A derelict hotel which burned to the ground was due to be demolished within weeks as part of plans to regenerate a Highland village.
Firefighters battled for four hours on Thursday night to tackle the blaze at the former Lady Ross hotel in Ardgay, Sutherland. This is the second time the building has burned down – the previous incident being in 2006 when it was functioning and also served as a post office and shop.
Police confirmed last night that Thursday night’s fire was not being treated as suspicious.
Crews from Bonar Bridge, Dornoch, Lairg and two appliances from Inverness were all called to the scene and a fire service spokeswoman said yesterday that the building was 40% damaged.
Local resident Jazmine Collett, 19, was out with her brother when the pair noticed orange clouds above the building and began smelling gasoline, and upon checking it heard crackling and the breaking of glass inside.
They ran back to their home across the road and their father made the 999 call. Yesterday Ms Collet said: “We told the neighbours about it because we are all very close to the building, and then all of a sudden there was a burst of flame which engulfed the roof. We found out that it was asbestos smoke as you could smell it was toxic. It was making me cough and wheeze and some people were complaining of headaches”.
The Lady Ross was a very busy pub before the opening of the Dornoch Bridge in 1991, when the old A9 took many more people through the village.
Ever since, the Sutherland village has been by-passed and the area has been further hit in recent years by the closure of Carbisdale Castle youth hostel and the destruction of the Falls of Shin visitor centre.
But a planning application was lodged with Highland Council in June by the Kyle of Sutherland Develpoment Trust to demolish the run-down hotel and replace it with a proper village square, bordered by a terrace of four affordable houses, parking and a business centre.
Trust chairman Peter Campbell said: “The hotel was due to come down in the next few weeks. The thing I was concerned about was that the process we are involved in will continue, and I am assured by others in the group today that it will.
“It’s a jolly good thing that no one was hurt and the fire service has played a blinder and have done a really good job, as no other properties were affected”.
