Fire services rushed to the scene of a fire in an old Fraserburgh hotel last night.
Smoke was seen pouring out of the Old Station Hotel on Seaforth Street just after 9pm.
Three fire engines were sent to the scene as police closed off the road and the building evacuated.
The old hotel is now used as flats and it is understood there is extensive damage to the interior of the building.
The Station Hotel ceased trading in 2007, becoming homes for multiple occupancy (HMO) the year later.
However, when an application was made in 2011 to extend its HMO use, dozens of local people reacted angrily.
The issue dominated community council meetings in Fraserburgh, and discussions at Banff and Buchan area committee for months before it was successfully pushed through on appeal.
At the time, Aberdeenshire Council had to throw out 21 letters of representation objecting to the Station Hotel being converted because the language used in them was considered defamatory.
Objections submitted to Aberdeenshire Council by members of the public raised concerns about the “continual police presence and incidents of public disorder” at the property, and that passers-by had witnessed “indecent exposure and verbal abuse from drunks”.
Concerns were also raised about the state of the building, with members of the public fearing that it would continue to deteriorate.
