Power cuts hit Inverness as storms batter Scotland

Homes in Inverness were among those affected by the power cut

HIGH winds and stormy conditions battered the Highlands last night leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power.

Scottish Hydro Electric said the whole of Scotland was affected as winds of up to 100mph brought down power cables. Inverness and the Black Isle were amongst the worst hit areas.

A spokesperson for Scottish Hydro Electric said: "Many homes in Inverness were without power for about half an hour last night due to very stormy conditions bringing down power cables. The good news is all repairs have been carried out.

"The high winds caused a lot of damage to our network and although we've built up our network to withstand bad weather, this was a particularly bad storm."

Meanwhile passengers at Inverness Airport are facing long delays as the ash cloud from Grimsovn volcano in Iceland is causing disruption.

Flights due to arrive into the Highland Capital from Stornoway, Kirkwall, Manchester and London this morning have all been cancelled and flights due to depart to these destinations from Inverness this morning have also been cancelled.

Passengers are advised to check http://www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport/ and check with their airlines before going to the airport.

And there was rail disruption too for passengers in the Highlands as some faced cancellations.

Trains to Wick and Aberdeen from Inverness have been cancelled due to poor weather conditions this morning and Scotrail is advising people to keep up to date with all travel information by visiting http://www.scotrail.co.uk/.

However all roads in the Highlands and Islands were open at 6am this morning, according to Northern Constabulary. But many areas are continuing to experience high winds and drivers, particularly those using high-sided vehicles, are asked to take extra care.

Up-to-date information on the conditions of roads throughout the Highlands and Islands can be obtained from the Traffic Scotland Helpline 0800 028 1414 or www.trafficscotland.org. And more detailed information regarding weather conditions can be obtained from the Met Office website www.metoffice.gov.uk