Fairways retail units in Inverness destroyed in deliberate fire will be rebuilt as soon as possible, vows owner

The owner of a building destroyed in a fire attack in Inverness earlier this month has vowed to rebuild it as soon as possible.

Six retail units at Fairways Business Park were destroyed in a massive blaze when a car was deliberately driven into the premises and set alight.

Owner Ewan Mcfarlane, who was abroad on holiday at the time of the incident just after midnight on March 9, described it as “horrific” but said the building would be rebuilt as quickly as possible subject to planning permission.

In an exclusive interview with The Inverness Courier at the devastated site - which is the subject of a joint police and fire investigation - Mr Mcfarlane said he shared the local community’s sense of shock and anger at what had happened.

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“There has been a tragedy but the insurance company has accepted the claim which allows me to plan for the future,” Mr Mcfarlane said.

“We are looking to rebuild the property just as soon as practically possible.

“We have appointed building surveyors and they will project manage the whole thing from demolition to rebuilding it.”

Mr Mcfarlane, whose SIPP pension fund has owned the building for eight years, is a director of Highland Business Associates.

The retail spaces were occupied by firms including SJ Travel Centre, Scottish Premium Seafoods, a Harry Gow bakery and hairdressers Hair Chic and Hair for Men.

Mr Mcfarlane became aware of the blaze while on the last day of a golfing holiday in Morocco.

Having woken at 6.30am, he spotted a missed call from a tenant at 1.30am and assumed it was a ‘pocket dial’ mistake but when he checked the STV news he discovered there had been a fire at Fairways Business Park.

“My first thought was that I hoped no one was hurt or killed,” he said.

“As I was processing that, my next thought was for the tenants. What did they think?

“From what I could see, it was clear that the building was razed to the ground.

“Shock was the initial emotion for me and after realising no one was injured, I felt anger.

“I totally empathise with the tenants. This is people’s livelihoods.”

He immediately called his insurance broker so by the time he landed back in the UK later that day, the process for a claim was already in motion.

The day after his return he visited the scene and also spoke to the police.

“I could only see it from the ground,” he said.

“It was devastating to see it.”

Mr Mcfarlane is keen to press on with the rebuild but is unable to give any timescales, pointing out it will be subject to the planning process including obtaining a demolition order and planning approval.

“We are at the very early stages,” he said.

“I think the building will be rebuilt in a like-for-like basis in conjunction with planning.

“It will be built on a similar footprint.”

Following the incident, Police Scotland launched a major hunt for a masked fire-raiser who deliberately drove a Skoda Octavia into the premises.

The building and car were then set alight.

A man wearing dark clothing and a balaclava was seen running away from the scene towards Sir Walter Scott Drive.

The blaze was tackled by about 30 full-time and retained firefighters from Inverness, Beauly, Drumnadrochit, Nairn, Dingwall and Invergordon.

There has been praise for their efforts in preventing other buildings just metres from the flames from also being engulfed.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage should contact the police on 101, quoting reference 0032 of March 9. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and give the information anonymously.

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