A woman has told BBC Scotland that Salah Fayed, the brother of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, trafficked her to the Scottish Highlands in the 1990s, drugged her, sexually assaulted her and held her prisoner. The account, published on 9 November, is the first time she has spoken publicly about abuse she says took place in Scotland.

The woman, called Jill because her name has been changed for legal reasons, said she was a young Harrods employee when she was recruited to what she believed was an executive training scheme. She said she was soon assigned to work for Salah Fayed, and was then flown on the Fayed family's private jet to Balnagown, the family's estate in Easter Ross, where she was repeatedly assaulted.

Flown to Balnagown on the family jet

Jill said she was taken to Scotland twice, both times on the family's private jet, flying into Inverness before being driven to the estate. She said she began her career at Harrods working for Mohamed Al Fayed in a heavily monitored office staffed largely by young women, where access was tightly controlled and employees were discouraged from interacting with others.

She said she was initially relieved to be moved to work for Salah Fayed, because she found Mohamed Al Fayed, in her words, creepy. Her situation then deteriorated. She described Salah Fayed as a very cruel man who exploited her vulnerabilities and exercised near-total control over her life.

On the Balnagown Estate there were three residences, one for each brother. Jill said Salah Fayed's house was smaller than Mohamed Al Fayed's, overlooking the valley with forest behind it and isolated. She said he began giving her illegal substances, and that the drugs were part of how he assaulted her.

She told the BBC: "The first time he forced me to take the drugs he tried to trick me into taking them. He had me locked in a room. He said 'you need to take this, it's good for you'. He lied about what it was and when I refused he screamed at me and forced me to take it. The drugs were part of his method of assaulting me."

Jill said she was isolated, had restricted access to food and clothing, and was held against her will. She said escaping was difficult and that she only gradually came to understand the extent of what had happened to her. "By the time I got away, I was very aware of what he was doing and it took some effort to get away," she said.

Police investigations continue

Police Scotland said earlier this year that it was carrying out further investigations into allegations connected to Balnagown Estate. A police spokesperson said three people had been identified in connection with offending against a number of victims, and that inquiries remained ongoing.

The Metropolitan Police is separately investigating allegations linked to Mohamed Al Fayed and people suspected of facilitating his offending. Seven suspects have so far been interviewed under caution on suspicion of offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Met has said 168 victims have now come forward.

Jill said she was aware of other women who alleged they were abused by Salah Fayed in Scotland, although some have never reported their experiences publicly. She said she had contacted the Metropolitan Police and was also pursuing legal action, and that compensation would be a partial refund for the years lost and the impact on her life.

Calls for a public inquiry

Jill said she agreed with calls from some victims for a statutory public inquiry, and that she was speaking out because she worried the police investigations were not looking far enough. "I was by then aware that I could not have been the only one," she said. "I attempted to lift the alarm, I attempted to warn individuals."

Salah Fayed was one of three Fayed brothers who purchased Harrods, the luxury Knightsbridge department store, in 1985. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2010. Mohamed Al Fayed died in 2023. After his death, more than 20 women accused him of sexual assault in the BBC documentary Predator at Harrods, which aired in 2024, and more than 400 alleged victims or witnesses have since come forward to lawyers.

The BBC said it had contacted the Balnagown Estate for comment twice and had not received a reply. The allegations made by Jill have not been tested in court, and Salah Fayed died before they were made public.