A north-east fishing village has landed a whopping £870,000 grant to restore a cluster of historic buildings.
Known as Back Green, the B-Listed sail-making loft and nearby cottages in Portsoy are set to be converted into bunkhouse tourist accommodation thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund cash.
The project, which will be run as a community business by the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival (STBF) when completed, is the first of its kind in Scotland.
The work has also been backed by the Portsoy Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme and will begin next May.
Project leaders hope the four-star bunkhouse will be open in time for the village’s boat festival in June 2016.
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “This is a landmark project in that it’s the first one in Scotland to be awarded a grant through our Heritage Enterprise programme, a programme which will help turn around the fortunes of many more neglected old buildings and help make them commercially viable.
“I am thrilled the historic link these buildings had with the sea will not be lost as they provide accommodation to people coming to Portsoy to learn boat-building skills.”
Mr McLean added the project would be a “welcome boost” to the Portsoy economy.
STBF chairman Robert Goodyear said his organisation has conducted “considerable research” to prove the bunkhouse can be a profitable business.
He said: “The bunkhouse will also provide accommodation for participants on the residential boat building courses that we will be running at our new boatshed at the harbour.”