THE BIG storm on Thursday - with winds reaching 165mph on the high tops of the Cairngorms and gusts of more than 80mph in local towns and villages - reminds us of the devastating power of nature.

Fortunately the actual damage caused seems to be at the lower end of the scale.

It has been inconvenient, particularly for those without power for nearly two days in Badenoch and Strathspey, and has undoubtedly caused worry. The big storm has also come with a repair bill for some, but most important of all, no-one was seriously hurt.

We are lucky that in Britain, even the very worst excesses of our weather are dwarved by the havoc Mother Nature wreaks regularlyin other parts of the world.

THE first cold-weather payments of the winter have just been made to the elderly and other vulnerable residents living in Badenoch and Strathspey.

Under the previous UK Labour Government, this was worth just £8.50 per week, but now the payment is £25 per week of sub-zero temperatures. This is something that the Lib- Dems have achieved in Government with the Conservatives.

The rise - at a time of soaring energy prices - means that at least a couple of rooms in a house can be properly heated during the coldest parts of the winter.

However, much more still needs to be done to ensure that consumers are not at the mercy of the energy giants and their profits.

It is simply wrong that people will still be freezing this winter because they are too worried to turn up the heating because of the cost of their fuel bills.