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Arran residents fear long wait for restored electricity Arran residents fear long wait for restored electricity
(35 minutes later)
Residents in parts of Arran fear they will remain off the national grid until Friday as areas of Scotland continue to be hit by severe weather.Residents in parts of Arran fear they will remain off the national grid until Friday as areas of Scotland continue to be hit by severe weather.
An 80-year-old suffering from hypothermia has been airlifted from Pirnmill in the island's north-west to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.An 80-year-old suffering from hypothermia has been airlifted from Pirnmill in the island's north-west to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.
Local hotels supplied with generators have been acting as emergency centres.Local hotels supplied with generators have been acting as emergency centres.
Kinloch Hotel manager Fraser Hendry said: "We've been told it could be Friday before we get the supply back."Kinloch Hotel manager Fraser Hendry said: "We've been told it could be Friday before we get the supply back."
Arran, where about 5,000 have been affected, and parts of Kintyre have been without electricity since Friday. Around 5,000 homes on Kintyre and 2,000 on Arran were still without power on Sunday, having lost their supplies on Friday.
About 2,000 properties in Dumfries and Galloway are also waiting to be reconnected following a weekend of snow, blizzards and heavy winds.About 2,000 properties in Dumfries and Galloway are also waiting to be reconnected following a weekend of snow, blizzards and heavy winds.
Travel problems have eased after many roads were closed on Friday and Saturday, while rail, ferry and air travel was also disrupted.Travel problems have eased after many roads were closed on Friday and Saturday, while rail, ferry and air travel was also disrupted.
However, a number of roads in the Highlands, Tayside, Grampian and Dumfries and Galloway remain closed and the weather has continued to hamper attempts to reconnect power supplies.However, a number of roads in the Highlands, Tayside, Grampian and Dumfries and Galloway remain closed and the weather has continued to hamper attempts to reconnect power supplies.
Scottish and South Energy (SSE) hopes to provide restored power to the whole of Arran by Monday morning via generators that have been ferried to the island since Friday. Scottish and South Energy (SSE) said: "We expect to return power to the majority of homes on Arran by the end of today, although local damage and access issues may mean customers in more rural areas will still be without power overnight.
"For Kintyre, we expect to restore a large number of customers in the south of the peninsula during today, centred around Campbeltown.
"Unfortunately, due to continuing severe conditions further north hampering access, we expect customers in more rural areas to be off supply overnight."
Kinloch Hotel is among several heated rest centres set up across the island and has acted as an emergency surgery for the local doctor as well as power company employees attempting to restore the electricity supplies.Kinloch Hotel is among several heated rest centres set up across the island and has acted as an emergency surgery for the local doctor as well as power company employees attempting to restore the electricity supplies.
Mr Hendry told BBC Scotland: "The bigger villages like Brodock and Lamlash are now fairly clear, but we on the west of the island have borne the brunt of it.Mr Hendry told BBC Scotland: "The bigger villages like Brodock and Lamlash are now fairly clear, but we on the west of the island have borne the brunt of it.
"A lot of people have been walking down for their lunch or dinner and a group of students who were stranded here from Cambridge University helped us deliver supplies to the elderly, but the problem is the smaller hamlets.""A lot of people have been walking down for their lunch or dinner and a group of students who were stranded here from Cambridge University helped us deliver supplies to the elderly, but the problem is the smaller hamlets."
'Poles flattened''Poles flattened'
The local grocery store at Blackwaterfoot was almost now empty, but the hotel manager said a rescue helicopter had delivered supplies three times during Saturday alone.The local grocery store at Blackwaterfoot was almost now empty, but the hotel manager said a rescue helicopter had delivered supplies three times during Saturday alone.
"But every single electric pole in the village has been flattened and we are running out of diesel for the generator having already borrowed from local farmers," said Mr Hendry."But every single electric pole in the village has been flattened and we are running out of diesel for the generator having already borrowed from local farmers," said Mr Hendry.
In addition to mobile generators already ferried to the island, five more were ordered and five mobile catering units were organised on Arran and three in Kintyre.
Neil Young, a fireman at Lamlash on Arran, said about 100 people a day had been taking advantage of his fire station's offer of hot refreshments and shower facilities.
A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said that the elderly woman airlifted from Arran to Kilmarnock is in a stable condition.
The coastguard used boats from Troon and Arran to deliver supplies and offer assistance where needed.
A spokesman for Belfast coastguard, which covers the area, said: "We've got a 4x4 helping and boats are taking blankets and provisions from the mainland to places like Lochranza, which is cut off by road."
SSE is also attempting to clear the roads to reach three steel towers that have collapsed under the weight of ice on the conductors near Crossaig in Kintyre.SSE is also attempting to clear the roads to reach three steel towers that have collapsed under the weight of ice on the conductors near Crossaig in Kintyre.
Forecasters are predicting that the cold snap will continue well into the week. With the A93 Campbeltown road still shut to traffic, generators were taken to the town on Saturday on a special sailing of the MV Hebridean Isles from Kennacraig further north along the peninsula.
Meanwhile, the main areas affected in the south of Scotland remain Wigtownshire and the Barhill area. Residents were told to conserve their fuel supplies to help ease the burden on the mobile generators, while fuel stations have been told to supply "priority vehicles" only.
A ScottishPower spokesperson said: "More than 200 engineers have been responding to faults in the South West of Scotland since first light today. Forecasters are predicting that the cold snap will continue well into this week.
"Unfortunately, the heavy snow also caused many roads in the region to remain closed this morning and into the afternoon, which has heavily restricted access for our engineers.
"We have worked closely with the local authority and Transport Scotland, who have had digging teams and tractors working to clear roads of snow drifts of up to 10ft.
"Helicopter patrols were also unavailable until late afternoon due to the weather conditions.
"Progress has been made across the day and several thousand homes have had power restored.
"Our engineers will work as late as is safely possible, but it is likely that some customers will remain off supply overnight."
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