Jimmy Savile was no stranger to Scotland and is believed to have made his first visit there on a cycling holiday in 1944.
Cottage in Glencoe
In 1998, he bought a cottage Allt-na-Reigh in Glencoe, which he used as a retreat until his death in 2011. The house, situated beside the A82 Fort William to Glasgow road, was demolished in March this year after it became an eyesore because of attacks of vandalism and graffiti about Savile.
In 2012, it was searched by police as part of Operation Yewtree, the UK-wide investigation into allegations of historic sex abuse by Savile and other celebrities such as Rolf Harris. Police in Scotland carried out investigations into around 20 allegations of sex abuse by Savile north of the border.
Prince Charles dinner
The disgraced DJ once entertained Prince Charles over dinner at the cottage. Savile famously hired three waitresses for the occasion and dressed them in aprons bearing the initials HRH. It was featured in the notorious Louis Theroux documentary, When Louis Met Jimmy.
Savile became a regular in Glencoe village, with residents saying he was an “attention seeker” who would wander around in a tartan kilt waving at passing tourists.
Hospital connections
Operation Yewtree also looked at Savile’s connections to three hospitals in Scotland believed to include the Crichton Royal psychiatric hospital in Dumfries, the State Hospital at Carstairs and Belford Hospital in Fort William.
In his later years Savile made regular trips to Glencoe, using it as a secluded hideaway to escape the fame as one of Britain’s best-known faces. The eccentric DJ was chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for 34 years and was described as an “adopted local” by community leaders in the immediate aftermath of his death and before the abuse allegations became public.
During his lifetime, Savile was known for his eccentric image, charitable work and hosting the BBC shows Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It. Following his death at the age of 84, hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse made against him were investigated, leading cops to conclude that he had been a predatory sex offender. Savile’s victims allegedly included young children and the elderly.
