‘We are planned out of the area’: the Gypsy Travellers in Scotland opposing a proposed brewery and taproom | Roma, Gypsies and Travellers
The village of Pitlochry, in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, is best known for picturesque views and Victorian architecture, and as a base for idyllic holidays spent hillwalking, fishing and exploring the nearby Highlands. Brothers Jack and Connall Low hope that visitors and locals will also soon be able to enjoy a cold beer at the new brewery and taproom which they are planning to build in their home town. But just a short walk up a steep brae in dense woodland, their neighbours at Bobbin Mill are not so keen on the project. The McPhee family – part of the Gypsy Traveller community that was once forcibly settled there – has lived on the site for more than 70 years, and they feel the new taproom puts them at risk of discrimination and threatens local wildlife. The brewing company, Wasted Degrees, had plans approved for a new site by Perth and Kinross council this month, despite official objections from the McPhee family, and expects to open late next year. At Bobbin Mill’s horseshoe of dark …
