Work to clear an Aberdeenshire bridge of a mass of debris which accumulated during Storm Frank was thwarted at the weekend – due to a surge in water levels.
A group of five volunteers had gathered at the bridge across the River Dee in Ballater on Saturday, hoping to use a winch to remove the mess around its structural foundations.
Wood, litter and panelling were part of the debris around the structure, which was left exposed after the River Dee’s levels dipped in the weeks following the worst flooding the north-east had experienced in recent memory.
Two of the volunteers waded into the water at the weekend to attempt the clear-up, which has now been pushed back until next weekend.
Another surge in water levels, brought on by further rain on Friday and snow melt in the hills, is said to have caused the water to rise just high enough for the work to be delayed.
However, the members of the Ballater Volunteers group weren’t left idle, subsequently clearing the riverbanks in and around the village.
Hundreds of homes and businesses throughout the community were devastated by the floods on Hogmanay.
A huge amount of rainfall and melting
The village’s caravan park was left in ruins, whilst others lost all their life’s possessions.
Nicky Ryder established the Ballater Volunteers in the wake of the floods and helped organise the clear-up.
She said: “The water was too high and they couldn’t tackle the bridge, but a group did the riverbank, and the volunteers were working on that side clearing up the debris.
“At the bridge, there are big items that are going to have to be taken out one by one. There are caravan panels. It is going to be a big job.”
The Ballater resident said there was a huge amount of work still to do around the river itself, adding: “It is good that lots of people are getting involved. It is getting there slowly.
“At the caravan park, the riverbank is just eaten away. But it is definitely looking better.
“You find everything from bottles of prosecco, and ornaments to shower heads, broken vases and children’s toys. It is really, really horrible and there is so much in the river.
“I think a lot of people are really down about it, saying Ballater is ruined forever. It isn’t, but it might not be the same as it was.”