More than 45 firefighters spent the night battling an "extremely difficult" fire in Aberdeenshire.

Grampian Fire and Rescue Service was called to Witchill Farm, at Memsie, at around 1.20am on Friday.

A spokeswoman for the service said: "We dispatched two fire engines. On arrival a house was well alight and four additional fire engines, a water carrier, incident command unit, welfare unit and an incident support vehicle were sent to this incident."

At the height of the incident more than 45 firefighters from Fraserburgh, Ellon, Peterhead, Banff, Inverurie and Aberdeen were tackling the blaze, near Fraserburgh.

Crews were however unable to save the building and it is understood its roof collapsed as the flames raged.

The spokeswoman said they had been operating “under extremely difficult conditions to extinguish the fire” due to the closest water source being around half a mile from the scene.

"The building is extensively damaged and there are no injuries to the public or emergency service personnel," the spokeswoman added.

"The cause of this fire is currently unknown and a when the fire is extinguished and the incident ground is safe to do so a joint fire investigation will commence between Grampian Fire and Rescue Service and the Police."

Fire crews have extinguished the blaze but are still at the scene dampening the remains.