Rugby hero raises a glass to Perthshire pub’s disability measures

A former rugby star who was left paralysed after breaking his neck in a collapsed scrum has unveiled innovative new facilities for disabled customers at a Perthshire pub.

Jim Taylor, whose career was cut short in 1978, visited the Wheel Inn in Scone to take the wraps off a new therapeutic sensory room, designed for adults and children with limited communication skills, and a Changing Places toilet which has been adapted for people with complex physical needs.

The new amenities, which are part of a £250,000 investment in Scotland by Wheel Inn owners the Thistle Pub Company, have been put together with the help of charities Deafblind Scotland and PAMIS and Perth and Kinross Council.

The toilet, the first of its kind in a Scottish pub, differs from standard disabled areas as it has extra space and holds specialist equipment.

Jim, 61, said: “This investment represents an amazing effort from the Thistle Pub Company to make all of their customers feel included and catered for.”