THE CAR of a man who has been missing for more than a week has been found almost 80 miles from his home.

Richard Lyon, 59, from the village of Kirkmichael in Ayrshire, has not been seen since 7am last Tuesday when he left his home in Portcheek Terrace.

Police said his silver Honda CRV car, registration RJ55 EBP, was found in Doune Road, Dunblane, at 10.15am yesterday. It is the first time the car has been seen since last Thursday when it was spotted on the A80 near Castlecary, North Lanarkshire.

Mr Lyon is a keen hillwalker and police are looking at the possibility he may be out in the hills.

On Tuesday his family made a public appeal for information about his whereabouts.

His son David Lyon, who flew home from Australia to make the appeal, said: “Please, please help us. We need the public to jog their memory to last Tuesday. My dad was a very private and generous man who wouldn’t ask for help. He was a very proud, self-sufficient man who loved Scotland and wandering the hills.”

Mr Lyon, a land surveyor, was reportedly feeling “rather low” before he disappeared.

Strathclyde Police want to speak to anyone who saw him in the Dunblane area.

Inspector Andrew Clapperton said: “As each day passes we are growing increasingly concerned for Mr Lyon’s well-being, particularly since his car has now been recovered.”

Mr Lyon is 5ft 10in, of medium build and has grey receding hair and a beard. He also wears glasses. When relatives last saw him he was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and trainers.