Mystery over buyer's identity as Rubislaw Quarry sold

A VEIL of secrecy surrounds the identity of the new owner of Europe's largest man-made hole.

Chartered surveyor AB Robb, the selling agent, has confirmed that Rubislaw Quarry, the 466ft-deep crater on the edge of the Aberdeen's plush West End, has been sold after going on the market in January with an asking price of only 30,000.

A spokeswoman for AB Robb would confirm only that the quarry had been sold within the past fortnight. She said the identity of the buyer and the price could not be disclosed because of a confidentiality agreement.

The quarry, which provided the stone that made Aberdeen the "Granite City", was put up for sale by Bixen, an overseas-based company, which suggested that potential buyers might be able to turn it into a tourist attraction or a leisure facility.

Quarrying ceased at the site in 1971, after more than 231 years.