A police probe has been launched after Ayr's Station Hotel was placed on lockdown this afternoon.
Emergency services raced to the scene after a fire broke out at the rear of the abandoned B-Listed pile. Seven fire appliances were mobilised - including a major incident support unit from Bellshill - as teams converged on the structure which overlooks the town's train station.
Large crowds of onlookers gathered at the top of the town to watch the unfolding spectacle, which began shortly after 3.30pm. Trains to and from Glasgow down the west coast were severely disruped after power to the overhead lines was cut as part of the emergency response. Services to and from Ayr were slowly restarting when the line re-opened at 8pm tonight.
