A charity has called for a decaying 19th century house originally built for a newspaper editor to be saved.

Conservation group SAVE Britain’s Heritage has branded Westburn House, home of one-time Aberdeen Journal editor David Chalmers, as “vulnerable”.

The historic property was built in the 1830s for David, who commissioned renowned architect Archibald Simpson to design it.

The property was acquired by then-Aberdeen Town Council in 1901 and was used as changing and refreshment rooms for the nearby sports facilities, before becoming a nursery.

But the house has fallen into disrepair in recent years, leading SAVE to list it in its annual ‘Buildings at Risk’ catalogue.

The Category A-listed building has been vacant since 1998.

Liz Fuller, SAVE’s building at risk officer, said: “All over the country there are countless numbers of disused historic buildings which could be revived with new uses to ensure their survival.

“In preparing this year’s buildings at risk catalogue, Revive and Survive, we have unearthed a treasure trove of beautiful buildings which tell the story of this country but need action to be taken if they are to survive.”