For our members in Scotland: Best wishes and check in please

[CameronCat]

Hi all

I'm reading in the on-line UK papers that the west coast of Scotland, Skye, Lochaber and the Borders areas have been hard hit by heavy weather yesterday and last night. I know we have XMTS members in those areas, so best wishes and prayers to all of you.

Especially noted in the coverage was heavy flooding in the Hawick area so I'm concerned for member Cessna152towser. Hope you pull through, mate. JockScot in the Highlands as well, plus a bunch of other names I should remember but don't.

When you get electric and Internet back in service, please do check in to let us know you're in one piece.

Sending good thoughts your way.

Peace
JT

[Orionson]

... what we are experiencing, weather wise, is nothing more than our usual Winter weather. I write from Camustinavaig ~ the Bay of the Windy Hill, about 3 miles from Portree, on the coast across the Straight from Raasay. Yes, it's windy, wet and cold - but no more than usual for this time of year. Regardless of what hits us, we're used to it and we'll be fine.

[Jock Scot]

All fine and dandy in Lochaber. Very wet and very windy for sure, but I think the real trouble was further South to us. Hope Alex is well as he is probably in the middle of it! Thanks for asking.

[The Q]

Just watching the news and between Carlisle and Hawick there are bridges out 55,000 houses have no electricity. Most of Carlisle is cut off by road, the west coast main railway line is flooded. There are inshore lifeboats going down the streets. They believe 14 inches of rain arrived in 24hours.
I wouldn't be suprised if our members on the internet in the area are cut off from the internet for some days.

[neloon]

No problems in NE Scotland.
I'm guessing that, even if Alex is not directly affected, he'll be out helping those that are.
Alan

[cessna152towser]

Thanks for your concerns folks.
Saturday was our annual Christmas shopping day trip to Glasgow and as usual we drove to Carlisle in my Land Rover Defender and went by train from there.
After an early evening meal we returned to Glasgow Central station to find all main line trains cancelled due to the floods and high winds having intensified since morning.
There is a local stopping train run by Scotrail which eventually reaches Carlisle via Dumfries and they kindly allowed us to use our return tickets on the Scotrail train. The train was only able to run as far as Dumfries and we had to stay overnight at Ferintosh Guest House, which as some of you know is run by xmarks member Pour1Malt though he has not been active here recently.
This is the scene which greeted us when we left after breakfast.

The River Nith had burst its banks. There were no buses or trains running. The bus station in Dumfries was under water, the bus depot in Carlisle was under water and the railway line was under water north of Carlisle. Scotrail managed to source a bus from as far away as Airdrie, in the central lowlands which reached Dumfries just after lunchtime and eventually took us to Carlisle via a rather round about route. As the normal routes from the north into Carlisle were flooded we had to travel past Carlisle on the M6 motorway and then reach the city by local roads from the south. Carlisle has suffered serious flooding with many houses damaged and householders were being rescued by helicopters and lifeboats. With the Land Rover able to negotiate the road from Carlisle to Hawick with care, we eventually arrived home after dark on Sunday.
All is well at home as our house is high up on the side of the valley and well above the flooded areas in town.