Travel agency boss watched shop 'burn to ground'

A travel agency boss has told how she watched her business premises burn down following a deliberate attack on retail units in Inverness.

Julia Macleay's SJ Travel was one of a number of small firms whose properties were destroyed by fire at Fairways Business Park at the weekend.

Police said a car was driven into the units and set alight just after midnight on Saturday.

Ms Macleay, who rushed to the scene after word of the blaze spread, said: "We stood their watching in disbelief as it burned to the ground."

A fish shop, bakers, barbers and hairdressers were also lost in the blaze.

There was some damage to the entrance of an indoor go-kart raceway behind the units.

Ms Macleay returned to the site of the fire with employees Donna Mckellar and Sally Mackay on Monday.

"Coming back here, I don't think the reality of the extent of it has kicked in," said Ms Macleay.

"We're all shocked seeing a business we built up has gone. It's heart-breaking."

She said the travel centre was still able to operate online, though a new gift shop due to open on Monday had been gutted.

Ms Macleay added that dealing with customers face-to-face was key to the business, and this had also been lost, though she hoped only temporarily.

She said: "People would come in for a blether. It's a very community-based travel agency."

Ms Macleay said the units as a whole had a community feel.

She said: "The barbers would tell people to come in and book their holidays with us, and I got my hair cut at the hairdressers.

"We would go into the Harry Gow bakers for our lunch.

"Many of them are self-employed businesses. They are devastated."

Local councillor Ken Gowans said Highland Council would offer all the support it could.

He said: "It's shocking. It is not something we would ever expect to have in the area."

Police Scotland's inquiries are continuing.

On Sunday, the force said a man wearing dark clothing and a balaclava was seen running away from the scene towards the city's Walter Scott Drive.

Emergency services attended and the fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. There are no reported injuries.