THE body that represents Scotland’s mountaineers has objected to plans to demolish a Highland cottage once owned by prolific sex offender Jimmy Savile and replace it with a des res “futuristic” home.
Savile lived in the property at Allt-na-Reigh in Glencoe from 1998 until his death in 2011. It has been repeatedly vandalised with slogans over the years since his death.
The disgraced DJ is believed to have abused up to 20 people inside his remote lair nestled in the Highlands.
The cottage sits beside the A82 Fort William to Glasgow road and was also once the home of mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes, who founded mountain rescue teams, invented the MacInnes stretcher – which is used for rescues worldwide – and also designed the first all-metal ice axe.
Following the TV personality’s death in 2011, the two-bedroom bungalow was put up for auction.
It was purchased for £212,000 with the buyer intending to live there. However, it has since been bought by the family of retail tycoon Harris Aslam, who wants to replace it with a distinctive modern home.
But Mountaineering Scotland, which has more than 15,000 members, has objected to the proposal before Highland Council.
“The cottage features in one of the iconic views of Scotland, the view of the Three Sisters of Glencoe from the A82 heading west,” said Mountaineering Scotland. “Having looked at the artist’s impressions of the new design that were submitted with the planning application, Mountaineering Scotland has concerns with what is proposed.
“The concept of rebuilding a cottage at this location is fine, as there has been a cottage here for many years.
“What we are questioning is the design which seems to elevate the building above the roadside, making it appear to be standing proud in the landscape.
“This has the effect of drawing the eye to the structure itself and away from the scenic landscape, seeming to impose the building on the landscape, rather than within the landscape as the plans suggest. This is in a National Scenic Area, a designation that acknowledges that the landscape here is up there with the best that Scotland has to offer.”
There was a community consultation about these plans, in September, which Mountaineering Scotland’s CEO, Stuart Younie, attended.
The conclusion was that there was no problem with renovation of a cottage on the existing development footprint or the principle of demolishing the existing cottage to enable it to be replaced with a new build. Several others have objected including one couple who described the proposed dwelling as a “large futuristic building” and Glencoe And Glen Etive Community Council also has concerns.
But NatureScot wrote: “There are natural heritage interests of international importance on the site, but our advice is that these will not be adversely affected by the proposal.”
Mr Aslam, who is in his 20s, is director of Fife-based Scottish convenience store operator Eros Retail, which is part of the family’s Glenshire group of companies. Together with his cousin and business partner Raza Rehman – and other family members – they bought the property from an Edinburgh builder for a reported £335,000. He said they wanted to turn it into a family home with its “beautiful location”.
During a question-and-answer session with around 20 people, it was made clear that while Mr Aslam and Mr Rehman had looked at renovating the main existing building, which would be the easiest and cheapest option, it was concluded this was not viable if they wanted to rid the site of its association with Savile.
“Yes the property does have a dark history – but only for a certain period. I think we can do something really positive with it,” said Mr Aslam.
Over the years, the cottage had several slogans daubed on its walls – which had been whitewashed years earlier in an effort to deter vandals.
The word “paedo” was daubed on the side of the hillside house. Among previous slogans was scrawled “Jimmy the beast”.
Savile first saw the cottage on a cycling holiday in 1944. The disgraced DJ once entertained Prince Charles over dinner at the cottage and it was featured in notorious Louis Theroux documentary When Louis Met Jimmy.
He became a regular in Glencoe village, with residents saying he was an “attention seeker” who would wander around in a Highland kilt waving at passing tourists.
One man from the area described how he had asked for the DJ’s autograph and instead got a bizarre message from him that read ‘lost girls’ should visit him.
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