A village was swamped by sand in just one night - with just one chapel now remaining.
St Mary’s Chapel dates back to at least 1220, and miraculously survived a historic storm that wiped out the surrounding settlement 500 years later.
The remnants of became part of a 'Historic Kirkyards' project in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 2006.
The original chapel was built the 13th century and is believed to be one of the oldest which still exists in north east Scotland.
It was used for religious purposes before that and this 'almost certainly predates the Chapel' according to Aberdeenshire Council's 'Historic Kirkyards' leaflet.
It also has an association with the spread of Christianity in Buchan, Aberdeenshire between the 6th and 8th centuries.
It is thought to have been built as private chapel by William Comyn and is said to be "dedicated to a son who was drowned accidentally in a well".
William Comyn married Marjorie, heiress to the last CelticMormaer of Buchan and became Earl of Buchan, the first ‘Norman’ Earl in Scotland.
The first recorded reference to the chapel is in 1220 when a note of a gift was recorded by William Comyn, Earl of Buchan.
It was initially in the form of alms (food or materials given to the poor) and later gifted in money.
The chapel was part of the Burgh of Rattray until a huge sand storm in 1720 decided the fate of the medieval settlement, but the chapel escaped unscathed.
Some historians, however, say it was simply replaced by the Parish Kirk of Crimond about 1576 after Reformation.
In turn the Parish Kirk was was replaced in 1812 by the present church in the village of Crimond.
A granite stone, dated 911 AD, on the chapel's south wall in the 19th century does not relate to any known event associated with the structure.
The kirkyard with its broken down walls has since become part of the surrounding farmland.
Legend has it sand covered a former castle and buried alive those in the nearby fishing village of Rattray.
They have been described as “a godless crew” - who played cards 'on the Sabbath' around the time of the tragedy
The former Castle of Rattray was attacked often violently by Scots King Robert the Bruce.
A wooden castle first appeared during the early 13th Century and St Mary’s Chapel and burial ground followed later.
It was once found on a sand dune near the chapel and overlooked the water where boats accessed the bay and harbour.
