A group of pensioners evacuated from their homes have spoken of their dramatic rescue – and the damage they will be going home to.
About 50 Ballater residents spent the night in the Victoria Barracks as they took refuge from the roaring torrents of the River Dee, which damaged many of their homes.
On Thursday, they described their ordeal to Deputy First Minister John Swinney as he spoke with residents of Deebank Road.
Ernie McIntosh said the water rose within minutes and that his home has been left an “absolute shambles”.
The 77-year-old said: “It came up I would say within 20 minutes it was that fast.
“There’s not one fuel tank left in place they are scattered all over the place. There’s fuel that’s spilled out and that’s one of the reasons we can’t go back because they’re worried about the fumes and also the gas canisters from the caravan park.”
Inside his home there was four feet of water.
“The only thing I rescued was the charger for my mobile phone,” Mr McIntosh added.
Davina Russell described the “scary” experience, and said: “By the time I got out the fireman was telling me ‘come on, come on, you haven’t got time to wait’ and by the time they got us out the back and onto Albert Road it was waist high, it was as quick as that.
“It’s more scary looking back on it than it was at the time. They got a big JCB and pulled us onto that and got us out.”
Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside councillor Geva Blackett lives by the Invercauld Bridge in Braemar and said a car had to be held down with two Land Rovers to stop it being swept away by the floods.
“There was only one family who was in serious difficulty and they had three little girls including a newborn baby and we got them out of the village to go south,” she said.
Everyone was working together she said but the closure of the Invercauld Bridge would cause a major access problem for the village.
“I will be working flat out to resolve the situation,” she said.
Offers of help from extra food, shelter, clothes and bedding have been made to those hit by the storm from businesses and people outwith the area.
“Everybody’s offer of help is really welcome and I think the community will be overwhelmed when they realise how much generosity and good will there is out there,” Mrs Blackett said.