Desperate plea for return of boy's 100-year-old French made violin lost on Edinburgh bus

The violin has been described as "irreplaceable"

A violin teacher from the Western Isles has made a desperate plea for the return of a 100-year-old violin passed down to a boy from his grandfather - after leaving it on an Edinburgh bus.

The Isle of Lewis-based teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, got on the No.8 bus with her husband at Inverleith Row on Friday morning at about 9:35am but left the instrument behind while hurriedly collecting their luggage before disembarking at Waverley train station.

The couple had been in Edinburgh visiting their son and had taken the violin from the Western Isles to the Capital to be refurbished before heading south to London to fly home.

The couple disembarked at Waverley but realised soon after they had left the violin behind.

She said the instrument, made in France 100 years ago, is only worth a few hundred pounds but she described it as "irreplaceable" for the 13-year-old boy, one of her students.

Speaking to the Evening News on Friday afternoon she said: "We have lost it and it would mean so much to get it back to the family.

"It's a loss that will always be a loss if we can't get it back. If anyone else finds it please just hand it in. If it could be returned we would be enormously grateful."

The teacher said the violin belonged to the boy's late grandfather and had been passed down to the boy, a fluent Gaelic speaker.

She said the boy has been playing the fiddle since he was about six years old and that she has "high hopes" for him as a player.

The couple realised they had left the instrument on the bus about 20 minutes after getting off at Waverley station, and have reported it to Lothian Buses and the police lost property team but are yet to hear anything.

Violin Description

The newly-refurbished violin is inside a very old black wooden case, possibly the original.

The violin strings have red and silver stripes at the bottom.

The instrument is wrapped in a navy silk scarf with little orange flowers on it.

A picture of the violin is not available.

Anyone with information about the violin's whereabouts should contact Lothian Buses or the Police Scotland lost property team, or the Evening News direct on 0131 3117639.

The appeal comes just a few weeks after musician Stephen Morris was reunited with his £250,000 violin taken from a train luggage rack in south London.