Balaclava-clad thieves broke into the House of Bruar near Blair Atholl and stole whisky worth more than £10,000 in an early-morning raid. Police were called to the luxury country clothing and speciality store after the break-in at around 2am on Tuesday, October 27.
The intruders forced entry to the department store and made off with the goods within five minutes. Officers remained at the scene more than 12 hours later as enquiries into the five-figure theft continued.
Suspects described
The first suspect was wearing a black jacket, blue denim jeans and white shoes. The second wore a white jumper, black trousers and hiking boots. Both had black balaclavas covering their faces and wore gloves.
House of Bruar staff were alerted to the break-in immediately, which bosses said, alongside their security measures, meant losses were far lower than they could have been.
Police appeal for dash-cam footage
Detectives are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward, particularly drivers on nearby roads such as the A9, B847 and B8079 who may have dash-cam footage.
Detective Constable Mark Chance said: “We are appealing to anyone who was in the area around the time and has any information to come forward and speak to officers.”
He added: “We are also particularly keen to speak to anyone who was driving in the area around 2.05am as from enquiries carried out so far, this is when the suspects are believed to have left the scene.”
Business response
House of Bruar's Managing Director, Patrick Birkbeck, said: "I can confirm that our onsite Whisky Shop was broken into in the early hours of October. Members of staff on-site were alerted immediately, and due to this and other security measures in place, loss of stock was minimal. We would like to thank the police for attending so quickly."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2am on Tuesday, October 27, the House of Bruar was broken into. Alcohol worth a five-figure sum was stolen.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0234 of October 27, or pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
