A Highland Perthshire department store boss has defended his company’s decision to hold a photo shoot for its website at a popular glen at the weekend.
House of Bruar staff travelled to Glen Tilt, around four miles from the A9 store, to conduct a photo shoot for its online sales website.
Staff arrived at the popular walking destination’s car park in three vehicles, including a lorry and a 4×4.
The company’s management, who reopened their foodhall on Monday with additional protective measures in place, explained they had planned for the photo shoot earlier in the year but staff had been unable to attend.
Social media posts slamming the company’s actions as non-essential were shared on Facebook more than 100 times over the weekend.
However, the firm’s managing director Patrick Birkbeck explained the site had been chosen so the photographs could be taken away from large groups.
The Blair Atholl business’s MD also stressed all employees involved shoot adhered to social distancing guidelines while working.
Mr Birkbeck said: “[On Saturday], we conducted a photo shoot up GlenTilt for our online business, which has always been on the list of businesses ‘to continue and to be encouraged’.
“Ordinarily these photographs would have been completed earlier in the year, but that has not been possible.
“We observed all the guidelines for social distancing within the team and also chose to go outside into a remote glen, so that it is easier to maintain distance between a team, which is much smaller than normal.
“We’ve massively reduced our workforce and we’re aware of the guidelines, which we stick to as much as humanly possible. We know the law and we’ve not done anything wrong.”
Highland ward councillor Mike Williamson stressed the need for everybody to be comply with lockdown guidance.
The SNP representative said: “In these unprecedented times, it is important that we all act appropriately and in line with Scottish Government guidelines.
“To that end, I am hopeful that businesses across Perthshire will reflect carefully upon their responsibilities and act in a manner that is conducive to our collective efforts to tackle Covid-19.”