THE distraught family of a schoolboy who died on his way to the T in the Park music festival have paid tribute to their son.
Lachlan Gillies died from serious head injuries after being struck by a lorry just 400 yards from the entrance to the festival site near Kinross.
Lachlan, who was head boy and joint dux at Perth High School, was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in
Dunfermline but later died from his injuries.
A spokesman for his parents Ron and Judith, who own fruit wine company Cairn O'Mhor, said: "We're all devastated. Lachie was a lovely lad. He was someone who still managed to be popular while he was a head boy. He was a determined kind of lad and was good at science.
"He was hoping to take a year out after school and spend time in Germany."
Friends also paid tribute to the 17-year-old after it emerged that he was knocked down while trying to buy a replacement for the ticket he had lost.
Nikki Gallagher, 17, said: "Lachlan was such a popular guy and everyone is devastated. He was so nice to everyone.
"He was incredibly funny and he was also incredibly intelligent. He had lost his ticket and wasn't allowed to get in to the arena. He had walked back to Kinross to try to get another.
"It has put a dampener on everything but we are still trying to enjoy ourselves – Lachlan would have wanted us to try and have a good time. That is the kind of guy he was."
Lachlan, from East Inchmichael, Errol, Perthshire, died after being struck on the A977, about 400 yards from the festival entrance, shortly before 7pm on Friday.
He was a pupil representative on the school board, and had recently won prizes at school for biology, chemistry, physics and maths.
Former classmate Thomas Lindsay, 18, said: "It's a total shock that something like this would happen. Lachlan was a popular guy, very bright and friendly.
"I used to sit next to him in history. He was a really sensible guy and not the sort of person you would expect this kind of thing to happen to.
"I know he was on his way to T in the Park when he was hit by a lorry. He had been at T in the Park last year and was obviously on his way back."
Other friends paid tribute on a social networking site used by Perth High School pupils. Dinky wrote: "Lachlan never stopped putting smiles on people's faces."
Declan Mair said: "You'll be missed lots. You'll be fine making everyone laugh where you are."
Carazan said: "You were like a brother to me. I have been wishing there was some massive mistake. I have been crying, laughing and reminiscing.
"Love you with all our hearts, everyone who ever had the honour of meeting you."
A spokesman for the police said: "A 17-year-old man died as a result of being involved in a collision with a large goods vehicle on the A977 near to Kinross, shortly after 6:30pm on Friday, 10 July.
"Crash investigators attended at the scene to establish the full set of circumstances surrounding the incident."
