A historic Aberdeenshire winter sports clubhouse that was totally destroyed by fire could be about to rise from the ashes.
The home of the Vale of Alford Curling Club was was burnt to the ground in July with the blaze destroying its equipment and memorabilia built up over 140 years.
However members of the sports group have met and agreed an action plan to rebuild the clubhouse in Murray Park as soon as they can.
Police believe the fire was started deliberately with inquiries ongoing to catch those responsible.
Meanwhile, the group has established three committees to preserve the heritage of the club, fundraise for its future and finally rebuild the clubhouse.
The cost of the reconstruction and replacing equipment will cost an estimated £40,000 and £50,000.
Secretary-treasurer of the club, Allan Taylor, said he would like to see the building back up by winter time, but that replacing the stones in time for the new season was the real priority.
The blaze was so powerful it destroyed the granite curling rocks, leaving only the handles attached to them.
Mr Taylor said: “Now the fire has happened we have to keep on, build it back up. Giving up was never on the cards.
He added: “I think the priority for this winter would be to get the stones, if we can carry stones back and forwards and then we can get curling.
“The only thing we salvaged from the clubhouse itself was some of the handles. The stones themselves were all shattered. We have recovered some of the handles.
“Stones are probably our first priority from that point of view and then it is the clubhouse.”
Mr Taylor said he hoped the rebuilding could happen quickly and that the group were considering a simple cabin-style base.
“Depending on what the planners say if we can get a cabin-style structure then you we are probably talking about doing the whole thing for £40,000 to £50,000. It is a reasonable sum of money.
“To get two sets of stones is going to cost about £15,000 or there about so that is a reasonable sum of money without building a clubhouse as well.”
Mr Taylor appealed for anyone with any memorabilia connected to the club to come forward.
He added: “We can’t restore what is not there any more, but we have got a heritage subcommittee looking at things people and we are looking for anybody got anything connected to the curling club to come forward – photographs and old score cards from back years ago when there was really hard frost and all that sort of things have been lost.
“These sort of things are gone forever.”