Hotel at historic castle with links to Robert the Bruce is burnt down
by Paul Cargill · Mail OnlineA 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.
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.
‘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.