A heritage campaign group has called the devastation at Ayr Station Hotel a "tragic day" and issued a plea that part of the historic building be saved.

Fire broke out at the B-listed building on Monday evening and two teenagers have since been charged following the blaze, which continued overnight and into Tuesday.

Train services have been disrupted and roads closed as emergency services deal with the incident.

Ayr Station Hotel, in the stewardship of South Ayrshire Council, had lain empty and surrounded by scaffolding for almost five years due to safety concerns.

One of the country's grandest railway hotels, it had been the focus of a recent SAVE Britain's Heritage report by buildings engineer Ed Morton of the Morton Partnership which suggested the building was in better condition than previously thought.

The group had called on local politicians to re-think demolition plans and to consider a refurbishment option that included introducing a range of uses on the upper floors, from modern office suites to studio space.

Henrietta Billings, director of SAVE Britain's Heritage, said: "This is a tragic day for Ayr and for historic buildings in Scotland.

"It is shocking that this listed building could be hit by another fire - this time much more serious it seems.

"It is one of the most fiercely debated and scrutinised buildings in the town.

"We urgently need a survey of the building now to understand its structural condition following the fire and how much of the station hotel can be saved. The causes of the fire must be fully investigated, and those found responsible held accountable."

Ayr Station Hotel was designed by Scottish engineer Andrew Galloway.

It was built in 1885 and opened with 75 rooms designed for affluent visitors who holidayed in Ayrshire and visited the fashionable races.

Constructed in red sandstone, it is built in the grand French Renaissance chateau style with turrets, a clock tower and inside it has many original features like marble fireplaces and staircases.

Matthew Mckeague, Chief Executive Officer at The Architectural Heritage Fund, said: "It is extremely tragic to see this, so soon after the report produced by SAVE and funded by the Architectural Heritage Fund demonstrated that the reuse of Ayr Station Hotel was indeed possible.

"Too many historic buildings are lost forever like this, we can only hope that something of the hotel can be salvaged and put back into use."

In December 2022 South Ayrshire Councillors voted to pursue a demolition strategy for the South Wing of the hotel at a cost of £6.6 million.

However, a new report, based on surveys commissioned by SAVE and published on September 14 found the building was in better condition than previously known.

It was the first time the building had been surveyed since 2019.

Ed Morton, managing director of The Morton Partnership, said: "I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the further fire at The Station Hotel, which I visited only a short time ago and which was found to be in a condition where repairs and re-use of the building was perfectly possible. "Whilst the fire has clearly affected the structure, I would imagine the walls and solid floors have survived and can be hopefully re-used."

Jocelyn Cunliffe, Vice-Chair of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS), added: “The AHSS was dismayed to learn of another serious fire in the former Ayr Station Hotel.

"We hope that this will prove to be a catalyst towards a change of heart for the future preservation of this building and to the recognition that the built heritage is of vital importance to the future of this key historic town.”

SAVE has been campaigning to rescue and bring life back to the hotel since 2016 and had, in August last year, published a report setting out a two-stage model to repair and transform the listed building.

Multiple crews were sent to deal with the fire in the B-listed building shortly after 5.30pm on Monday and five were still at the scene on Tuesday morning, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said.

Police said that two male youths, aged 17 and 13, have been arrested and charged in connection with alleged fire-raising following the incident.

They will both be reported to the relevant authorities and further inquiries are ongoing.

SFRS said that at the height of the incident 15 appliances were at the scene tackling the blaze.

A number of roads in the town are closed as emergency services continue to deal with what was the second fire this year at the derelict building.

Two teenagers were charged by police following a blaze there in May.

ScotRail confirmed the latest incident has caused disruption to local train services.

The line was closed between Ayr and Girvan and between Ayr and Irvine on Tuesday morning.

Police Scotland Superintendent Gillian Grant said: "We are aware of the significant disruption that this fire continues to cause for local residents in businesses in Ayr.

"I would urge people to be aware of the road closures and plan their journeys accordingly.

"I would ask people to avoid the area wherever possible to allow emergency services to work safely at the scene."