Inside Jimmy Savile’s dilapidated former lair now derelict and reduced to ash

The crumbling shell of  former Highlands retreat has finally met its fate, with the notorious paedophile’s once-prized home now little more than a derelict ruin marked for demolition.

Once a cosy croft house nestled in the stunning Glen Coe landscape, the property at Allt-na-Reigh has fallen into total disrepair since Savile died in 2011. Vandalised, covered in graffiti, and left to rot, the single-storey house has become an eerie monument to one of Britain’s most reviled figures. The roof is caving in, the windows are smashed, and the walls are scrawled with messages condemning its former owner, whose vile crimes were exposed after his death.

Described as a “blot” on the picturesque Highlands, the infamous cottage has been at the centre of calls for demolition for over a decade.

Now, after years of delays, its new owner, retail boss Harris Aslam, has vowed to tear it down “as soon as possible. ” Plans for a complete rebuild have already been approved.

But fire took its toll on the site even before the wrecking ball could swing. Emergency services raced to the property earlier this month after flames engulfed an outbuilding next to the cottage.

“Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances,” confirmed Police Scotland.

For years, the property’s grim history has overshadowed its past links to a true Highlands hero, the legendary climber and inventor Dr Hamish MacInnes. The revered mountaineer, who passed away in 2020, previously owned the home and developed life-saving rescue equipment on-site. Now, as part of the redevelopment, outbuildings where MacInnes worked will be transformed into an ancillary dwelling aptly named Hamish House to honour his legacy.

The approved plans will see the existing cottage replaced with a brand-new four-bedroom home that blends into the rugged Glen Coe landscape. The main house will connect to the outbuildings via a single-storey section with a grass-covered roof.

Once a quaint road worker’s cottage, the site was forever tainted when it fell into the hands of Savile in 1998. Dr MacInnes later admitted he had been “hoodwinked” into selling the house to the disgraced TV presenter, unaware of his monstrous crimes.

In May 2013, Ross Harper Auctioneers listed the house for sale at a guide price of £100,000.

The auctioneers, who referred to the property as “Allt-na-Ruigh” in some Ordnance Survey records, described it as a “traditional refurbished detached cottage sitting within its own policies in an attractive location within scenic Highland countryside”.

When Savile’s reign of terror was exposed posthumously, the cottage was put up for auction in 2013, selling for double its asking price. However, its association with the notorious predator proved too toxic, with multiple owners distancing themselves from the property over the years.