Dundee kilted yoga video star receives homophobic hate mail

A Dundee man whose video of kilted yoga sessions in a Scottish forest became a viral hit has been targeted with homophobic hate mail at his home.

Police Scotland have issued an appeal for witnesses after Finlay Wilson, whose Kilted Yogi videos were viewed more than 50 million times worldwide last month, received a letter telling him to leave his home and threatening his safety.

The handwritten note was left in an envelope on the 30-year-old’s doorstep at his home in the city on Tuesday morning.

Mr Wilson said: “I came out my flat at 6.30 in the morning to walk the dog and there was a handwritten letter in a sealed envelope on the front step addressed to ‘the gay boy at number 45’.

“It said threatening stuff like ‘you need to watch yourself’ and they said they’d been watching my videos online and that they want me to get out.

“I don’t really know anyone in the building. My friends have been saying they didn’t realise this sort of thing still happened in this day and age.

“I was upset at first, but now I am furious because someone’s aim is to intimidate me and terrorise me into leaving my home because of their own bigoted beliefs.

“I’ve never had any grief in Dundee at all, and I didn’t expect this. The people who do this sort of thing need to know that their views are unacceptable and the majority of people won’t tolerate it.”

Mr Wilson, whose videos for the BBC Social website show him doing yoga with Mr Scotland, Tristan Cameron-Harper, in the Hermitage forest in Dunkeld, said the abusers also threatened his dog, Amaloh, also famous for performing yoga with his master.

He said: “I’ve had to put a cage on the letterbox to make sure they don’t post anything harmful through that he might eat.”

A spokeswoman for the charity Stonewall Scotland, said the incident is indicative of “high levels of discrimination and abuse” faced by the country’s LGBT community.

Policy officer Sophie Bridger said: “Between 2015 and 2016, over 1,000 charges were made of hate crimes against LGBT people Scotland, with many more crimes going unreported.

“There is a lot still to do, and our work will continue until everyone is free to be themselves, wherever they live.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland is investigating a threatening and abusive incident in connection with a letter left outside an address in Dundee.

“Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact Police Scotland on 101. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”