A woman who moved to her dream home to “become a hermit” has vowed to rebuild the property after it was destroyed by a fierce blaze.
Joanna Davidson moved to the cabin in Moray a decade ago – and even enlisted the help of the Press and Journal to find her perfect hideaway.
The 66-year-old placed an advert looking for a wind and watertight bothy to escape the “rat race” in Aberdeen.
And her search led her to a chalet in the Cairngorms near Tomintoul.
But after a devastating fire caused by an electrical fault in a heater which set curtains alight her home was reduced to a charred ruin.
Ms Davidson said last night: “The house was absolutely idyllic. I absolutely loved it. I’m definitely going back.
“I had to make some compromises in the end. I’ve had to put up with the road, which wasn’t what I wanted, but the whole situation and isolation was what I wanted.
“I have no intention of going anywhere else. I love Tomintoul. The people have been absolutely fantastic since it happened, everyone has been so supportive.
“I’m going to get some sort of place sorted in the village, even in the short term, while I can get my head around what’s happened and rebuild.”
Neighbours said Ms Davidson, who ran a small dog creche at her home, had a “love” for rural life and held a party to introduce herself when she first moved to the area.
Friends have rallied round to help her get new clothes and spectacles and replace her Post Office bank card.
She used to run a bed and breakfast at her chalet beside the A939 Lecht road.
A party of passing tourists form Devon bravely smashed their way into the house after spotting smoke and dragged Ms Davidson out.
She was frantically trying to rescue her three pet dogs.
One of them, a Jackadoodle called Spider, is still missing after running into a nearby field.
Ms Davidson, who needed hospital treatment for smoke inhalation, is staying with her sister in Aberdeen with her surviving dogs, Ginnie and Ash. Her cat died in the blaze.
She plans to visit the remains of her home for the first time next week – having only seen photos of the damage so far in the Press and Journal.
She said: “I’m effectively homeless now. I literally don’t have anything.
“I’m still trying to get my head round it all. Physically, I’m fine but mentally there’s no getting away from the fact it’ll take me a while to comprehend it all.
“There was nothing I could have done, it’s one of those things. I could have probably sorted the fire on the heater but a draft took the flames to the curtains. The house was made of wood so it didn’t stand a chance.”
Four fire crews battled Friday’s blaze but were unable to save the property.
