5th November 1975

Last year's fire at Inveraray Castle, the stately home of the Duke of Argyll, attracted a considerable amount of publicity in the press and on television. The castle housed a unique collection of priceless art treasures and a feature of the incident was the manner in which local villagers rushed to the scene to assist in salvage operations. As a result of the combined efforts of firemen, villagers and the Glasgow Salvage Corps, the collection was saved from damage. It is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of the fire, but a figure of £2 million has been quoted.
This report, kindly supplied by the Firemaster and Divisional Commander 'F' Division, Strathclyde Fire Brigade, outlines operations and shows the considerable distances which attending appliances had to travel. Distances between the castle and the stations attending are shown in brackets.
Time of call: 1757 By exchange telephone
Attendance: Hose Reel Tender Inveraray (1m)
WrT Arrochar (24m)
Hose Reel Tender Lochgilphead (25m)
WrT Dunoon (38m)
Pump Oban (39m)
ERT Dumbarton (45m)
1821 Informative: BA in use.
1855 Assistance: ET requested for BA purposes.
ET Clydebank (54m) sent on.
1938 Informative: Top floor and roof well alight, six jets and eight BA sets in use.
1951 Assistance: TL requested.
TL Clydebank sent on.
2014 Assistant Firemaster and Divisional Commander mobile.
2202 Informative: Top floor and roof space severely damaged by fire, seven jets and one TL monitor in use.
2326 Request attendance of Fire Prevention Officer on fireground.
2359 Stop: Building approx. 200'x200' consisting of 3 floors and attic, upper floor and roof completely destroyed by fire. Remainder of building severely damaged by heat, smoke and water, six jets in use.
The fire originated in a first floor wardrobe and would appear to have been started by a dropped light setting fire to a carpet. From the wardrobe the fire spread via pipe ducting into the attic and roof space. Floor and partition construction at second floor level greatly assisted fire spread, which was even more alarming in the undivided roof space where timbers had recently been treated against dry rot. A great deal of water damage was caused by fractured pipes left by collapsing tanks in the roof space. Difficulty was experienced in locating a control valve and it is likely that the collapse of valuable ceilings was averted by turning on basement taps. That only limited damage was sustained at first floor level can, to some extent, be attributed to the fire resisting qualities of the thick timber attic floor. This allowed firemen to establish a bridgehead and in all probability saved the building.
June 1976

Fireman dies at hotel blaze

One fireman collapsed and died and a second was injured yesterday at a fire which badly damaged Crinan Hotel in Argyll.
Fireman Sandy Drummond, of Inveraray, died of a heart attack. He was not fighting the fire at the time but was standing near a tender when he took ill.
Seven years ago the hotel was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt.
(The Glasgow Herald, Monday, October 30, 1978. Page 1.)

Sunday 13 September 2009 at the Annual United Kingdom Firefighters Service of Remembrance held at 12.00 in the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield in the City of London, Alexander (Sandy) Drummond's name was added to the national memorial outside St Paul's Cathedral.
A wreath was laid by a contingent from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and relatives of Sandy's.

If you know of any mistakes in this or have any additional information please let me know.