Top industrialist dies in hotel fire Top industrialist dies in fire at Highland hotel

into New Year's Day.

Nearly 190 other people, including 32 children, managed to escape in

their nightclothes to safety.

The man who died was Mr Graham Strachan, 63, a director of Scott

Lithgow Ltd, on the lower Clyde, since 1984 -- but best known for his

30-year association with John Brown Engineering in Clydebank where he

began as an apprentice and ended up as managing director.

The dead woman was named as Mrs Patricia Shaw, 55, of Pondfields

Drive, Kippax, Leeds.

Mr Strachan was also chairman of the Scottish Council Foundation,

vice-presidency of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry), and

a directorship of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.

His wife Catherine, 59, was taken from the ski resort to Inverness's

Raigmore Hospital after the fire. Her condition is not thought to be

life threatening.

Mr Strachan, of The Mill House, Milndavie Road, Strathblane, listed

skiing as a recreation in Who's Who.

Mr and Mrs Strachan had gone to Aviemore to bring in the New Year.

Neighbours in Strathblane, on the outskirts of Glasgow, last night

expressed their shock and sorrow at the tragedy.

Mrs Marjorie McNicol, of the Milndavie Farm Riding School, said she

had known the couple, who have two grown-up sons, for the past 12 years.

Mrs McNicol said: ''They are very nice people, although they kept

themselves to themselves. I was very upset to hear the news.''

Another neighbour, Mr Roy Thompson, of Milndavie Road, said: ''It's

quite a shock, I must admit. They were extremely good neighbours. We are

all devastated.''

Mr Peter Mackay, secretary and chief executive of the Scottish Office

Industry Department said last night: ''He was a very straightforward and

public spirited man.

''He certainly made a very significant contribution to Scottish

engineering and also to the wider community in Scotland in both the

public and private sectors. As far as the Government was concerned, he

was always ready to do his bit for the common good.''

Seven had to receive medical attention and one was detained at

Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

Highland regional councillor for the area, Dr Iain Glen, said last

night: ''There is a great sadness in Aviemore tonight over the two

deaths and nobody would ever understate the tragedy of that. But there

is also a feeling that we have just avoided an absolute nightmare of a

disaster.''

The fire was discovered in the kitchen area of the Stakis-owned Four

Seasons Hotel at 4.55am. The hotel manager, Iraq born Houseman Meshkati,

tried to tackle the blaze himself but had to be dragged back for his own

safety.

The local fire brigade unit was in attendance within minutes but four

other units and six ambulances from Inverness, 32 miles away and

Kingussie and Grantown on Spey, 15 miles away, had to fight their way

through the blizzrds that were sweeping the A9 Perth to Inverness road.

Divisional fire officer Mr John Cheadle said yesterday: ''This fire

was fairly severe, but it was in a limited area used for storage, office

space and kitchen preparation.

''The crews brought it under control but smoke was filling the

corridors and staircases. Most of the guests had been evacuated but

quite a few were still in their rooms and were shouting down from their

windows.

''They were taken to safety by crews wearing breathing apparatus. An

investigation into how the fire started has already begun but there are

no indications as to its cause so far.

''Mrs Shaw died as she was being evacuated down a ladder. Mr Strachan

was found on a staircase directly above where the fire started. It was

particularly difficult because it was a New Year's morning and we didn't

know how many of the 190 guests were in their rooms.

The hotel was filled with skiers and other holidaymakers enjoying a

New Year in the Highlands. One was Mr Robert Broadfoot, 46, a dentist

from Pollokshields in Glasgow who was on a three day break and was

staying in a second floor room. He said that when he heard the alarm go

off he thought it was a false alarm.

''I just presumed somebody had set it off as a carry-on or something,

but I got up and grabbed a few clothes anyway. As soon as I got into the

hall I could smell the smoke and realised there really was a fire.

''Hotel staff were on the scene quickly and they took us out to the

car park. I saw the kitchen was in flames.

''There were folk up on the fourth and fifth floors until quite late

on. They couldn't get out and had to be helped. The conditions were bad

because of the snow and wind. It was difficult for the firemen,'' he

said.

Meanwhile retired driver Mr James Lockie, 73, from Plymouth, praised

the hotel staff and firemen who helped him escape the building when he

began having breathing problems. He had left his sixth floor room with

his wife Sylvia when he began suffering from the smoke.

''The hotel staff appeared and helped me all the way. They did a

really good job. I have breathing problems anyway but the smoke was

making it worse after I had come down a couple of floors,'' he said.

Firemen by carried Mr and Mrs Locke to safety.

Mr Don Lawson, managing director of the Aviemore Mountain Resort, on

whose land the Four Seasons stands, said: ''The local unit was here

within minutes and reinforcements arrived quickly afterwards despite the

terrible blizzard conditions.

''They had the situation quickly under control and there is no doubt

they prevented further deaths as a lot of people were at their bedroom

windows, some up to six floors up. Anyne trying to jump would have been

killed.''

An emergency evacuation centre was set up at the nearby Crofters bar

where the freezing guests were looked after with hot drinks and

blankets.

Mr Karly Turner, area manager for the Stakis Group hotels, meanwhile

said that guests had been taken to the company's other complex in the

area at Coylumbridge. Other hotels were being contacted to see if they

could accommodate them.

Inspector John MacDonald of the Northern Constabulary said a report

would be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in Inverness.