Three in court over hospital fire

The blaze took 12 hours to extinguish (Pic by Jimmy Addison)

Three teenagers have appeared in court accused of setting fire to a former hospital in Inverness, causing damage estimated to be about £1m.

Billy Hunter, 17, Stephen Coffey, 18, and Noel Sutherland, also 18, appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court on a charge of wilful fire-raising.

The three, all with addresses in the city, made no plea or declaration and were released on bail.

They were arrested 10 days after the fire at the Craig Dunain hospital.

Six appliances and about 40 firefighters battled for 12 hours to bring the blaze at the Victorian former psychiatric hospital building under control.

The building was in the early stages of being renovated into luxury flats by Highland contractors Robertson Homes.

The blaze on 15 September was the first of two major fires at landmark derelict buildings in Inverness in less than a week, with the city's former youth hostel also going up in flames.

A police spokeswoman said investigations were continuing into both fires.