A former park ranger at an Aberdeenshire country park has blasted the local authority over the state of repair of his 10-year home – the park’s Forester’s Cottage.
Alan Rever, who now lives on Skye, had worked at the Aden park between 1977 and 1988 as the first countryside ranger.
Recently, he revisited the place he called home for the first time in 26 years and said that he was appalled to find the cottage almost destroyed.
He added: “As I approached, I saw that trees were curiously right up to the front of the house, and then I saw that the house was boarded up and that the roof had fallen in at one end.
“I am absolutely appalled that Aberdeenshire Council has let the house reach this state. They could surely have let the house out when it was no longer needed for a ranger – preferably to someone local.
“I understand that there hasn’t been a ranger living there for 10 years, and there are plans to do the house up. It will obviously cost much more than it would have done if the council had maintained the house in the first place.”
The plans to renovate the property by the council are part of its £2.6million Heritage Lottery Fund bid to progress works across the estate.
A spokeswoman for the local authority explained: “As part of Aberdeenshire Council’s continued commitment to the park, an application is being made to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding necessary to restore certain features and this will include the renovation of the forester’s cottage. Other funding options are also presently being explored.”
If successful in its application, the authority could begin works to transform the cottage into a money generating attraction for the park over the next five years.