Bothwell, an affluent commuter town southeast of Glasgow known for its medieval castle and Victorian villas, has been dubbed the UK's 'firebomb capital' after a decade of unsolved arson attacks. Data from Police Scotland, obtained by the Daily Record in late 2025, revealed 27 incidents of fire raising since 2021, targeting restaurants, vehicles, and homes. Only one suspect has been identified, with no prosecutions, and at least two businesses have been driven out.
The first fires of 2026 occurred in early January when two cars were torched in a residential area, leaving scorch marks on the tarmac. Last autumn, two Main Street premises were set ablaze a month apart: Nel & Co, a dog-friendly bistro, and The Cut steakhouse, which remains cordoned off. Between them, the site of Da Luciano restaurant lies empty after two firebomb attacks led to its demolition in 2023.
Residents are reluctant to speak openly, fearing reprisals. One anonymous local said: 'It's dangerous and only luck that nobody has been hurt or killed yet.' Another noted that all three eateries were owned or run by Hugh O'Donnell or his family. O'Donnell, jailed in 2006 for running a brothel, denied involvement, telling the Daily Record: 'I can categorically tell you that I don't know who is behind this.' He has since left the area.
Vincent Marini's restaurant San Vincenzo, a 2019 Scottish Italian awards finalist, was gutted by a late-night blaze, the third attack in months. Marini claimed he was targeted for defying 'a major Scottish crime family' and posted: 'Sadly they won … We failed. The beast was greater than us.' He has since moved away.
