THE MOTORCYCLIST who died following an accident in Perthshire on Saturday was a 51-year-old father-of-two from near Montrose.

He has been named as Dirk Littler, Kirk Tower House, Craig, by Montrose.

The accident happened on a remote stretch of the A93 Braemar to Blairgowrie road at Bridge of Cally.

Mr Littler was riding his yellow Ducati motorbike south towards Perth and in the company of friends when, around 2.50pm near Middleton of Dalrulzion Farm, his bike left the road and he collided with a wooden post.

No other vehicles were involved and Mr Littler was pronounced dead at the scene.

As with all sudden deaths, a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Mr Littler’s partner, Fiona Soutar, said yesterday he was an experienced motorcyclist who regularly took his bike to Europe and had returned recently from the Isle of Man TT.

He worked as an offshore mechanical technician for Petrofac in the North Sea and had been phoned by a friend on Saturday morning asking if he wanted to take advantage of the better weather to go for a ride.

Mr Littler, who also owned a Harley Davidson, set off just after 11am and five hours later Ms Soutar learned her partner had died from his injuries.

She believes Mr Little may have lost control as he negotiated a bend which followed a hump on the road.

“He had been riding bikes for over 30 years and was always so careful and alert,” she said.

Mr Littler lived in Montrose before moving 11 years ago to Kirk Tower House, a converted church, overlooking the town.

He is survived by Ms Soutar, his son Nicholas and daughter Emily.