A TEENAGER has had his ashes scattered across the Scottish loch that claimed his life.

Adam Shad, 15, drowned following a violent storm which hit the small community of Ardlui, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, three weeks ago.

Relatives and friends of the North-East youngster drove to the small village for a ceremony at the spot where his body was discovered two days after he disappeared.

As a highland piper played Amazing Grace, his mother, Jeanette Cooper, and step-father Terry Cooper, scattered his ashes from a boat into the loch and threw red roses into the water.

Speaking at the small ceremony, Mrs Cooper, of Low Fell, Gateshead, said: "Adam died in the most beautiful place he had ever seen. Terry, I and the family have come to the conclusion that Adam had found his place, his home."

Adam's brothers Jo-Jo, 12, and Craig, 20, and his sister, Laura, 18, had written some words but were too upset to read them.

Other mourners included family friends Steven and David Blaney, who were pall-bearers at the funeral, Adam's best friend, Billy Carr, and Ardlui Hotel manager Scott Squires, who took the group in his boat to the middle of the loch.

Now Mrs Cooper, 39, and Mr Cooper, 36, are hoping to move to Ardlui.

Mr Cooper said: "We always wanted to move up here, but were going to wait until Jo-Jo and Adam finished school. But we feel so close to Adam up here, that we want to move here as soon as we can."

The family had been camping at the Ardlui Hotel campsite on the banks of Loch Lomond when tragedy struck on August 6.

Adam had set out to Climb Cruach Hill, but when Mr Cooper returned to pick Adam up, he was nowhere to be seen.

Mr Cooper said: "I regret taking him out and I regret letting him go off by himself.

"But he was such an impetuous teenager and he just wanted to be on his own for a while."

A two-day hunt by police and a search and rescue team failed to find him, and a fierce thunder and lightning storm hit the area, which caused the waters to swell.

A post-mortem examination revealed Adam had drowned.

He was cremated at Saltwell Crematorium, Gateshead, on August 15.