The MacRobert Trust, the owners of the Douneside House Hotel in Tarland, want to build eight one-bedroom flats on vacant land nearby its establishment.

Under the plans, each unit would be self-contained, with its own kitchen and shower.

The application comes after Royal Deeside hoteliers Artfarm Ltd revealed it is to convert a former care home into worker accommodation.

Aboyne-based Gerry Robb Architectural Design Services, the practice behind the application, said the flats are needed due to the nature of the local housing market: “There is a lack of low-cost accommodation in the area suitable for staff. This has been an ongoing issue for the trust for some time.”