Fans Give Thumbs Up To New T Venue

Music fans given the first glimpse of T in the Park's new home have declared it a hit, according to organisers.

Controversial plans to stage Scotland's biggest music festival at Strathallan Castle this summer were approved by Perth and Kinross councillors earlier this month.

The festival had to move from its regular site at nearby Balado over safety concerns about its proximity to a large oil pipeline.

Organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent's Lager today welcomed a group of competition-winning fans for a first look at the Strathallan site.

A house-warming party featured performances from bands and DJs from Slam.

Festival fan Jessica Walker said: "Strathallan Castle is brilliant. The fact it's not one flat area makes it really cool - it's all hidden and you need to go and try and find the stages. I'm really looking forward to coming back in July and exploring. It's very exciting to be one of the first fans on site.''

Keiran Mitchell added: "The new site is very classy. There's character everywhere. Even the trees make a big difference.''

Kyle Falconer from The View said: "T in the Park is the best festival in the world. The new site is amazing, I'm going to try and sky dive in this year.''

Ten days ago, councillors approved the application for the festival to be held between July 10 and 12.

Two public consultations on the application had been held, with some environmental groups and local residents critical of the plans.

Concerns were also raised about traffic arrangements for the event, anti-social behaviour and the impact on the local wildlife, but a council committee recommended approving the move with a series of conditions.

Festival director Geoff Ellis said: "The grounds of the estate are breathtakingly beautiful, and we're sure our audience will take Strathallan Castle to their hearts the way they did Balado.''