A local community rallied around the owners of a popular cafe that was totally destroyed by fire on Thursday evening.
The Tee Shack cafe opened two years ago alongside the nine-hole Covesea golf course near Lossiemouth and quickly established itself as one of the most popular stopping points for local and visitors.
Thursday’s fire completely destroyed the building despite the efforts of over 30 firefighters called in from throughout Moray to tackle the blaze.
The news brought a massive outpouring of sympathy for the business owners with hundreds sending messages of shock and sympathy through insideMoray’s Facebook page, where the news spread rapidly to almost 50,000 readers.
In a statement thanking people for their kindness the Tee Shack owners said: “On behalf of everybody at the Tee Shack we would like to say a huge thank you for all of your support and condolences.
“Luckily nobody was hurt as the fire happened after closing time. We are all devastated and really appreciate your kindness.”
Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead was amongst those who expressed horror at the loss of what has been a popular tourist attraction. He said: “I have been there several times and it is a really popular local eaterie.
“My thoughts are with the owners and staff who have put so much into it to achieve success in a fairly short period of time.”
A joint investigation into the cause of the fire was launched yesterday by officers from Grampian Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland.
Cafe blaze (c) Ellie Kabamba