Moffat residents welcome old Mercury Hotel’s demolition

The dilapidated building, which has stood empty for a quarter of a century, is now owned by Equorium Property Company Ltd, a subsidiary of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM).

Permission was granted by Dumfries and Galloway Council in November to bulldoze the site, at an estimated cost of about £150,000.

Louise Woods, 35, who lives in the town with her young family said it had “felt like an eternal eyesore”, and a blot on the local landscape.

She said: “I didn’t realise the demolition was happening until Thursday night, but I think it’s great, it’s brilliant that it is finally getting taken down.

“It’s rotting, it’s horrible, we can’t use it for anything, it has just felt like an eternal eyesore coming into the town, and we’re supposed to be a tourist destination.

“It’s not a very good first impression when we’re promoting ourselves to visitors.”