Jimmy Savile's Highland house "to be family home" THE new owner of Jimmy Savile's Highland hideaway has outlined his intention to create a family home and make a break from its "unfortunate history" and media image. Glasgow builder Michael Canny bought Allt na Reigh in Glencoe at an auction earlier this year for a reported £212,000. In a planning application to install a water supply to the cottage, he states how he wishes to "detach the property and ourselves" from its history, and make it "more hospitable for family use." The property has been the target of vandalism attacks since the disgraced broadcaster's child sex abuse crimes were exposed, although no victims have said any of the abuse took place at his Highland house. Many locals had called for the cottage, sited next to the A82 Fort William to Glasgow road, to be demolished. But Mr Canny has indicated he wants to renovate the home and make it habitable for a family of two adults and two children. He has lodged plans to install a £15,000 water supply to the two-bedroom property, which would require a borehole and pump. In a supporting letter to Highland Council planners, he said: "In the long term we propose to use the property as a family residence (two children and two adults), at present the property could not sustain this. The property has some unfortunate history attached and we would hope to detach the property and ourselves from this. "In the future we would hope to seek planning permission to alter the property, with respect to the immediate landscape, but to make it more hospitable for family use and to remove the "media image" that has become recognisable nationally. He added: "The property was purchased in July 2013. The bank agreed the mortgage on the basis that a potable water supply was ensured within the first six months of purchase. In real terms this is by January 2014. The original water supply was sourced from the mountain stream but this has been corrupted and the original tank is unfit for purpose, hence the need for a whole new system. At present there is no water entering the property. Savile, who bought the property in 1998, died in 2011 aged 84. His systematic sex abuse then came to light. Plans to turn it into a retreat for the disabled collapsed following the revelations and Savile's estate put the property up for auction. While many called for its demolitions, mountaineers backs calls for the cottage to be saved as it was once the home of climber Hamish MacInnes. Councillor Andrew Baxter said: "I'm just glad it looks as though it will be put into use again. I think once it has been put to a permanent use it will be a deterrent to the vandals. He added that the sale marked an important step in moving on from "the whole sorry saga."