Retired gamekeeper, 77, jailed for 19 years for shotgun murder of former colleague

A retired gamekeeper has been jailed for a minimum of 19 years for the shotgun murder of a former colleague.

David Campbell blasted Brian Low with the weapon, which has never been found, in February 2024.

The pair had worked for nearly 20 years together at the Edradynate Estate, where Low was a groundsman and Campbell was head gamekeeper.

Low was walking his dog at thhe time off the killing and was found dead with the pet still by his side.

Campbell denied his guilt but was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow today, Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

The 77-year-old killed 65-year-old Low on Leafy Lane, Aberfeldy, Highland Perthshire, and tried to cover his tracks.

The death was initially treated as "non-suspicious" by Police Scotland - until a shotgun pellet fell out of the body bag ahead of a post mortem examination.

It emerged that Low had been shot "face-on", being hit with around 30 pellets, inflicting injuries to his face, neck, chest, right upper arm, and left upper arm.

Pellet holes were also discovered in the clothes he had been wearing, while pellets were also found in his lung.

The police probe revealed he had disabled a CCTV camera at his home nearby before the killing, an that he used his wife's bike to get to and from the murder scene.

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), spoke after the sentence.

She said: "Brian Low’s murder was a shooting deliberately carried out by David Campbell, who has shown no remorse for his reprehensible actions.

"It was an act of malicious intent. This has been a traumatic ordeal for all those affected by Campbell’s shocking crime.

“The circumstances of Brian's death are deeply distressing and have had a profound effect on the Aberfeldy community.

“As prosecutors, we ensured that all the admissible evidence ingathered was led at trial in order that ultimately Campbell faced the consequences of his actions."

Her statement concluded: “Our thoughts remain with Brian’s loved ones and others who have been affected.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Lorna Ferguson, Police Scotland's Head of Local Crime, and the senior investigating officer for the case, said:

“This was a complex and challenging investigation involving a number of specialist officers and staff from Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority who worked tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to Mr Low’s murder.

“A team of 31 officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, the local policing division and specialist search colleagues were involved in the three-month investigation.

“Detectives examined 2400 hours of CCTV footage, captured around 1000 statements and visited almost 500 properties as part of extensive enquiries to establish what happened and who was responsible for Mr Low’s death.

“Expert witnesses in ballistics, biology, chemistry and cybercrime, also played a crucial role in building evidence in the case against Campbell.

“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that our initial response to this tragic incident fell short of what Police Scotland and the public rightly expects. We have reflected and we have learned from what happened.

“This learning included a complete review of all policies and procedures around attendance at unexplained deaths as we take steps to try and prevent something like this happening again.

“Our thoughts today are very much with Mr Low’s family and I would welcome the opportunity to apologise to them personally for our initial response to his death.

“They have described Brian as a much-loved partner and grandfather, who will be very much missed by all who knew him. They acknowledge the conviction at court today and have asked their privacy to be respected as they continue to process and grieve.

“Violent crimes are extremely rare in the Aberfeldy area, and I know this incident caused shock and fear within the local community.

"I want to thank all those living locally for their patience and support throughout our investigation, which saw extensive police activity for a long period of time in what is a quiet tourist town. Your information was vital in helping to trace the person responsible.”