Scotland’s EuroMillion lottery winners celebrate jackpot win

Colin and Chris Weir were handed a cheque for £161,653,000 after scooping the EuroMillions jackpot on Tuesday night.

Chris, 55, a retired psychiatric nurse, said they were “so buzzed” that they sat up all night in disbelief, watching the sun come up as they waited for Camelot’s phone lines to open.

“We even opened a bottle of wine and I don’t drink. That’s how excited we were,” she said.

“The news gradually hit us. The Camelot line was closed for the night but we couldn’t sleep. We sat up all night and saw dawn come round the next morning – we were tickled pink. I even had a glass of white wine which is something I normally only do at Christmas. It really is unbelievable.”

It seems mammoth, it seems absolutely fantastical…but at the same time we’re not scared of it. It’s going to be fantastic and it’s going to be so much fun. Chris Weir

Mrs Weir said Camelot’s operator was as excited as she was when she finally placed the call when the lines opened at 9am.

After a night in front of the television watching CSI, she checked the results at midnight, and began circling the numbers as they came up.

“All the circles seemed to add up. I had all of them but couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said.

Mrs Weir checked them three or four times before telling her husband Colin, a retired TV cameraman and studio manager.

The couple, who have been married for 30 years and have two children in their twenties, said winning felt like a dream.

Mrs Weir said: “It seems mammoth, it seems absolutely fantastical…but at the same time we’re not scared of it. It’s going to be fantastic and it’s going to be so much fun.”

Mr Weir, 64, added: “It feels like a good thing, something we should not to be afraid of but for us to enjoy with the children.”

Their daughter Carly, 24, is studying photography at college and son Jamie, 22, works at a local call centre.

“The kids are very down to earth and we are confident they will remain level headed,” Mr Weir said. “They have some great friends who we know will give them lots of support and of course they have a fantastic chance in life now to follow their dreams and do whatever they want.”

His wife added: “Neither of them drive, because they couldn’t afford cars so now they will be taking driving lessons.”

Spending the spoils

The couple, from Largs in Ayrshire, plan to buy both their children their own homes.

They are also considering buying other properties for themselves. Mrs Weir said: “We love the town we live in and the scenery beside it. The ambience, it’s beautiful. There are other places we love too though, so yes we will certainly be looking at second homes – even third homes.”

The couple are keen to plan an exotic holiday. Mrs Weir said: “For Colin, holidays have never really appealed with travelling being such a hassle for him but First Class could definitely persuade him.

“We have both always wanted to see the Great Wall of China and Colin would love to stand at the foot of Ayers Rock in Australia. We also love art galleries so this gives us the chance to visit those in Paris and in Russia. These are all things we thought we would never see.”

Mr Weir added: “I want to find out what is so spiritual about Ayers Rock, it’s something that fascinates me.”

Both have suffered from health conditions in recent years rendering them unable to work. Mrs Weir was a nurse for 37 years, specialising in mental health before retiring three years ago due to her deteriorating health.

We have both always wanted to see the Great Wall of China and Colin would love to stand at the foot of Ayers Rock in Australia. Chris Weir

Mr Weir, who suffers from a leg inquiry and rheumatoid arthritis, is a keen football fan and follows Spanish team Barcelona. He now hopes to watch Barcelona play at home from the comfort of his own box.

The couple said they will also plan donations to charities. Mrs Weir said: “It would be very easy to throw money at people but we need to do it in a planned way…where the benefit goes to the people that really need it.”