Scots firefighters battled 'wilful' blaze through the night at millionaire's mansion

A fire that ripped through a millionaire's mansion is being treated as wilful, police confirmed.

Emergency crews were alerted to the blaze, in Dunblane, Perthshire, at around 4:40pm on Wednesday, April 24 and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night to extinguish the fire.

Plumes of thick, grey smoke could be seen filling the sky for miles around, with a number of locals capturing pictures and videos of the blaze.

The property in question is believed to be the abandoned home of Sir Reo Stakis. The Cypriot hotel magnate, who ran Stakis Hotels, died in Stirling in 2001.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of a fire at a premises on Ochiltree, Dunblane, around 4.50pm on Wednesday, 24 April, 2024.

“Emergency services attended and there are no reports of any injuries

“The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 4.44pm on Wednesday, 24 April, to reports of a fire near Ochiltree, Dunblane.

“Operations Control mobilised four appliances and specialist resource to the scene, where firefighters worked overnight and extinguished a fire affecting a large derelict building.

“Crews worked to make the area safe before leaving the scene at 4.37am on Thursday, 25 April.

“No casualties have been reported.”

Locals say his former home had been popular with squatters.

The inside of the property is also said to have been trashed on a number of previous occasions. It's also claimed it was regularly used by teenagers for parties.

Dunblane residents also believe the property is still owned by a member of the Stakis family, possibly by Sir Reo's daughter, but that they have not been to it in a number of years.

The house sits in a wooded area close to Ledcameroch Gardens and the famous Dunblane Hydro, and is thought to have been built in the 1970s. The family's company, Stakis Hotels, was founded by him in the 1930.

He sold it to the Hilton Group at the turn of the century for £1.2billion. Sir David Michels, who was CEO of Stakis at the time, went on to become Chief Executive of the Hilton Group.

The Dublane Hydro remains part of the group, now known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro. The now-defunct chain had its headquarters in Glasgow.

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