David Campbell found guilty of Aberfeldy shotgun murder
Brian Low was killed on a remote track near Aberfeldy in February 2024
Last updated 25th Feb 2026
David Campbell has been found guilty of murdering Brian Low by shooting him with a shotgun following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
The jury found him guilty by majority verdict on Wednesday, having begun their deliberations on Monday.
Mr Low's body was discovered on a remote track in the Pitilie area, near Aberfeldy on the 17th February 2024.
Police initially treated his death as “non-suspicious” before evidence of a shooting was discovered during an autopsy days later.
Both men worked at the Edradynate Estate in Perthshire.
Campbell was head gamekeeper between May 1984 and February 2018 and Mr Low was a groundsman between August 2000 and February 2023.
Campbell had originally faced eight charges, which included murder, breaches of the peace and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. However, all but the murder charge were dropped.
Jurors at the High Court in Glasgow took three days of deliberation to find 77-year-old Campbell guilty, following a three week trial.
Brian Low's body was discovered on this remote country lane.
The judge, Lord Scott, said: “You did not encounter Brian Low by chance and you did not just happen to have a shotgun.
“The jury decided in a carefully pre-meditated act you murdered an unarmed and defenceless man by discharging the firearm at him causing such severe injury that he died.
“There was no provocation, he offered no threat.
“You did this having told people over several years how much you hated him or loathed him or blamed him for the change in your fortunes which followed police attention to the estate where you were head gamekeeper for over 30 years.
“The bitterness and grudge you bore Brian Low, reflected in some of things said to others, did not diminish.
“In fact, it seemed to have become more intense.
“This led to you carrying out the sort of killing referred to as a targeted assassination or pre-planned execution on a victim who was unaware of the fate to befall him.”
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.”