Plans to convert a historic north-east hotel into new homes have been unveiled.
Developers have applied for permission to change the County Hotel in Banff into four separate properties.
The B-listed Georgian building was converted into a guesthouse 40 years ago and has seven bedrooms and a restaurant.
It was designed and built by Banff’s Provost George Robinson in the 1700s and became the home of his son’s family.
For the last 18 years, the hotel on the town’s High Street has been run by Eric and Vida Pantel and plans lodged with the council show they are now hoping to transform it into four residential properties.
Mr Pantel has said the project is at an early stage and he doesn’t expect any progress to be made until next summer.
Architect drawings show that two flats would be created in the hotel’s lower ground floor alongside the owner’s accommodation.
Two maisonettes would be installed in the building’s upper floors and new stair cases would have to be built to connect each level.
Work would have to take place to separate each of the proposed properties and changes would be made to doors and windows.
A document submitted to planners said: “The work will consist of internal alterations required to provide separate dwellings to the level required by building standards.
“External works consist of alterations to rear windows and a side door, and the reopening of an existing lower ground floor window at the front which has been rendered over.
“Existing external and internal finishes will be retained where possible.”
This is not the first time the owners have attempted to change the hotel.
An application to convert its bar area into accommodation for the owners was given the green light by Aberdeenshire Council in January 2008.
Roger Goodyear, chairman of the Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership, said he would be “sad” if the hotel was lost.
He said: “I would be sorry to see any tourist accommodation going.
“Obviously we are very sad to see any reduction in the availability of accommodation in the area.
“As an area we are undersupplied by accommodation, but it is always sad to see a hotel go.”
