Scotland battered by hurricane’s last gasp

Tourist attractions were closed and sporting events were cancelled.

Warnings remained in place last night for damage, flooding and disruption, with winds forecast to reach up to 90mph in some places today.

Racing at Musselburgh was abandoned after just one race and the second stage of the Tour of Britain cycling contest was cancelled because of high winds in Cumbria.

Gusts of up to 74mph were recorded on Aonach Mor near Fort William, while the Cairngorms National Park Authority said winds of 70mph were recorded on Cairn Gorm, with gusts of up to 90mph forecast today.

In the Ayrshire seaside towns of Saltcoats and Ardrossan, residents gathered to photograph vast waves crashing over sea walls, as winds approached speeds of 60mph.

Meteorologist Graham Smith, who recorded the conditions at Saltcoats, said: “The sea has been quite spectacular, with the waves crashing over the wall and gale-force winds.

“But I wouldn’t have thought things will get much more intense. The maximum wind gust I recorded was 56mph compared to nearly 70mph in May.”

The waves also battered the Ayrshire coastal rail line, where strong winds and spray from high tides caused overhead line problems at Saltcoats just before noon.

Largs and Ardrossan services to and from Glasgow terminated at Kilwinning because of the poor conditions for around three hours, with a replacement bus service in operation.

The adverse weather also caused disruption to ScotRail services at Craigendoran, near Helensburgh. Services at Gourock, Bishopton, and Falkirk Grahamston also saw delays caused by fallen trees.

Caledonian MacBrayne cancelled several routes, while Stena Line sailings from Stranraer to Belfast and Argyll Ferries crossings between Gourock and Dunoon were called off.

P&O halted its Fastcraft route from Cairnryan to Larne, adding that the service would also be suspended today.

On the roads, Lothian and Borders Police said a tree had fallen on top of a garage in Edinburgh’s Strathearn Place.

High winds also led to a tree falling on the Dalbettie to Sandyhills road at Colvend in Dumfries and Galloway, where power lines were also down for several hours.

Hundreds of homes were without power in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

In Inverclyde, houses in Inverkip were left without power from 3:15pm. A spokesman for ScottishPower said engineers were working on the problem.

The Forth Road Bridge, Tay Road Bridge, and Erskine Bridge were closed to high vehicles, and the A78 at Skelmorlie in Ayrshire was closed in both directions due to flooding.

The Nevis Range, near Fort William, suspended the operation of its gondola and chairlifts, and gales led to the closure of Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh Castle and the Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend.

Transport minister Keith Brown said 250 staff from Transport Scotland’s Multi Agency Response Team were on duty yesterday, with 100 due to work through the night “to deal with the worst the weather brings”.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “Strong to severe gale force winds will continue through Monday evening, particularly through the Central Belt and the south, and expect some travel disruption.

“But they do start to ease overnight during the early hours down to around 50mph, with rain continuing across the west..”

A Scottish Environment Protection Agency spokeswoman said: “We have got quite a few flood warnings out, but they are mostly for low-lying agricultural land. We’re not anticipating torrential rain.” There were no reports of weather-related injuries last night.