Historic Scottish hotel Spean Bridge damaged in fire
The historic Spean Bridge hotel in Scotland's Lochaber has suffered damage after a fire broke out yesterday afternoon.
The fire broke out at around 3.30pm in the building's roof space, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Four fire engines and an aerial rescue platform were sent to the scene. Firefighters had the blaze under control by 10.30pm, and the incident is not being treated as suspicious.
No-one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries, but the hotel saw extensive damage to the roof above the restaurant, and smoke damage to bedrooms.
The hotel is home to a wide collection of historic memorabilia from WWII Commandos, none of which was damaged in the fire.
In a statement, the Fire Service group manager for Lochaber, Pat McElhinney, said: "I would like to praise the crews for their quick actions which prevented the fire from spreading to the area of the bar where much of the establishment's treasured commando memorabilia was located. Their hard work has saved a vital community function area as well as a key business in the local area."
Speaking to McElhinney, hotel manager Beth Sessions added: "Thankfully the Commando Bar is totally unaffected by fire and smoke and I'd like to thank Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for the way they quickly dealt with this fire, which will allow us to continue to do business."
The 26-bedroom Inverness-shire hotel was originally a 17th century coaching inn, and offers a selection of bedroom types including family rooms, doubles, and separate multiple-bedroom chalets with en-suite bathrooms. It also has a restaurant serving seasonal food and bar meals, plus an organic wine list.
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