Around 40 pensioners had to be evacuated from a century-old north-east care home as it was engulfed by flames at the weekend.
A fire erupted inside the Alastrean Care Home at Tarland, near Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, at about 3.50pm on Saturday afternoon.
The blaze spread internally through the flue and into the roof space, causing damage to the walls and ceiling.
Seven staff who were working at the time were forced to evacuate the home’s 38 residents, who took refuge in a wing of the building where the fire had not spread.
Police later confirmed that no one was hurt.
Nine appliances were called to extinguish the blaze with specialist units, including an incident vehicle, also in attendance.
Crews battled the blaze for several hours before it was under control, and they remained at the facility yesterday morning while a unit dampened down the building.
Investigators were also working inside the building, which is more than 110 years old, for much of the day to try and establish what had caused the blaze.
Watch manager Mike Cassie, who led a relief crew at the site yesterday, confirmed the fire had caused “mostly internal” damage, with the structure largely untouched.
All residents of the home were later moved to homes in the surrounding area and their families informed.
Management at the facility – which is owned by the MacRobert Trust and run by Balhousie Care Group – arrived at the scene throughout the morning to try and salvage what they could from the area of the home that had been damaged.
Last night, they paid tribute to the emergency services.
A spokeswoman for Balhousie said: “Although no residents were evacuated outside at the time, alternative accommodation had been arranged. All relatives have been contacted.
“There were 38 residents in the building at the time, along with 7 staff members. Our priority is their safety and well-being.
“We would like to thank the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services for their fast response.”
The home previously cared specifically for former RAF servicemen and women, but now accepts people from all backgrounds.