Trains cancelled, 100s of travellers stranded, roads flooded and historic Carrbridge crossing swallowed up by river 

They say that a picture is worth a 1000 words and this was a perfect example. There were a number of incidents of flooding following some heavy rainfall in the Highlands and the photo was kicking around social media which perfectly showed the after effects.

The water level was almost over the safety railing on the viewing platform. I visited the site later the same year and there was a marked contrast and I was able to safely stand on the vary same spot. The end result made a nice front page splash for the Highland News.

A MAJOR clearing-up operation was under way after a storm of tropical intensity battered parts of the Highlands leaving chaos in its wake.

Hundreds of travellers were left stranded as roads were closed and all trains south of Inverness cancelled after a month’s worth of rain fell in the space of a few hours. 

Homes and businesses were flooded as the storm wreaked havoc in the early hours of yesterday leaving tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage behind. 

As our dramatic pictures show, the historic packhorse bridge at Carrbridge, which was built in 1717 and previously hit by flash flooding in 1829, was almost overrun by the raging torrent of the River Dulnain. 

The waiting room at Raigmore Hospital’s emergency department was closed after flooding damaged the roof in the early hours of the morning. 

Highland Council confirmed that the B862 was closed between Dores and Torness because of a landslip at Loch Ceo Glais, and the B852 was shut between Dores and Foyers due to a separate landslide. 

A council spokeswoman yesterday said: “Inverness area had significant overnight rainfall on Tuesday night which caused a number of flooding issues around the city and Culloden.” 

ScotRail services were also experiencing major disruption on the Highland mainline due to flooding of the track near Carrbridge.

Some emergency buses were laid on for stranded travellers but not enough to cope with the demand. 

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said its Inshes monitoring station had recorded as much rain in two to three hours yesterday morning as it did in the whole of last August. 

Some 4.9cm of rain fell at the station in just 36 hours, with 3.6cm of that falling in a two to three hour window in the early hours yesterday – in August 2018, only 3.66cm of rain was recorded in the entire month. 

Forecasts for the weekend are predicting more prolonged but less torrential showers as a Met Office yellow weather warning for thunderstorms was expected to last until 10pm last night. 

A Met Office spokesman said heavy summertime rainfall, with high volumes in short periods of time, was not uncommon. He said: “Statistically August is the wettest month of the summer.” 

He added there was a chance the yellow weather warning might be extended but at the time of going to press there were no warnings in place for today. 

Further rainfall was forecast with prolonged showers, which could be potentially thundery, lasting into Saturday with winds easing weaker showers on Sunday. 

An NHS Highland spokeswoman said, following the damage to the waiting room roof, workmen were called in to carry out emergency repairs while a temporary waiting room was set up for patients and the ambulance staff entry to the unit was also moved during the morning. 

Jane Buckley, divisional general manager for the hospital’s medical division, said: “The heavy rainfall overnight has had an impact on the waiting area in our emergency department.”

From the Highland News on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

Floods create new pool at play park

And this was just a day later and literally on my doorstep – the playground is just a few hundred yards from my flat. Again heavy rainfall had flooded the area and created a makeshift paddling pool for the local kids. I quite liked this shot because it was quite simple and perfectly illustrated the situation.

CHILDREN in the Milton of Leys area of Inverness enjoyed an impromptu paddling pool near their local school as a result of this week’s torrential rainfall and thunderstorms. 

Homes and businesses were left mopping up and counting the cost as the Highlands bore the brunt of storms which hit a peak during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Play equipment and the soft play area of the park were still under inches of water that afternoon and Bob Roberts, from Inverness South Community Council, said drainage was a longstanding issue at the site.

He described the scene as resembling a “suds pond” and added: “I’d have thought it would have dried up by now. At least the kids are having good fun in the ‘paddling pool.’

“I didn’t expect it to be as bad for as long .”

Highland councillor Ken Gowans, who represents the Inverness South ward, said the floodwater had damaged the surface of paths which were only laid in the park three weeks ago. He added: “It keeps getting flooded and we have had to replace the paths a few times.

“The whole area is a mess but it should come as no surprise given there is no drainage – that should have been taken into account.”

A Highland Council spokeswoman said the playpark sat on an underground waterway, which drained away when the rain stopped, and there no plans to alter it within current budgets.

Over the weekend the Met Office has placed further yellow weather warnings for the Inverness area on each day with the potential of thunder both tomorrow and Sunday.

There was chaos earlier this week with rail cancellations hitting all trains south of Inverness, following flooding in the Carrbridge area, and landslides affecting the B852 and B862 routes around the Dores area.

A number of city shops were closed due to flooding along with Inverness Library and the waiting room at Raigmore Hospital’s emergency department.

The library was reopened later that day and an NHS Highland spokeswoman confirmed alternative arrangements, for both patients and staff, were put in place until a leaking roof was repaired.

From The Inverness Courier on Friday, August 9, 2019.