Police called as owners find 34 men in picturesque Scots Airbnb home

Holiday home owners called police after discovering 34 men at their remote Airbnb property.

Polcie were called to the property

The couple, from Kinlochleven, Lochaber, arrived at the house in Glen Etive to find a sword on a bed and an axe and ten tents in their garden.

Martin and Sheri Murphy were alerted when a resident called to tell them that there were at least ten cars in the driveway on Thursday.

Mrs Murphy, 55, who had taken an Airbnb booking for seven men for the house, which sleeps eight, said: “As soon as we drove over the bridge my heart sank because I could see all these cars in the drive.

Tents were erected in the garden

“We went in the side gate because we didn’t know what was going to happen and saw ten tents in the garden; it was unbelievable, such a shock.”

The men, however, were nowhere to be seen.

Mrs Murphy said: “The keeper, who lives down the glen, appeared. He said: “I hate to tell you this, but there are about 30 to 40 of them.”

He had seen them praying on the beach.”

She added: “There was a big axe on a table outside and they had taken my house furniture into the garden. There was a bench from the kitchen there and loose cushions from the sofa.

“We went and had a look through the house windows and Martin said there was a big long sword on the bed. The furniture in the lounge was all piled up, they had taken the mirrors off the walls and there was a big axe on the table outside. They had brought a Tannoy system.

“We called the police and when they arrived the people still weren’t back. The police asked if we wanted them to deal with it and we said we would and then it wouldn’t get out of hand.”

Mrs Murphy had taken a booking for seven adult men to stay in the house from Thursday and thinks the sword may have been meant for some sort of religious ceremony.

She said: “They had asked what size the rooms were and had said when they booked that they would be praying, so you would think it would be calm.

“I took the names and addresses of the seven men for the track and trace system, and most of them come from Manchester.”

By Friday, 27 male friends had joined the group and erected tents for extra sleeping space in the garden.

She added that, although the men had taken three hours to leave when asked to do so by the police, they had failed to clean up properly: “They left clothes and shoes and the tents in the garden. The place was left in an absolute shambles. I wouldn’t want this to happen to anyone else.

“Some of them were staying in the tents but they were going inside to use the bathroom, so they were touching the surfaces. I am just glad we caught them within 24 hours.

“The house was untidy but there was no damage, apart from outside, where they had lit two fires and burnt the grass and where they had put the tents up.”

Police Scotland said: “We received a report of a large group of people who were refusing to leave a property in Glen Etive. Officers attended, spoke to those involved and the group were dispersed.”