The owner of a Moray house that was almost completely destroyed by a fire has vowed to rebuild for a second time after two years out of his dream home.
Jim MacLeod was previously forced from the Orton property when the pipes burst as temperatures plunged to -17C in the rural location between Fochabers and Rothes.
The tour guide, who drives groups across Scotland, was finally ready to move back into the home this weekend after extensive repairs had finally been completed.
His mood had been further lifted by receiving a letter he had paid off his mortgage on the former station building.
However, just hours later, the home was in ruins after a fire ripped through the property, destroying the roof, with smoke still visible a day later.
What caused the Orton fire?
Mr MacLeod was doing gardening at the time of the incident and first became aware of the unfolding emergency when he saw flames coming through his roof.
He said: “It was just a fire, no idea at all what caused it. I was gardening out the back at the time.
“The fire service said their investigations were ‘inconclusive’, but they reckon it could maybe possibly be an electrical fault, or mice chewing through wires.
“There’s nothing left to look at now.”
The fire also engulfed Mr MacLeod’s neighbour’s home, who he embraced as the two of them could only watch the flames.
Today the homeowner praised the work of emergency services in tackling the fire.
About 40 firefighters were scrambled to the Orton fire after the alarm was raised at about 11.30am yesterday.
Crews were sent from Rothes, Fochabers, Elgin, Aberlour, Keith and Buckie to the home with personnel at the scene for 12 hours.
House full of memories
Mr MacLeod has been staying with his mother in Elgin after the pipes burst in the large two-storey home just yards from the River Spey.
Despite the railway running next to the property, he enjoys the peace and solitude of the Moray countryside.
And despite being forced to rebuild for the second time in as many years, the military veteran is determined to move back in again to enjoy living in the tranquil surroundings again.
He said: “The pipes burst two years ago and it’s taken this long to get everything back together again. I was supposed to be moving back in on Saturday.
“I’ve been coming in from Elgin a couple of days a week. Doing a bit of work on the house here and there, hanging up pictures, things like that.
“The house can be rebuilt, but the hardest thing is to lose all the photographs, they can’t be replaced.”
Local history lost in fire
The former station building served the Inverness to Keith railway from 1859 until it closed in 1964.
The railway line between Elgin and Keith still runs behind the property to this day.
Today the home, which is a listed building, will be boarded up to make it secure before repairs can start.
Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor Marc Macrae would like to see the buildings preserved.
He said: “I drive that road quite often and it’s a very prominent house that stands out when you drive past.
“There were a number of properties along that section of the railway line, so there was the station house itself with the old station adjoining onto it.
“Down the side of the house was part of the platform. It is certainly a bit of history that has been lost there.
“When you have built up a lifetime of memories and possessions within a home, to lose things like that is devastating.”
Conversation