'Frying frozen pizzas' - how Scots have coped with Storm Arwen power cuts

Many across Scotland face going seven nights without power, after Storm Arwen hit Scotland last week.

More than 4,000 homes across the country were without power last night, with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) hoping to have reconnected another 1500 homes overnight.

The energy company has reconnected more than 120,000 homes caused by Friday's storm.

The majority of those still without supply are in rural communities in areas including Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perthshire and Stirlingshire.

Fish fingers for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Mum Suvidha Narayanan, from Sauchen in Aberdeenshire, had her power restored last night, after having no electricity since Friday.

Suvidha explained how she's relied on a gas ring to feed her family.

"I really do hope the authorities learn lessons from this entire experience," she said.

"It is worrying this is happening at the start of the bad weather.

"We have been eating our way through the freezer because everything needs to get utilised.

"For the kids it has been a party because they've managed to get fish fingers, pizzas, you name it the lot as breakfast, lunch and dinner."

SSEN have been providing welfare units for those without power as a result of Storm Arwen.

"It was like a UFO had crash-landed"

Many roads across Aberdeenshire and Moray were left shut after trees came crashing down

Mechanical Engineer Neil Scowen, from Grange in Moray, worked a total of 36 hours helping clear roads and checking in on vulnerable residents, while not having electricity himself.

He said: "It was almost like a warzone, it's almost as if a UFO had crash landed and knocked the trees over.

"It's difficult having to do things with just a head torch and not being able to see very well in these darker nights.

"It's going to be weeks or maybe even months before all the trees that have been cut and put in the sides of the roads will be cleared.

"Some of them may never get cleared, they'll just sit on the side of the road.

"At a very young age, I can remember being out with my father helping the neighbours when the weather was bad.

"It was just something I've been brought up to do.

Supporting local communities

Like Neil, many volunteer groups and businesses have been helping those struggling during the power cut.

Wayne Stewart, who owns The Knowes Hotel and Restaurant in Macduff, Aberdeenshire, has teamed up with SSEN to help provide hot meals and a warm setting to help those get a break from the cold.

He said: "When people have got no power, it just shows you that you can't take everything for granted.

"I decided to put this initiative on because I felt at the time there wasn't much happening in our area."

In the event of power outages being caused by severe storms, Wayne feels more collaborations between authorities and local businesses are required.

He added: "I'd like to see local authorities and maybe energy companies getting in touch with hotels to see if we can get people put up.

"I already have people and families staying here while they're out of their house.

"It would be good if other people got involved too."

Storm Arwen "once in a generation" weather event

Chris Burchell, SSEN managing director, described Storm Arwen as a "once in a generation extreme weather event" and said the company was doing all it could to restore power "as quickly as possible".

He added: "As our teams continue to make good progress repairing and restoring the high voltage network in what remains very challenging conditions, we are increasingly turning our focus to the low voltage network, which serves single or groups of homes, often in rural and isolated communities.

"Whilst the low voltage network only serves a fraction of the customers the high voltage network supplies, the repairs required to restore power are just as challenging and complex, which in some cases will require the rebuild of entire sections of overhead line.

"We therefore encourage all customers who remain off supply, particularly where overhead network infrastructure supplies single or small groups of houses, to consider making alternative arrangements.

"This includes our enhanced welfare provisions, with our teams proactively contacting customers to help coordinate support where possible."

SSEN has said it will reimburse all reasonable accommodation.

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