Four men have appeared in court facing drug charges after a cannabis farm was discovered in an abandoned hotel in Aboyne.
Police officers uncovered a quantity of the Class B drug being grown at the old Huntly Arms Hotel, which had been vacant since 2019, on Monday morning.
Fabio Marku, 27, and Glevis Xhepa, 26, who are both of no fixed abode, appeared in the dock alongside Arjel Leshi, 24, and Donald Xhepa, 29, who both gave general addresses of Harrow, in Greater London.
Each of the men is facing identical charges of producing and supplying controlled drugs.
They are also charged with an offence relating to electricity meter usage under the Electricity Act 1989.
None of the men made a plea
Each of the accused made no plea and was committed for further examination.
They were remanded in custody and will appear in court again within the next eight days.
The now abandoned Huntly Arms Hotel was once a place where friends, family and visitors to Aboyne gathered for a drink and food.
However, since 2019 the building has been empty, despite efforts by local community groups to revive its fortunes.
Aberdeenshire Council recently took enforcement action ordering the owner to make improvements on grounds of proper maintenance.
There has been a hotel on the site for almost 600 years, with the most recent owners being Talash Hotels, who picked it up in 2016 for £750,000.
When it seemed likely the hotel would close for good, locals formed the Huntly Arms Regeneration Project with the aim of renovating the building and attracting hospitality firms to invest in its future.
Dave Marshall, from that group, said the police investigation into what happened will delay restoration work on the hotel.
He said: “This sad incident just reinforces the need for it to be brought back into use.”
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
