An ancient monument in Aberdeen has been defaced by “absolutely disgraceful” graffiti.
The Lang Stane has stood at the corner of Langstane Place and Dee Street since at least 1746.
Before that, the granite slab is believed to have been part of a prehistoric stone circle, the likes of which were dotted all across fields and hilltops throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire thousands of years ago.
But now, the stone, which had also previously been used as a boundary marker for Craibstone Croft, has been vandalised with spray paint.
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said the local authority would work with the police to find out who vandalised the historic rock, which was placed within its alcove when Union Street was first built.
Councillor Alex Nicoll said: “This kind of act is absolutely disgraceful.
“At the end of the day, graffiti is a real blight on communities, and especially when it’s done in such a public place.
“The city takes great efforts to try and present itself to visitors in a nice way, and the cost of removing this graffiti is really substantial.
“I don’t understand why people do this.”
Aberdeen historian and author, Diane Morgan, added: “When Union Street was being laid out, there were a number of small cottages and crofts in the area which is now the west end of the street, and they all had to be demolished.
“In this area, there would have been a stone circle of great antiquity, and the Lang Stane could well have been one of these stones.
“There was a lot of debris created during the construction of Union Street, and not a lot was preserved, but they must have selected this one to be preserved for a very good reason.
“I remember seeing it when I was still in school and the building it was embedded in was a department store, and I never thought anything of it, but it really does have a fascinating story, so it’s a shame it’s been vandalised like this.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said last night: “We will of course be sending out a team first thing in the morning to clean this up.
“We will also be speaking to the police to see if we can review any CCTV footage and catch the person or persons responsible.”
