The owners of Jimmy Savile’s former Highlands house of horror have promised that demolition of the derelict cottage will happen within a matter of weeks after it was engulfed in flames last week.
The blaze caused chaos when it broke out at the Allt-na-Reigh property on Saturday, February 8, severely damaging the outbuilding and temporarily closing the A82 between Tyndrum and Ballachulish Bridge, a key route between the Central Belt and Fort William.
Savile owned Allt-na-Reigh for around 13 years until his death in 2011. After his death in 2011, Jim’ll Fix It presenter Savile was exposed as one of Britain’s most prolific and high-profile sex offenders. From 1998 until the day he died, he lived in the bungalow which was built at a beauty spot opposite the Three Sisters of Glencoe.
The property has been repeatedly vandalised since revelations of his widespread sexual abuse emerged, turning it into an eyesore in one of Scotland’s most picturesque and visited locations.
In 2021, Fife entrepreneur Harris Aslam, owner of Greens Retail Ltd, acquired the property. Last year, Highland councillors unanimously approved plans to demolish the cottage and replace it with a new three-bedroom family home.
Mr Aslam had planned to preserve and renovate the outbuilding as former owner Hamish MacInnes—celebrated for his contributions to mountaineering—developed the MacInnes Stretcher and the Terrordactyl Ice Axe there. Dr. MacInnes lived at Allt-na-Reigh from 1961 to 1987.
“Planning permission for the cottage’s demolition was approved in June 2024, alongside plans for a contemporary, architecturally refined residence designed to blend harmoniously with Glen Coe’s breathtaking landscape,” the family told the Oban Times.
“While we have been in the process of securing a building warrant, recent events have accelerated our engagement with Highland Council’s building standards team to ensure the site is made safe as a priority.
“Given the sensitive nature of the surrounding environment and the complexity of the project’s design, specialist construction methods will be required, meaning development will take time. However, we remain fully committed to beginning demolition as soon as possible, with broader redevelopment targeted to start in Spring/Summer 2025.
“We recognise the public interest in this site, particularly given Hamish MacInnes’ legacy, but we kindly ask that people refrain from attempting to access the area.”
The Aslam family said they were relived that was no one was harmed during the blaze and thanked the emergency services.
It’s unknow what the cause of the fire was but enquiries are ongoing into the incident. Images from inside the lair, where Savile is believed to have abused 20 victims, show collapsed ceilings, smashed walls and piles of debris. At one point, the property was whitewashed in a bid to deter vandals, however, words such as ‘beast’ and ‘paedo’ remain scrawled onto the exterior walls.
“We understand that the outbuilding at Allt-na-Reigh caught fire over the weekend, causing significant disruption to the A82 and requiring an emergency response,” the Aslam’s added.
“We would like to sincerely thank Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who dispatched crews from Fort William and Kinlochleven and worked diligently to bring the fire under control.
“We are relieved that no one was harmed during the incident.”
Following Savile’s death, the two-bed bungalow was put up for auction and was purchased for £212,000, with the buyer intending to live there. However, it was bought over for a reported £335,000 by the family of Harris Aslam, boss of Kirkcaldy-based convenience stores business Eros Retail.
His plans were initially hit with a flood of objections, including from Heritage Scotland, who said they did not fit the scenic landscape. The property was then given the green light to be bulldozed last year, to make way for a four-bed home.
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