Jimmy Savile’s former Highland cottage has been demolished.
Allt-na-Reigh on the A82 in Glen Coe was owned by the prolific sex offender from 1998 for around 13 years.
After the former TV personality’s abuse emerged following his death in 2011, the property has faced repeated damage, including from a fire and vandalism.
Highland Council has confirmed the paperwork has gone through to bulldoze the whitewashed cottage, with pictures of the site showing the property has been razed to the ground. A spokesperson for the new owner, Scottish entrepreneur Harris Aslam, said the cottage has now been demolished, with a new property set to be built on the site.
A spokesperson for the council told The Independent: “As of 24 February 2026, a Building Warrant was approved for demolition. The applicant has yet to apply for a completion certificate for the demolition works.”
A spokesperson for the Aslam family said: “We can confirm that primary demolition works at Allt-na-Reigh have now been completed, following the receipt of all necessary consents and approvals. We are grateful to the Highland Council for their support in enabling this next phase of the site’s future.
“Set against the backdrop of Glencoe and the Three Sisters, this is an area of extraordinary natural beauty. We will commence construction on a prestigious home of exceptional quality that is reflective of the landscape in which it sits.”
Opinion has been divided over what should happen to the cottage, which was previously the home of renowned Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes.
Some had suggested it should be demolished, while mountaineers thought it should be transformed into a museum dedicated to their sport.
The spokesperson for the Aslam family said that MacInnes will be honoured in the redevelopment.
Previous plans to turn the property into a respite care centre for disabled people were abandoned when the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust closed in the wake of the scandal surrounding the former Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It host.
Councillor Andrew Baxter told the BBC that local residents are “delighted that it’s finally gone” and they can “move on from that connection with Savile”.
He added: “It was a complete blight on the entry way into the beautiful Glen Coe scenic area. It was falling down, it had been a target for vandalism and virtually every square inch of it was covered in graffiti. It was really an absolute eyesore and an embarrassment for people who lived locally.”
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