SOME FARMS in the North-east of Scotland have been left without power for almost a week in the aftermath of Storm Arwen which caused havoc in parts of the UK last Friday.

As The SF went to press, energy companies warned that there were more than 6000 properties in Aberdeenshire, Angus and Moray still to be reconnected.

Read more: Public warned away from storm hit forestry

A number of farmers and crofters who had been hit by the storm are in the process of clearing roads from fallen trees, mending collapsed walls, sheds and damaged fencing, with some relying on generators due to the ongoing power cuts.

We were told that the brunt of the damage was recorded in Scotland’s forests, with large numbers of trees down, blocking trails and roads, which is delaying access to powerlines to reconnect power in some regions.

Farmer and auctioneer, Ellis Mutch, from Turriff, told The SF that they lost power at 13.45 on Friday afternoon (November 26) and that they weren’t reconnected again until 17.00 on Tuesday evening (November 30).

“We had nearly 100 trees down on the farm which lifted a lot of fences and blocked our roads, which will be a mess job to tidy up,” he said. “With the power off for five days it meant no water, which has meant quite a bit of extra work ferrying water back and forth to the livestock.

“We’ve not seen winds like these for a long time, not in mine or my father’s time and there are a lot of people worse off than us and still not connected to power,” he continued.

“SSE are doing a power of work to get people back up and running but I don’t think many are aware of the devastation the storm has had on forests and power lines in the area. It is in times like these that community spirit comes into its own and the community around here in Turriff has really pulled together.”

Farmers in the Borders also recorded damage from the storm, Stuart Craig, from Kelso, told us that he was luckier than others but had still sustained damage to his farm steading, with an old shed flattened by the winds – thankfully all livestock were fine. Although he never lost power, his phone lines were still down on Wednesday.

NFU Scotland’s president, Martin Kennedy, spent the weekend clearing trees on his farming operation near Aberfeldy, in Perthshire, after hundreds of trees were blown down in the high winds.

“Much of the damage will have been insurable and we have already contacted our partners in NFU Mutual for an update on the storm’s impact,” added Mr Kennedy.

“Our extensive network of group secretaries and Mutual agents across Scotland will be working hard with our members, helping them assess and start the process of restarting and recovering from the impact of the storm. Some of our offices in the North-east of Scotland remain out of electricity [in mid-week] but calls are being diverted.

“Given the severe disruption, it is a good time to remind all that Scotland’s rural charity, RSABI, is there to help and the helpline number, which operates from 7am until 11pm, is on 0300 111 4166.”

MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Karen Adam, issued a statement to her constituents, reassuring them that her team were working round the clock to support those in need: “If you are in need of food, water, warmth, charging or washing facilities, get in touch with me as soon as possible so I can help.”

“I have also been liaising with local authorities, Scottish Water, SSE, local businesses, and other organisations to maximise facility use to help ensure people in need of assistance have facilities available to them.

"Please keep the constant communication stream coming in and highlighting issues to me as they come up so I can have them reported and dealt with as soon as possible,” she added.