The building where Western Isles teenager Liam Aitchison was found murdered almost three years ago will finally be demolished, at the request of the community who live nearby.
The body of the 16-year-old from South Uist was found in a derelict former RAF accommodation block at Steinish near Stornoway airport on Lewis in November 2011 after he had been beaten and stabbed 20 times by Johnathan Mackinnon and Stefan Millar.
The owners – Highlands and Island Airports Ltd (Hial) – were approached by the local community with a request to demolish the single-storey structure.
Now bosses have confirmed it will be pulled down in the autumn.
“Demolition could not proceed until permission had been secured from the procurator fiscal,” said a spokesman.
“Having now secured that permission, it is our intention to carry out the demolition of the building by the end of October.”
Local councillor Angus McCormack welcomed the news.
“That building has been a constant reminder to local people of this terrible tragedy and it is their wish that it is demolished,” he said.
MacKinnon and Millar, who were both 22 at the time, denied murder but were found guilty by a jury at the High Court in Glasgow in June last year.
Both are trying to quash their convictions and have been granted full appeal hearings in their bids to clear their names.
Mackinnon, formerly of Stornoway, did not give evidence in the trial, where he and Millar of Carloway were given a life sentence and jailed for a minimum of 18 years.
Liam’s death was the first official murder on the islands in 43 years.