An iconic Scottish department store that was once up for sale for more than £6 million has been bought at a bargain price.
Aberdeen's Eslemont and Mackintosh was once a hotspot for city center shoppers for over a century.
But the upper floors have been vacant since it closed in 2007, with the high street steadily declining and many retailers struggling.
That year, a large estate in Union Street was put up for sale with an asking price of £6.24 million.
The building was recently put back on the market with an indicative price of £356,000.
However, P&J reports that the historic building was sold this afternoon for £217,000.
Today's bargain sale did not include Eslemont Bar & Restaurant, Miller and Carter Steakhouse, or Mack's Pizzeria on the lower level.
The site was once home to a branch of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's ill-fated restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian.
The restaurant closed in 2017, two years before it went into administration.
It can be seen that there were nine bids throughout the day.
And Esslemont and the Macintosh could be in for a big shake-up.
The property listing stated that it could be converted into flats if planning permission was granted.
Auctioneer Future Property Auctions said the building had “huge potential”.
Esslemont & Mackintosh was founded by businessmen Peter Esslemont and William Mackintosh.
It opened its doors to locals on Broad Street in 1873 and moved to Union Street in the 1920s.
The building was purchased by retail chain Owen Owen in 2005.
However, just two years later it was shut down as the company went into administration.
