Plans have been lodged to bring a former Aberdeen church back into religious use as the city’s only Hindu temple.
Aberdeen Hindu Temple Trust has submitted proposals with the city council to transform the vacant Old Stoneywood Church back into a place of worship.
The 1840s building in Bankhead Road was converted into offices in the 1990s.
More than 3,500 people living in the north-east identified as Hindu in the 2011 Census but the nearest temple is 70 miles away from the planned Bucksburn site in Dundee.
The trust was formed in 2014 to correct this and has already raised a “substantial” sum for the proposed conversion.
As many as 15 Hindu organisations are involved in the effort.
President of the trust Dr Nitin Maheshwari said: “There is a big Hindu community around here and there is no place of worship only for us.
“For many years Aberdeen Hindu Association has been running a temple in Hilton Community Centre twice a month, previously it was held at Queens Cross Church.
“It has always been an uphill struggle to find a place.
“If the council kindly accepts our application for change of use of the building this will feel like the missing piece of the puzzle.”
There would be no change to the historic features of the building or its exterior.
If plans were approved the building would be “open to everyone”, Dr Maheshwari said, as a place for meditation and yoga.
There would be no changes to the external layout or historical features of the building.
