza outbreak. NHS Grampian has introduced enhanced cleaning and limited visiting to essential circumstances, including end-of-life care, support for vulnerable patients, and parents visiting children. The health board urged anyone with respiratory symptoms to stay away from hospitals, noting that similar restrictions had recently been imposed at Chalmers Hospital in Banff.

Ten-year-old Seth from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, lives with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and receives support from SBH Scotland. His mother Margaret describes how the charity’s family groups and peer network help Seth feel less isolated and provide practical guidance to parents. Seth, who plays wheelchair basketball for Grampian Flyers, is looking forward to Christmas while he and Margaret support SBH Scotland’s appeal to fund continued services for families.

Former BrewDog CEO James Watt is considering whether to delay his planned 2025 wedding to Georgia Toffolo for three years. Watt says marrying Toffolo within three years of investing in her WILD PACK raw dog food business would make him a connected person under HMRC rules, causing him to lose Enterprise Investment Scheme tax relief. He has asked followers to choose between accepting the tax disadvantage for love or postponing the wedding to preserve the relief.

A swimmer got into difficulty in the North Sea off Macduff, Aberdeenshire, on the morning of 17 December 2024. Coastguard teams, an RNLI lifeboat and a rescue helicopter responded after an alarm was raised at 9:45 a.m. The swimmer was rescued, brought ashore and taken to hospital for further treatment; their condition was not known.

Archaeolink Prehistory Park in Oyne, Aberdeenshire, which cost about £4 million to build and received roughly £2.5 million in council funding during its 14 years of operation, has been placed on the market for offers over £150,000. Opened by Tony Robinson in 1997 as a centre for Scotland’s prehistoric history, the attraction suffered declining visitor numbers, accumulated annual subsidies of around £100,000 and closed in 2011. The abandoned site was subsequently vandalised and, after a previous sale in 2023, is now being marketed by Shepherd Chartered Surveyors as a potential commercial space.

The body of a man was discovered at Aberdeen Beach at about 10:15 a.m. on October 7, 2024. Police Scotland closed off the area while enquiries continued, stating that formal identification had not yet taken place and that the death was not believed to be suspicious.

A 66-metre superyacht owned by Liverpool FC proprietor John W. Henry was spotted in Aberdeen after sailing from Leith during a tour of Scotland. The vessel, originally built as Ester III by German shipbuilder Lürssen in 2014 and purchased by Henry in 2016, later departed south along Scotland’s east coast. Henry was not seen in Aberdeen, though the yacht’s visit coincided with Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Brentford.

Aberdeen primary school teacher Sarah Hobin won approximately £18,000 after correctly answering the final question on ITV’s The 1% Club. She was one of five contestants to solve the question, sharing a £94,000 jackpot. Viewers debated the difficulty of the puzzle, which used the letter sequences SEEN, MOVE and SEWN as compass-direction clues on a numbered grid.

A 44-year-old man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after a disturbance at the Central Bar on Great Northern Road in Aberdeen during the early hours of April 7, 2024. Police Scotland arrested and charged the 44-year-old, who is due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, while a 32-year-old man was also arrested. Police enquiries remain ongoing, and the injured man’s condition was not known.

A car caught fire after crashing into a barrier near the Kintore roundabout on the A96 in Aberdeenshire around 10 a.m. on October 22, 2023. Fire crews extinguished the blaze while police directed traffic, causing significant disruption and a lengthy road closure. No injuries were reported, and the road was later cleared.

Ed Law, a 48-year-old runner from Bridge of Don, plans to run 100 miles from Charlie House’s Aberdeen headquarters to Inverness in under 24 hours on July 17 while dressed as Spider-Man. The costume was selected by children supported by Charlie House, a charity serving children with life-limiting conditions across the region. Law previously completed 87 miles of the route in 24 hours while carrying a 20kg backpack for a mental health charity, and believes he can now complete the full distance without the added weight. He aims to raise £1,000 and attract attention to Charlie House during the run.