These shocking images show the damage vandals have caused to a 16th century mansion in an Aberdeen suburb.
Culter House in Milltimber was broken into earlier this summer, resulting in more than £100,000 worth of damage.
The culprits sprayed graffiti on the walls of the A-listed mansion, smashed windows, and hurled enormous items of antique furniture down stairs, ripping banisters off in the process.
Police have now released these images in the hope of finding the culprits, who are believed to be local youths.
Constable Lee Buckley said he hoped they would shock parents and friends of the perpetrators into coming forward to assist with the inquiry if they had any information.
He said: “It seems they smashed one of the bottom windows and climbed in, and then unlocked the front door from the inside.
“I think it would have been quite a lot of people, because of the amount of damage that’s been caused and because some of the things that have been moved are really heavy and made of solid oak, and can’t be moved by just a few people.
“Toilets have been ripped up out the floors and thrown out of windows, and a handful of people wouldn’t have the strength to do that.
“The two grand banisters were ripped out of the stairs and thrown down to the bottom floor.
“There’s a lot of decent parents out there who do know what’s happened but won’t tell us.
“Parents would be very willing to protect their kids, but if they do know who it was they should come forward and tell us.”
The historic building was first built more than 300 years ago, and after it was left by the Cumin family – who were essentially the lairds of Culter – it went on to be used by RAF servicemen in World War II, a boarding house for St Margaret’s School for Girls, and from 1983 to 2004 it was used as a care home, but it has lain empty ever since.
It is understood to now be owned by tycoon Tom Cross, founder of Parkmead group. Mr Cross declined to comment on the
police investigation earlier this week.
Anyone with information should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
