Four men are due in court today after police discovered a cannabis farm at an abandoned hotel in Aboyne.
Officers uncovered cannabis being grown at the old Huntly Arms Hotel, which had been vacant since 2019, at around 8.40am yesterday.
Four men, aged 24, 26, 27 and 29 have now been charged in connection with the discovery.
Police confirmed that all four men are expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court today.
Locals concerns about Huntly Arms future
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 almost reduced to a despite efforts by local community groups to revive its fortunes.
After lying vacant for years, 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 (Harp).
Their vision was to renovate the hotel to its former glory, attracting hospitality firms to invest in its future.
Dave Marshall from Harp 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.”