A remote two-bed bungalow thought to have been used by Jimmy Savile to abuse some of his victims will be demolished ‘as soon as possible’, its owners have said.
The notorious paedophile owned the cottage, on the Allt-na-Reigh estate in Scotland’s Glen Coe mountains, from around 1998 until his death in 2011.
Vandals trashed the derelict property after the extent of his prolific sex abuse was exposed and covered the ruins in graffiti.
A fire broke out at an outbuilding on the property on Saturday and was extinguished by firefighters, with detectives now investigating the cause.
Councillors approved plans to demolish the building last July, calling the building ‘a stain on Scotland’s most outstanding landscape’.
Fife businessman Hamish MacInnes on Thursday appeared to suggest the fire incident prompted a decision to speed up the process.
‘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,’ he told the Oban Times.
‘We recognise the public interest in this site but we kindly ask that people refrain from attempting to access the area.’
‘Given the delicate nature of the surrounding environment and the exemplary design of the project, specialist construction methods will be required, which means the development will take time.
‘However, we are fully committed to beginning demolition as soon as possible, with the broader redevelopment targeted to commence in spring/summer 2025.’
Savile once welcomed King Charles, then-Prince of Wales, for dinner in the cottage in 1999.
He saw the property for the first time during a cycling trip in 1944, and he lived there from 1998 until he died.
The home also featured in the Louis Theroux documentary ‘When Louis Met Jimmy’, when Louis spent a week with the BBC presenter in 2000.
Police raided the property a year after his death to look for evidence of Savile’s horrific crimes, as several victims came forward after he died. It’s now thought he abused up to 20 victims in the property.
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