Fraserburgh Heritage Centre was one of the most visible buildings to be hit with the destructive force of Storm Arwen with its roof almost completely torn off.
However, organisers say the displays inside made a remarkable escape with all of them remaining “mostly intact”.
Storm Arwen brought strong, intense winds across the north and north-east with buildings, trees and infrastructure being broken, breached and toppling over.
Due to its proximity to the coast, Fraserburgh suffered major damage to buildings such as the Asda, Tesco and the Heritage Centre.
The Heritage Centre is one of the biggest landmarks within the town and a draw for tourists
Howevers the storm has inflicted serious infrastructure damage to the main building.
As the wind intensified on Friday, management took the precaution to evacuate staff from the building at around 1.30pm.
And by 3.30pm the roof had been breached and was dangerously unstable exposing the interior of the centre to the elements.
At first light on Saturday, volunteers from the centre were “devastated” to see the extent of the damage as the majority of the curved roof structure littered the car park having been torn off.
Debris from the roof still litters the car park as conditions – while less severe than before – were deemed too hazardous for the clear-up to begin yet.
While the roof was damaged the solid stone structure built more than 120 years ago remained intact.
Most displays inside centre spared from storm damage
Staff have not been allowed in until it is deemed structurally safe by an engineer following the extensive damage.
A Heritage Centre spokeswoman confirmed that the main galleries suffered limited damage as debris from the incoming roof fell into some of the gallery spaces.
However, she noted that most of the glass displays and exhibits have been unaffected by the damage and areas such as the audio/visual suite and library have not been touched.
The spokeswoman also said that the damage was “not insurmountable” and that the team were “devastated but grateful” for the outpouring of support from the residents looking to help.
The Scottish Museum of Lighthouses confirmed no major losses to their collections, although an investigation is forthcoming.
It has been advised that the public stay clear of the car park as it remains a potentially dangerous area.
Fraserburgh Heritage Centre and museum are closed until further notice due to the storm.