Housebuyers in the north-east have snapped up properties in Scotland’s largest new town during the first weekend of sales.
Deposits have been placed on 21 of the first 40 homes available at Chapelton of Elsick, an 8,000 house development south of Aberdeen.
Work on the foundations of the initial group of houses began on Monday and the first residents could be moving in next year.
Housebuilders AJC Homes, A&J Stephen and ZeroC will work to a design brief to ensure the buildings share certain characteristics. Among the first buildings to be completed will be a children’s nursery.
Lord Southesk, director of Elsick Development Company, said: “We are thrilled to have received such a great response since the opening of our new on-site visitor centre and the house-builders’ sales centre this weekend.
“I look forward to welcoming those who are interested to the centres over the coming months where they will be able to purchase their new homes.”
He said that community liaison meetings with neighbouring residents at Newtonhill were very positive.
Cairnhill will be the first of seven neighbourhoods within the £2billion town, which will eventually include four schools, a medical centre, parks and community facilities.
A health centre is also planned for the site near Newtonhill, but it will not be built until 4,000 homes are in place – prompting concerns about overcrowding and pressure on existing facilities at nearby Portlethen.
More than £70,000 was spent upgrading the mail room at Portlethen Medical Practice into a GP room to cope with an increase in the demand for appointments in the meantime.