A man appeared in court charged in connection with a major fire at a Highland hotel.
Firefighters battled the blaze at the West Highland Hotel in Mallaig for 10 hours on Monday evening.
The family-run establishment was left badly damaged in the wake of the fire.
Now Jack Salter, 24, of Fort William, has appeared in private before Sheriff David Sutherland at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Accused granted bail
Salter, represented by Inverness solicitor advocate Mike Chapman, faces a total of three charges, including that he wilfully set fire to the interior of the hotel, causing extensive damage to both the interior and structure of the building.
He is also accused of breaking into the hotel and stealing a power tool, a number of photographs in frames and a number of keys.
He is further charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards a woman on January 3, 2022 in Mallaig.
Hotel left ‘badly damaged’
Salter made no plea during the hearing and was granted bail while the case against him was committed for further examination.
Owners Gavin and Sine Davis have since confirmed online that, although the fire has “badly damaged” the hotel, it has been confined to one area.
No one was in the building at the time of the fire, as the hotel is currently closed – but Mr and Mrs Davis have vowed to reopen, as planned, next month.
They wrote: “Although the hotel is badly damaged, it is mostly confined to one area of the hotel and thankfully there was nobody inside.
“We fully intend to open as planned in February, albeit with reduced rooms. We look forward to thanking you in person then.”
