A supporting statement said the project, which is close to the William Adam-designed House of Dun, will bring the brownfield land beside the A935 Montrose to Brechin road back into productive use and clear the “visually offensive” site of dilapidated and dangerous asbestos-ridden buildings.

Dundee-based RDA Architects will lay out the development to replicate agricultural steading buildings incorporating a sense of centralised courtyards which is typical of similar existing agricultural building layouts in Angus.

“The design approach to the proposed new build dwellings will be sensitive to a rural setting in form, scale and style, incorporating a range of single and 1½ storey elements, echoing the mix of levels and roof heights to archetypical steadings and thus creating an aesthetically pleasing architectural composition,” the practice added.

Bounded to the south by the A935, the 0.81-hectare site will require decontamination before any development can take place.

The supporting statement said: “Trees have grown through the remains of the derelict buildings and it would be virtually impossible to clear the asbestos and possible oil contamination from the root structure of the selfseeded trees.

“To remove the contamination, it would be necessary to demolish the buildings, remove the trees and scrape the site. All large asbestos sheets would require encapsulation with removal by specialists.”

RDA Architects added: “The non-intensive, lowscale development of this site, in conjunction with an impressive and appropriately sympathetic, yet compliant design will ensure that the National Trust for Scotland will make a welcome and necessary use of what is a redundant and potentially, visually offensive site with dangerously dilapidated buildings posing a clear health and safety risks.”