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One year on from New Year storms on Bute
A fallen tree at Lovers' Walk in Rothesay - one of many examples of damage caused on Bute by the violent storm which struck Scotland one year ago.
Bute was battered by violent storms on January 3, 2012 - exactly one year ago. But what are your memories of the storm and its aftermath - and what lessons have been learned from the experience?
The island was left without electricity for the best part of three days after Cyclone Ulli - the most severe storm for 13 years - struck Britain, with west and central Scotland bearing the brunt of the winds.
The back-up generator at the Rothesay telephone exchange also failed during the power cut, leaving the island without land phone line connections to the rest of the world.
And though a soup kitchen and respite centre was eventually established at Rothesay Pavilion, and mobile food vans and electricity generators brought to the island, there remained a lingering feeling that more could have been done - and done more quickly - to get Bute back up and running.
The wind blew down trees and caused structural damage to many buildings across the island - and 12 months on the effects of the storm can still be seen in many places.
A report by MPs into the authorities’ reaction to the storm, and the state of the power distrbution network, was launched in Rothesay later in the year, and representatives from Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution, the Co-operative Group, Strathclyde Police, Argyll and Bute Council and other agencies involved in the emergency response have all attended public meetings on the island aimed at ensuring Bute is better prepared should a storm of similar scale strike again in the future.
But what do you remember most about those storms from one year ago - and are you still coping with the aftermath? Share your memories and your experiences here - just sign up or log in using the buttons below to post your comments.
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Weather for Rothesay
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west
