Plans to build a new home on the site of a vandalised cottage once owned by Jimmy Savile have been opposed by the National Trust for Scotland.
The cottage, Allt-na-Reigh, sits opposite the glen’s Three Sisters ridges of the 1,150m (3,773ft) mountain Biden nam Bian.
The presenter, who exploited hundreds of people, mostly vulnerable young women, owned Allt-na-Reigh for about 13 years up until his death in 2011. It has been repeatedly targeted by vandals since details of his abuse emerged.
The site’s new owner is the family of Harris Aslam, boss of Kirkcaldy-based convenience stores business Greens Retail Ltd.
In a planning application to Highland Council, Mr Aslam proposes demolishing the cottage and building a three-bedroom family home honouring an earlier owner: the legendary Scottish climber and inventor Dr Hamish MacInnes, who died in 2020.
Commenting on the planning application, Glencoe and Glen Etive Community Council said it does not wish to object, and requested “action be taken as soon as possible to demolish the existing building, which has been repeatedly damaged by acts of vandalism and is now a risk to health and safety”.
However the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which manages the Glencoe National Nature Reserve, said the design would “distract and detract” from the renowned landscape.
NTS said Glen Coe’s properties “share a common architectural character and visual identity – they are white-wash stone cottages with slate roofs.
“Clearly the current vandalised state of Allt-Na-Reigh, which has been exacerbated by the absence of a permanent resident for many years now, needs to be addressed.
“However, this site’s natural and cultural heritage goes back far beyond this recent unfortunate chapter and should not be set aside in the search for a solution.
“We do not believe the solution is a building of deliberate contemporary styling in this prominent location in Glen Coe.
“This is without precedent and will distract and detract from the immersive experience of travelling through a landscape renowned and valued across the world.”