Ootn Aboot Dumfries

Information portal sharing local stories of interest

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

@bardofely Oh thank you for reposting.

I just figured out how to reply to someone.

Net Zero = Zero common sense.

We are having to fight huge windfarms which, when built, earn millions in subsidies for turning the turbines off when they are producing too much ele ctricity.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

I TOOK A WALK ALONG THE RIVER NITH

to harvest comfrey from it's banks yesterday.

For the first time, I encountered the Greensands which I have been avoiding.

A brutal destruction.

July 7th Loreburn Community Council meeting. Our common good rep will be asking what happens to all that wood.

I must ask the Net Zero Officer at Dumfries and Galloway Council how cutting down mature trees to build a car park fits with the council's Net Zero ambitions.

Clearly, I've misunderstood how Net Zero works.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

Exposed - Cheats and Abusers Scotland

At the High Court in Kilmarnock today, Judge Alistair Watson sentenced Mohammad Taheen Abrar Chowdhury to 54 months detention.

A jury had earlier found the offender guilty of charges of rape, attempted rape, abusive behaviour, assault and vandalism.

Chowdhury has also been added to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and issued with non-harassment orders.

On sentencing, Judge Watson told Chowdhury:
“Mohammad Chowdhury you were convicted by the jury on each of charges 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 on the indictment, charges which include the rape of a teenage girl in Dumfries on a date in September or October 2020, and the attempted rape of another teenage girl, also in Dumfries, in February 2021.

In relation to the first of those incidents you had been in a relationship with the girl concerned and, on the date in question, she placed trust in you as she walked with you to an isolated spot where you then abused that trust by seizing hold of her and committing the act of which you have been convicted.

Having committed that crime of rape in the autumn of 2020 you then, only months later, while significantly under the influence of alcohol at a party in a house in the Dumfries area, again took advantage of the trust placed in you by a teenage girl who had gone into a bathroom with you concerned over your welfare due to your condition.

As before you took advantage of this trust in an attempt to commit the crime of rape.

Fortunately on this occasion your victim had the presence of mind and the ability to make her escape from the room before you could succeed.

You were also convicted of charges related to your generally abusive conduct towards the victim in the course of the relationship which had taken place, of an assault on that victim, and in relation to an episode of concerning behaviour towards a young male who was likely to be a witness in these proceedings, this last matter being committed while you were on bail.

These matters, related to your general behaviour over the period are matters of concern, but are significantly less serious than the sexual offences of which you were convicted.

Your denial of guilt was rejected by the jury.

Both in the course of trial and in the course of interview with the appointed social workers you show little sign of empathy towards your victims who have suffered badly at your hands and who will inevitably be deeply affected in the long term by the conduct suffered on the occasions described.

I am bound to have regard in sentencing to the gravity of the crimes of rape and attempted rape and to the level of harm such crimes cause to the victims.

I am also bound to have regard to the fact that your sexual offending occurred on more than one occasion and towards more than one victim.

Ordinarily the seriousness of these matters would require the imposition of a sentence of a very significant length reflecting the need for appropriate punishment, deterrence and management of risk.

In this case however the sentence I impose is very much shorter than that which otherwise would be required of me, having regard to your youth then and indeed now.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

SERIOUSLY?

The elitist shite in the Daily Telegraph is beyond embarrassing.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

GUID NYCHBURRIS 2026

A wonderful day with perfect weather, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

Exceptionally well organised.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked so hard for the people of Dumfries toon.

We salute you!

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

RAIDS IN TOON TODAY !

This is the Mini Market being raided and closed down.

The vape shop opposite Loreburn Centre was also raided. That awful yellow one. And two barbers.

The tobacco shops are selling a packet of cigarettes for £5.00 (usual price over £20.00 ) That is a lot of tax revenue to lose.

It's enough to bring out trading standards, the police and HMRC.

12 people arrested. A lot of contraband seized.

There is a major UK-wide crackdown underway.

"The UK Government has launched a dedicated High Street Organised Crime Unit aimed at businesses suspected of being used for money laundering, tax evasion, illegal working and the sale of illicit goods. The focus specifically includes barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and similar premises"
https://t.co/CgofFRNehR...

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

WELCOME TO DUMFRIES MR MURRELL

Several papers have reported that Mr Murrell has been transferred to HMP Dumfries.

It's easy to forget that HMP Dumfries is more than just a prison.

The residents there made the flower boxes that brighten the Whitesands, as well as the bird and bat boxes installed in Castledykes Park. They also made the stocks that sat in the town centre for the Robert the Bruce celebrations.

We wish Mr Murrell a calm and reflective stay. He is just in time for Guid Nychburris!

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

TREADING CAREFULLY THROUGH LONG GRASS this evening, I spotted something dark in the green.

Looking closer, I saw that it was a bumble bee and he was fast asleep!

He'd pulled the grass leaves around himself and wrapped his legs over them.

I took photos and walked quietly away. He never stirred.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

I REMEMBER PEOPLE TAKING THE KNEE

in Dumfries, on June 7th, 2020 for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Black Lives Matter.

Anyone taking the knee for HENRY NOWAK???

White Lives Matter?

Hmmmm I thought not.

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL JOURNEYS
to St Michaels Church.

It was a joy to behold.....the rain held off as we walked up Newall Terrace (stopping at the rear end of the Council headquarters for a minute...It felt right)

Then through Queensbury Square, down to the The Plainstaines for another stop in the Heart of the town.

Paused briefly at the Fountain and then on to St Michaels Church where the Archangel was finally installed.

Accompanying Archangel Michael were more figures created by members of the Access Art group in Dumfries ~ a group that focuses on creative opportunities for people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent people. Always closest to any Angel's heart.

Thanks to Ildiko for her inspiration, her abundant talent and selfless sharing of it.

LET THE MAGIC BEGIN !

https://t.co/At4jZ8QmoU

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

GUESS WHAT EMMA HARPER?

We sold you down the river!

Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

Flood Defences

Craig Hoy
Does Emma Harper acknowledge, however, the scale of local opposition at various stages in the consultation, including in the public inquiry? Is it not right that local representatives now reflect that public opinion instead of, as she is doing, selling the community down the river with this expensive, unwanted and deeply unpopular scheme?

Emma Harper
I thank Craig Hoy for that intervention, but I do not believe that I am selling people down the river. I have not been part of the votes or the decision making, but the local authority voted to move ahead with the project. I will come to some of those points."

Findlay Carson
On the Whitesands scheme, after a decade, a public petition against the scheme, led by David Slater—now Councillor Slater—attracted well over 10,000 signatures. There has been a local public inquiry, and there was ministerial confirmation in 2020. Despite significant local opposition, the council has struggled to decide whether to proceed. In October 2023, a far from convincing knife-edge vote of 22 to 21 kept the eye-wateringly expensive scheme alive without significant public support. While Labour and SNP administrations put party politics ahead of public opinion, costs spiralled from £37.5 million in 2023 to £68.6 million by December 2025. That doubling demands hard questions about scope, control, risk management and officer accountability"
https://t.co/F2CL4zyFAv...

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL IS REBORN.
Tuesday the 19th of May.
The army is gathering, ready to go....
The journey starts at 11am19 May @ St John's Church. You are welcome to join us.
Archangel Michael is often shown wrestling with a Dragon and is depicted as a spiritual warrior against evil. He is also often invoked for protection in spiritual battles.
He is the Patron Saint of Dumfries.
During the seasons of Lent and Easter, Dee has been inviting people to reflect on the the struggle between light and dark.
These thoughts and the atmosphere in St Johns Church, Dumfries have been formed into her sculpture.
It is time to move on.
At Pentecost, Christians remember the Holy Spirit filling the early church with peace and power. They began to speak many languages and communicate the light of Jesus to the known world.
The statue will leave St Johns Church and continue it's journey of visual communication in St Michaels Church in Dumfries until Guid Nychburris day.
Where will it go next?
Join us to walk with the sculpture from St Johns to St Michaels in Dumfries
Tuesday the 19th of May.
11am.
I sometimes listen to Jospeh Tittel as I am working. He has a lovely energy and a good heart.
I was so surprised to hear him talk about Archangel Michael last week. So I edited it and have popped it below.
I sense that Ildiko is deeply inspired to create and bring forth the energies of Archangel Michael at this time.
See you on the 19th, May.
https://t.co/irGLYWlwQG

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

YOU GOTTA BE GOOD WITH THE BUFFET !

Mercure Hotel.
Home to Dumfries's illegal immigrants.

•To operate the hotel reception to the agreed hotel standards
• Ensuring the set-up of the restaurant areas for mealtime
• Maintaining of buffets/drink service areas and clearing/sanitising of tables in restaurant area
• To maintain the reception, food and beverage outlets, public areas, stores, back office and staff areas in a clean and tidy condition.
• Deal with any guest queries/complaints in a polite and friendly manner ensuring guest satisfaction
• Monitoring incoming emails to hotel and responding accordingly.
• Compiling daily log sheet for your particular shift for sending to GM
• To clearly communicate with other departments to ensure minimal impact on guest service.
• Liaising with the other companies involved with running Home Office Contract to ensure smooth running.
• At times you may be asked to help in other departments as and where the business requires support.
https://t.co/ciDrfqZMnr

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL IS REBORN.

Tuesday the 19th of May.

The army is gathering, ready to go....

The journey starts at 11am 19 May @ St John's Church. You are welcome to join us.

Archangel Michael is often shown wrestling with a Dragon and is depicted as a spiritual warrior against evil. He is also often invoked for protection in spiritual battles.

He is the Patron Saint of Dumfries.

During the seasons of Lent and Easter, Dee has been inviting people to reflect on the the struggle between light and dark.

These thoughts and the atmosphere in St Johns Church, Dumfries have been formed into her sculpture.

It is time to move on.

At Pentecost, Christians remember the Holy Spirit filling the early church with peace and power. They began to speak many languages and communicate the light of Jesus to the known world.

The statue will leave St Johns Church and continue it's journey of visual communication in St Michaels Church in Dumfries until Guid Nychburris day.

Where will it go next?

Join us to walk with the sculpture from St Johns to St Michaels in Dumfries.

Tuesday the 19th of May.

11am.

I sometimes listen to Jospeh Tittel as I am working. He has a lovely energy and a good heart.

I was so surprised to hear him talk about Archangel Michael last week. So I edited it and have popped it below.

I sense that Ildiko is deeply inspired to create and bring forth the energies of Archangel Michael at this time.

See you on the 19th, May.

https://t.co/irGLYWlwQG

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

A GRAVE INJUSTICE !

So apparently under the new Scottish burial rules, any lair bought after March 2026 only comes with a 25-year right of burial before the family has to start renewing it every 10 years.

Aye… because nothing says “dignity and respect” quite like leaving a note for the grandweans saying: “Don’t forget to pay the renewal on Grandpa or the council will be eyeing up his postcode.”

Folk genuinely thought they were buying a final resting place, especially when many older lair deeds actually say “in perpetuity” and most family plots around here hold generations of the same family together.

Meanwhile governments can burn through fortunes on ferries that don’t sail, airports nobody uses and projects that never end… but somehow ordinary families may end up paying ongoing lair renewal fees to keep loved ones resting in peace.

Modern Scotland: where even death comes with taxes and recurring charges.

Thanks C.H. for the heads up on this !
https://t.co/9i3s0jAqRf...

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

WE ARE PAYING WEALTHY LANDOWNERS FOR WINDFARMS!

Scotland’s “green revolution” is turning into a gold rush for wealthy landowners and guess who’s paying for it?

We are!

Through higher energy bills and public subsidies, millions are flowing into the pockets of aristocrats, giant estates, investment firms and multimillionaires hosting wind farms across the country.

According to a new investigation by The Ferret, one landowner pocketed a staggering £11 million in a single year from a wind project while the local community received just £464,000. Twenty-three times less.

The investigation says Scotland’s renewable boom is exposing a much deeper issue, land ownership.

Just 408 landowners reportedly own half of Scotland’s privately owned rural land.

So while politicians lecture ordinary people about “net zero”, “community benefit” and “saving the planet” many rural communities are seeing only crumbs while estate owners and financial investors rake in fortunes from the hills around them.

The turbines may be in the community but the real money is often leaving it.

Here in Dumfries, Loreburn Community Council receives just £4,000 a year to distribute back into the local community. Four thousand pounds. That barely scratches the surface of what communities actually need.

And it raises another question people may want answered.

What happens to the money that would have gone to community councils that are no longer operating? Does it simply disappear back into the system? Is it redistributed elsewhere? Is it retained by councils?

Ordinary people are constantly told there is “no money” for communities, services, facilities or local improvements, yet somehow there always seems to be millions available when major commercial interests are involved.

Who really benefits?

Thanks to The Ferret for an extensive and well researched article which can be accessed here:~

https://t.co/J9dbQxhZys

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

SCOTLAND’S FLOOD SCHEMES SINKING UNDER A FLOOD OF DEBT

Scotland’s flood defence schemes are now facing another growing problem with rising borrowing costs and financial pressure on councils themselves.

An elected member told me that the interest costs of the money the council have to borrow to build the Whitesands Bund will be £500,000 a year. That was before the war in the Middle East started.

Recent reports warn that higher interest rates and mounting council debt are making major infrastructure projects increasingly difficult to fund.

Combined with Audit Scotland’s warning that flood scheme costs have already ballooned from around £350 million to over £1 billion nationally, serious questions are now being asked about how many of these schemes can realistically be delivered without delays, redesigns or eye-watering overspends.

The cracks are beginning to show.

Photo by Tommy Wright.
https://t.co/67iXiU6jYq..

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

A CAR PASSED ME AT SPEED YESTERDAY EVENING

with a woman shouting out the window through a megaphone.

"FREE PRESCRIPTIONS"
"FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR ALL AGES"

SNP desperation. No mention of course, of the £4.7 billion looming funding gap facing Scotland. No one is talking about that.

Meanwhile, Greatest Hits Radio Dumfries & Galloway News

used the information that a shop in Dumfries had been fined £200 for selling a vape to an underage child as "clickbait" to get people on to something called "Hello Rayo" where you either pay or get tracked.

So I went digging and discovered that Dumfries & Galloway Council are keeping the retailer’s identity quiet for now. According to the report:~

Trading Standards carried out two intelligence-led underage vape test purchases in Dumfries in March 2026.

One retailer sold a vape to the underage volunteer.

The business received a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice.

The case is due to be discussed in a council performance report going before the Nithsdale Area Committee next week.

How kind of the council to keep this retailer's identity secret.

A £200 fine would not even pay the bar bill at the Cairndale Hotel, where trading standards officers reportedly stay!

[Ootn Aboot Dumfries @PodScotlan73457]

HAPPY POLLING DAY!

This is especially for SNP supporters who created fake Facebook pages and sent me death threats over the years (especially during Covid lockdowns)

Never happened with Labour, Tory or Independent supporters, just SNP.

Enjoy the video. So funny and SO TRUE !