Jimmy Savile's Glencoe cottage to be destroyed and replaced

The Glencoe cottage once owned by disgraced paedophile broadcaster Jimmy Savile is to be destroyed.

The Highland Council planning committee approved plans to demolish and replace the home with a large, contemporary house.

Allt-Na-Reigh sits beside the A82 Fort William to Glasgow road but has been repeatedly vandalised over the years since Savile’s death in 2011.

The planning application references an incident in which VisitScotland posted an image of the Three Sisters range with the building in the foreground on Instagram that it then deleted saying it had been posted in error due to the negative reaction.

Slogans painted on Alt-na-reigh, the cottage owned by Jimmy Savile, situated next to the A82 road that runs from Fort William to Glasgow. Getty Images

It is the only dwelling in the near area and sits within the dramatic landscape of the valley around six miles from the town of Glencoe.

The two-bedroom bungalow was originally purchased for £212,000 with the buyer intending to live there, but has since been bought by the family of Harris Aslam, boss of Kirkcaldy-based convenience stores business Greens Retail Ltd.

Disgraced disc jockey Jimmy Savile. Getty Images

The proposal is for a three-bedroom family home with the design referencing “the wider traditional style of Scottish cottages” including white render and darkened timber.

“It is our belief that the ensemble of these design moves are sensitive and considerate of the surroundings,” the application design statement by Jon Frullani architects says.

The plans also say that Allt-na-Reigh’s redevelopment would include honouring another former owner of the cottage – Dr Hamish MacInnes.

Dr MacInnes, who died in 2020, was a Scottish mountaineer, explorer, mountain search and rescuer described as the “father of modern mountain rescue in Scotland”.

The proposal is for a three-bedroom family home with the design referencing 'the wider traditional style of Scottish cottages' including white render and darkened timber. — The proposal is for a three-bedroom family home with the design referencing ‘the wider traditional style of Scottish cottages’ including white render and darkened timber. Highland Council/Jon Frullani Architect Ltd

Outbuildings where he invented the famous equipment are to be redeveloped as an ancillary dwelling and named Hamish House.

Highland Council’s planning applications committee considered the proposed redevelopment on Tuesday, June 18.

This included an objection from the National Trust for Scotland.

Scotland’s largest heritage conservation charity, which has cared for Glencoe National Nature Reserve since the 1930s, said it was disappointed that plans have been approved to build the home and convert Mr McInnes’ former workshop into additional overnight accommodation.

“This is a prominent location in the heart of the Glen, right on our reserve boundary, and the new modern building will feature in some of the Highlands most iconic views – including the one on the front cover of our Glencoe guidebook,” a spokesperson said.

“We feel it will distract and detract from the immersive experience of travelling through a natural and cultural landscape that is renowned and valued across the world. The proposed design and materials do not reflect Glen Coe’s long-established, distinct built heritage – that is, white-washed cottages, some of the most admired and photographed in Scotland.

“We would be keen to work with the property’s owners on more sympathetic alternatives for the future of this high-profile location which has been allowed to fall derelict in recent years.”