Action has been urged to tackle Angus’s “shame” of crumbling historic buildings.
With almost 100 district properties on Scotland’s Buildings at Risk register, a leading local authority figure has said lack of action is not an option if the area wishes to hold on to its priceless built heritage.
The Angus list covers everything from rural doocots to nationally significant A-listed structures.
At risk properties are spread across the county, from the scale of the Elms mansion house in Arbroath to a seemingly nondescript cottage in the village of Letham, and the one-time Flicks nightclub on Brechin High Street.
A very few buildings are under restoration or in relatively secure condition, but there are fears that many are already beyond viable economic repair and the list continues to grow with the closure of major facilities such as Sunnyside Hospital, near Montrose.
Arbroath councillor Bob Spink has now urged a detailed examination of the 89-strong Angus list.
“The range and scale of the list of buildings is astonishing and, quite frankly, I think it is something we should be ashamed of in Angus,” said Mr Spink.
“The main problem with old buildings is that bodies such as councils see no payback from them so why should they spend money on them? But if nothing is done to preserve them we will lose them forever.”