Police investigating a fire which destroyed an Aberdeenshire hotel have charged a 15-year-old boy in relation to the blaze.
The Torryburn Hotel, in Kintore, was razed to the ground on Monday evening with around 40 firefighters working for five hours to extinguish the flames.
Firefighters were faced with a “very intense, well-established” fire on their arrival at the Georgian building at around 11.30pm.
A joint police and fire and rescue investigation into the incident is ongoing.
And yesterday a police spokesman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that a 15-year-old male has been charged in relation to a fire at the Torryburn Hotel, Kintore, that happened on Monday, June 8.
“He will be reported to the youth justice management unit.”
It was the second fire at the building in two years, the first coming just after it went on the market in 2013.
The hotel was owned by Fochabers-based firm Bob Milton Properties, which had applied for a demolition order for the building amid plans to redevelop the site for residential use.
Last night chairman of Kintore and District Community Council, Brian Johnstone, said if buildings were left empty for a certain amount of time they were likely to be picked out by fire raisers.
He added the community had “lost” the building several years ago when it closed down.
Mr Johnstone said: “It is a shame, I didn’t think there was a prospect of it being developed anyway. It is scary that it went on fire but leaving buildings left like that just attracts the wrong type of people.
“It is a bit unfortunate and that scale of the fire – I feel for the residents to have that happening right next to you. It is just sad.”
Mr Johnstone added that the building had attracted “a lot of people from all over” after opening up.
He said: “When we first moved to Kintore it was very popular, very busy. But he (Mr Milton) applied for a demolition order, the writing was on the wall. It is just another nail. It was gone, lost.
“It is bad to see it burned now. Buildings that get left like that just become targets for fire-raisers.”
He added with the only pub in the village, the Kintore Arms, in line to reopen next year and would give the community a much-needed boost.