Cameron House Hotel Fire

On 18 December 2017 Cameron House, a luxury Scottish hotel on Loch Lomond, caught fire at around 06:41. The fire burned for over 24 hours with over 14 fire engines being dispatched to help extinguish the fire. Locally, rumours began the Christmas tree in the foyer caught fire, however a court investigation at Dumbarton Sherrif Court in January 2021 found that a Hotel Porter had put a bag of hot ash and embers into a cupboard containing kindling and newspaper.[1]

Over 200 people were evacuated from the Hotel. Two people died in the fire, later named as couple Simon Midgley and Richard Dyson from London.[2] Three other people had injuries from the fire. The hotel remains closed to date, with bookings only being taken for their Lodges. The hotel is now set to embark on a "Careful and sensitive restoration project which will see Cameron House Hotel, The Leisure Club, The Great Scots Bar and Cameron Grill remain closed until autumn 2019."[3]

At the trial, the owners were found to be in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act, and were fined £500,000.[4]