Homes still without power days after Storms Malik and Corrie battered Scotland

A handful of households still do not have power days after a storm thrashed Scotland and knocked thousands of homes off the power grid.

More than 100,000 customers were left without electricity after Storm Corrie battered the country on Sunday, with wind speeds of more than 90mph recorded in places, the day after Storm Malik swept in on Saturday.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is still working to restore power to about 50 homes in Aberdeenshire at midday on Thursday.

Richard Gough, director of distribution system operations at SSEN, said: “Conditions have been extremely challenging for our teams, but we are continuing to work throughout the day to safely connect the final few homes.”

On Wednesday night, about 700 properties had no electricity, the company said, and since the storms swept into the country at the weekend, engineers have re-connected more than 120,000 homes to the power grid.

“I would like to thank customers for their continued patience and reassure them that every effort is being made to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” Mr Gough said.

SSEN said it is in contact with those still without power, and the firm said engineers will continue to respond to all known faults and restore electricity to the remaining homes on Thursday.

Customers unable to access welfare facilities and who remain off supply may claim back the cost of meals up to £15 per person, and they are asked to keep copies of receipts for any claims.

Across both storms, SSEN said its supplies experienced in excess of 450 high-voltage network faults caused by fallen trees and wind-borne debris striking overhead power lines.

The utilities provider said the intensity of the wind storms, stronger than Storm Arwen in some locations, caused serious damage to the company’s infrastructure.