This stunning drone footage shows the site where Aberdeen Football Club’s new “world class” stadium could be built.
The grounds, at Kingsford, near Westhill, would be the largest newly-built facility of its kind in Scotland for 100 years.
The Dons have unveiled a series of images which show how the 20,000-seater development would look inside, as well as its facade.
Training pitches and community amenities to strengthen the club’s ties with the local area, and to help develop future generations of Dandies stars, are planned for the facility – which has been inspired by trips to other stadiums around the world.
It will also include a fan-zone, a club shop, a memorial garden and a heritage museum to ensure the side’s storied past at Pittodrie is kept alive for future generations.
Last night, the club said the multimillion-pound investment could help to ensure the regional economy was not so reliant on the oil and gas industry.
George Yule, vice-chairman of the club, said: “This is something this region needs right now, diversification away from oil and gas, this in its own right isn’t a solution but it’s part of it.
“We have a vision to bring this club into the 21st century and we set out along that path around three years ago.
“We’re operating out of Pittodrie which has great memories for everyone but it’s not a stadium that befits a club in the 21st century.
“Everything from lack of facilities for our players, for our community staff, even right down to on a match day for our supporters, society these days expect a much better environment to be entertained at events – we’re operating in a stadium, parts of which were built in the early 20th century.”
The Dons have been looking for a replacement ground for Pittodrie for the last 15 years.
But the plans have proved controversial to some in nearby Westhill due to a number of concerns, including increased traffic and also the health and safety risk as the development would be built close to two oil pipelines.
A No Kingsford Stadium campaign group was launched soon after the club mooted the new site.
Mr Yule said they had met with both oil companies, the Health and Safety Executive and Sepa to establish that the development would be in a “free zone”, between the two pipelines.
He added: “If we’re looking to improve this region and attract more people to this area then somewhere along the line there will be some form of price to pay. We don’t think it’s that unreasonable that once a fortnight there’s going to be a bit more traffic on the roads for a very short period of time during the match.”
However, the campaigners has accused the club of trying to downplay the true impact of the stadium.
Clare Davidson, spokeswoman for the group, said: “We expected the club would play it down, and they can say it’s going to be for every second week but it’s still more traffic than these communities have to endure.
“That structure is going to be there 24/7, and it’s going to ruin the landscape forever.”