An historic cathedral has been given thousands of pounds of lottery funding to help carry out vital repair work.
St Mary’s Cathedral, in Huntly Street, Aberdeen, has been awarded £23,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which will be used to renovate its roof and guttering.
Work will be carried out using traditional conservation techniques to preserve the 19th century features.
The cathedral is also in a conservation area meaning any renovations would have to fit in with the surrounding buildings.
Last night, cathedral administrator Father Keith Herrera said they were delighted to get the grant.
“We are immensely grateful that Heritage Lottery Fund has provided us with this support,” he said.
“The cathedral provides a sanctuary for Aberdeen catholics of many varied nationalities and allows us to provide facilities to local community groups irrespective of religious affiliation.
“Hopefully this project will permit us to keep the cathedral open and accessible for many years into the future.”
The cathedral, which is the only catholic church boasting a bell tower in the country, was built in 1860.
The bell tower was added in 1877.
Due to structural defects, the church has sustained significant damage due to water ingress over the years.
The full extent of the damage is unknown at this stage and a “detailed intrusive investigation” will be carried out to ascertain this.
As well as cracked and broken slates, one of the major concerns is that the timber beams that support the roof may have rotted.
The scheme would also restore and repair the guttering that runs around the building which is currently failing to drain rainwater from the roof.
The initial cash is classed as development funding, with church bosses hoping to apply for a larger grant in the future.
Lucy Casot, head of HLF Scotland, said: “Scotland’s historic and diverse places of worship are so often at the heart of our communities. Thanks to National Lottery players HLF funds urgent structural repairs and also improved facilities and visitor information.
“St Mary’s Cathedral is an excellent example of how HLF can help conserve a much loved building so it can continue to serve its local community.”
