A historian has hit out after a B-listed building in Angus was left covered in graffiti.
Kirriemuir resident David Orr noticed three-metre-tall slogans had been scrawled on Finavon Doocot last week.
He says the 16th-century building is already in a state of disrepair – and wants action taken to protect it.
The vandalism has prompted a police investigation.
David said: “The National Trust took over the doocot from the local group and it’s gone downhill ever since.
‘Iconic building seen by thousands’
“I think they have a lot to answer for.
“This iconic building is seen daily by thousands passing along the A90 from Forfar to Aberdeen.
“When the National Trust took over, they got archaeologists to look at it and they promised to make major refurbishments.
“Nothing has happened since – no repairs have been made and the site has got a lot worse.
“Many doocots are disappearing across the country.”
A spokesperson for the National Trust for Scotland said: “The reconstructed Finavon Doocot remains the largest such structure in Scotland.
“It is in an isolated position and has been closed to the public for some time.
“The trust is aware of the property’s needs and we have recently commissioned a conservation statement to help us understand what needs to be done to protect it for the future.
Funding to remove graffiti
“To that end we are also examining options for potential community alliances as well as possible sources of funding.
“Unfortunately, the doocot was vandalised and defaced with graffiti over the last week. It is difficult to understand why anyone would do this to a B-listed monument.
“We are using our charitable funds to assess how we can sensitively remove the graffiti and hope to accomplish this as quickly as possible.”
Police investigation
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We are currently investigating a vandalism to the Finavon Doocot, off the A90 at Finavon, which happened sometime between 8am Tuesday 27 – 5pm Wednesday 28 July.
“The Doocot, which is visible from the A90, is a 16th century B-listed building which is cared for by the National Trust and is the largest structure of its type in Scotland. The walls have been spray-painted with graffiti by someone using the tag VBN.
“If you have any information that could assist us, please call 101 or speak with any police officer.
“Information can be given anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111. Our reference is incident 0988 of 29 July.”
Doocots – which is Scots for “dovecots” – were once used to house birds.
But they fell out of use in the 1700s due to the birds destroying crops.