DISGRACED FORMER VISITOR

The front of  the holiday home, 

which has a sea view and a swimming pool at the back

Peter Murrell, the convicted former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, regularly visited the Algarve with his now estranged wife, the former SNP First Minister Nichola Sturgeon.

Murrell has pleaded guilty in the UK to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP party over 12 years.

 

Before they parted, the couple regularly spent summer holidays together in a luxury villa in the Algarve near their favourite town, Albufeira. Murrell maintained a partial ownership of the villa for some years. He and Nichola frequented cafes and restaurants popular with the local community.

 

These holidays continued throughout Nichola’s tenure as Scotland's first minister, typically serving as a quiet retreat from the relentless demands of Scottish politics.

 

The visits were mostly private, spent reading and relaxing when not dining out or exploring parts of the Algarve’s beautiful coastline.

 In a lengthy interview with the BBC on Sunday, Nichola Sturgeon denied covering up problems in the party's finances or having any knowledge or Murrell's wrongdoing.

Sturgeon told the BBC: “I'm serving a sentence for crime I didn't commit.” She added: "I will not apologise for the crimes of my former husband".

It remains to be seen if Miss Sturgeon retirns for summer holidays in the Algarve,  Murrell will certainly not.