An exclusive Broughty Ferry bungalow was destroyed in a serious overnight fire.
The cause of the outbreak to the dwelling in Castleroy Road is under investigation, and a specialist team has been called in from Aberdeen to carry out inquiries.
The two-storey property at No 9 is one of a number of expensive homes set in the grounds of a former mansion house.
The fire broke out late on Friday night and was reported to the fire service by a neighbour who heard a loud bang from the bungalow. They went to investigate and saw flames leaping from the roof.
The house was undergoing renovation work and the owners were not in the building at the time.
Four units of the Scottish Fire Service raced to the scene and found the property well alight. The fire was particularly intense in the roof, and the inferno brought down 80% of the upper structure.
The outbreak also caused serious damage to the ground floor of the property, and despite training four water jets on the flames the firefighters were unable to save the building.
Station manager Fraser Scott confirmed the house had been destroyed. He added: “It was a serious fire and because of the scale of the monetary loss we have called in the Fire Investigation Team from Aberdeen to carry out inquiries.
“The house seemed to be undergoing works at the time and no one was present in the building when the fire occurred.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland Tayside division said they were being kept aware of developments by he fire service.
A local fire crew was still at the scene this morning to damp down the building from which pockets of smoke could still be seen.
A female occupant of the dwelling was with the firefighters this morning but she declined to speak about the incident.
The house at No 9, set in an attractive garden, is round a bend on an access road in the Castleroy grounds and is not visible from Castleroy Road.