Demolition is favoured option for Savile's former Glencoe home

The new owners of the Glencoe cottage that was once home to the disgraced DJ and television presenter, Jimmy Savile, have revealed their preferred option is to raze it to the ground and replace it with a modern architect-designed property.

 

Harris Aslam, director of Fife-based Scottish convenience store operator Eros Retail, together with his cousin and business partner, Raza Rehman, and other family members, bought Allt-na-Reigh, for a sum reported to be £335,000.

 

At an online public consultation this week, the two young Scottish entrepreneurs received general support for their plans to replace the existing house, which has been repeatedly vandalised, with a contemporary home designed by Dundee-based architect, Jon Frullani.

 

The hope is also to incorporate some kind of tribute or memorial to another previous owner, the late mountaineering legend Dr Hamish MacInnes, in an outbuilding on the site.

 

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 have been the easiest and cheapest option, it was concluded this was not a viable option if they wanted to rid the site of its association with Savile.

 

Helen Fairlie, chairperson of Glen Etive and Glencoe Community Council, wanted to know if Mr Aslam and his family would live in the proposed new three-bedroom house on a permanent basis.

 

'Just from the security issues you talked about because I think it will take a long time for people to move away from the unfortunate bit of its history,' she said.

 

Mr Aslam said his family was considering various possibilities, adding: 'We are quite an extensive family so the hope is there will be somebody there most of the time.'

 

Local resident and friend of the late Dr MacInnes, David Gunn, told the meeting the legendary mountaineer would not have wanted a museum, although some small acknowledgement on the outbuilding where his famous ice axe and mountain rescue stretcher were designed would be a nice gesture.

 

'But Hamish's legacy lives on in the climbs he's done, the films and books he made and his contribution to mountain rescue, so I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to memorialise him,' added Mr Gunn.

 

On the link to Savile, Mr Gunn refused to even use the late DJ's name. 'He's not worthy of even being mentioned,' he said.

 

'But I am sensitive to the fact that if the building was kept in its current form, it will still be a target to ignorant people not aware of its real history.

 

'It would be nice having you live in the glen and be part of the community. I think your design is good - I like it and think its great to see it moving forward.'

 

Mr Aslam said the hope was for a planning application to be lodged with Highland Council by the end of this month if possible.