A massive fire destroyed a country house on the outskirts of Elgin, leaving the B-listed building in ruins.
The blaze broke out at Blackhills House, by Lhanbryde, in the early hours of yesterday morning and more than 50 firefighters battled to control the flames.
Nearly 20 vehicles were involved in tackling the conflagration and crews at the scene had to siphon water from a nearby pond to bring it under control.
The building, which was built in the 1830s, is secluded in the scenic Blackhills estate.
The manor has been owned by three generations of the Christie family, and current holders, John and Stephanie Christie, share it with close relatives.
The Christies were roused from their sleep shortly after 4am yesterday morning by their smoke alarm and placed a frantic emergency call when they realised what was happening.
The family managed to make a swift exit from the property without suffering any injury as a result of the growing flames.
Firefighters said the blaze had spread quickly from the ground floor, and was “well-established” by the time that crews arrived.
The shaken Christie family huddled beneath blankets for warmth as they watched their cherished home crumble into disrepair.
They later said they were too upset to comment on the incident.
After receiving the emergency call, fire engines from across Moray and the surrounding area raced to the site.
Crews in breathing apparatus used hose reel jets and mains jets to control the fire, which had split into different sections of the house.
A height vehicle was called in from Inverness and used as a water tower to douse the flames which had engulfed the roof.
Crews had the blaze under control by 7.30am and remained at the scene damping down the blackened ruins throughout the day.
Fire investigators later inspected the grounds in an effort to determine what caused the blaze and police officers remained at the scene.
Appliances from Elgin, Fochabers, Lossiemouth, Buckie, Rothes and Aberlour were all involved in the firefighting effort.
Relief crews were later dispatched from Forres, Keith, Dufftown, Portsoy, Aberchirder and Elgin.
An incident support vehicle was brought in from Dyce and a welfare pod was transported from Huntly.
Speaking from the scene, area manager Duncan Smith, emphasised how crucial the Christies’ smoke alarm was in sparing them from injury.
He said: “The occupants of the property were alerted to the presence of a fire by their smoke alarm, which highlights the importance of having working smoke detection fitted in your property.
“Smoke alarms save lives.”
The Christies both worked out of the mansion, which was awarded B-list status in 1987.
Mrs Christie offered harp and piano lessons in the building’s drawing room, while Mr Christie created and sold pottery from a laundry house he had converted into a showroom.
Lhanbryde councillor Douglas Ross said the community’s thoughts were with the family.
He said: “The Christies must be devastated to have lost so much in this fire. We’re just thankful no-one was hurt and everyone is very grateful for the hard work of the firefighters who dealt with it.”