Hotel at historic castle with links to Robert the Bruce is burnt down

by · Mail Online

A former castle hotel with links to Robert the Bruce has been deliberately burned down, police believe.

Converted stables at Airth Castle, which dates back to the 14th century, were set alight with the alarm raised at about 1am on Monday.

Six fire crews and a height vehicle tackled the blaze at the empty property, once owned by the family of the Scots king, with firefighters still present until 11am to dampen down any hot spots left.

There were no reports of injuries.

The once popular wedding venue, which overlooks the village of Airth and the River Forth, operated as a 125-room hotel and spa until it went into voluntary administration and closed its doors in March last year.

Airth Castle, which dates back to the 14th century and has links to Robert the Bruce has been empty since a hotel business folded in 2023
Parts of Airth Castle were destroyed by the early morning fire
Fire damage can be seen in the aftermath of a blaze at Airth Castle
Fire crews were called to Airth Castle at 1am where six appliances and a high reach vehicle found a well developed fire
Police officers at the scene of the fire on Monday 

Its owners said it had raked up ‘unmanageable debts’ following the Covid pandemic and rising energy bills.

In June, police increased patrols around the castle amid increased reports of break-ins, fire damage and vandalism.

And yesterday the force confirmed that following inquiries into the early morning blaze, the case is now being ‘treated as wilful’.

Inspector Neil Wotherspoon said: ‘I’m appealing to anyone who has information about this fire to come forward.

‘Were you in the area at the time and saw anyone acting suspiciously? Do you have private CCTV, doorbell footage or a dashcam which may have picked up anything of significance? If you do, please get in touch with police.

The hotel went into administration in 2023 and has since been closed. Noticeable vandalism has been caused to surrounding areas close to where the fire took place
The once popular wedding venue, which overlooks the village of Airth and the River Forth, operated as a 125-room hotel and spa
Its owners said it had raked up ‘unmanageable debts’ following the Covid pandemic and rising energy bills

‘We are also aware of a number of reports recently of people attending the former castle and hotel to take pictures and videos. I want to stress, this is extremely dangerous given the condition of the building and no one should enter.

‘Officers carry out regular patrols of the area and there is fencing to restrict access. We continue to work with partner agencies to discuss deterrent options for the building.’

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.