The north-east has been given another affordable housing boost as work begins on 12 new homes in the area.
The social housing, a mixture of three-bedroom houses and one-bedroom flats, is being built in Strichen.
The project is being managed by non-profit organisation Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association and builds on a much-larger development already underway in Peterhead.
Sanctuary’s head of development, Roddy Macdonald, said: “This project was widely welcomed by Strichen residents and will soon provide much-needed affordable housing in the village.
“We continue to work in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council to improve the area’s housing stock and look forward to delivering 74 social homes in 2015 across Strichen and Peterhead.”
The total budget for the Strichen project is £1.65m. The Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council have provided grants of £771,000 and £140,000 respectively.
Aberdeenshire councillor Karen Clark, chairwoman of the social work and housing committee, said: “Affordable housing is key to ensuring we are able to attract key workers to the area as well as providing homes for people on our waiting lists.
“We are working with a range of partners in order to provide homes for people both in major towns and rural areas.
“The developments in Strichen and Peterhead are part of a significant commitment by Aberdeenshire Council to increase the amount of affordable housing across Aberdeenshire which I am sure will be warmly welcomed by people in these communities.”
Sanctuary’s 62-home redevelopment of Peterhead’s former Craigewan nursing home is well underway and the £7.6m project is expected to be completed in autumn 2015.