Storm Eowyn: 10,000 Oban homes affected by storm as rail and ferry services cancelled

Shops are closed and ferry and rail services cancelled following Storm Eowyn.

By Louise Glen

January 24 2025, 12:19 pm

Thousands of homes and businesses in the Oban area suffered power cuts in the wake of the storm. Image: Louise Glen/ DC Thomson.

Thousands of people are working to recover from the devastating effects of Storm Eowyn as rail and ferry services face a second day of disruption.

Around 10,000 homes and businesses across the Oban area were left in the dark overnight due to unplanned regional power cuts.

90mph winds buffeted the town on Friday, as the first named storm of 2025 made landfall, causing widespread disruption.

Forecasters are warning more misery could be on the horizon as they issue a 12-hour yellow weather warning for wind.

Gale force winds are forecast to batter large parts of the Highlands, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute overnight.

The Oban Lifeboat during Storm Eowyn. Image: RLNI

Shops closed for business following Storm Eowyn

The storm has caused widespread disruption and cancellations, leaving Oban residents to pick up the pieces.

Some shops in Oban are to remain closed to customers today due to technical issues and damage.

The following premises are currently closed:

The Factory shop – shut until ‘post-storm issues’ are addressed.
Tesco – closed until further notice (Open for Nappies and baby milk only)

Meanwhile, Aldi on Lynn Road has reopened to customers after reporting “technical issues.”

It’s understood the store’s fridges are offline.

A sign posted on the door read: “Store is closed due to technical issues. Sorry for the inconvenience lost.”

Power still out for thousands of homes

SSEN engineers worked tirelessly through the night to restore power to thousands of homes along the west coast.

Around 10,000 properties in the Oban area were reconnected ahead of time, as thousands more remain offline.

SSEN have confirmed 70,000 customers have been reconnected across Scotland with work underway to restore supplies to a further 20,000 properties.

Power lines with the sunset in the background. — Engineers worked tirelessly through the night to reconnect thousands of homes to the electricity network. Image: Shutterstock.

Internet and mobile services have also been affected by the storm, with Argyll being among the worst affected by the storm.

A major operation was launched in the Taynuilt area last night as specialist teams from the sister network SSEN Transmission cleared fallen trees from the network.

A statement issued by SSEN reads: “A major operation took place overnight, with a specialist team from our sister network SSEN Transmission carrying out major works near Taynuilt to remove fallen trees from the transmission network.

“This was completed just before dawn, meaning around 10 thousand people in the Oban area were reconnected ahead of the scheduled restoration time.”

On the Isle of Mull, more than 1,900 homes across 113 postcodes are without power. Engineers are warning it could be Monday evening before they are reconnected.

Trees, fences and buildings damaged by Storm Eowyn

Storm Eowyn has left a path of destruction in its wake, damaging buildings, fences and trees.

Part of the hostel roof in Dalintart has been left flapping in the wind after a section of the felt roof came undone during the strong winds.

The perimeter fence at Oban High School has sustained damage following Friday’s storm. Image: Louise Glen/ DC Thomson.

A section of the perimeter fence at Oban High School has also been damaged in the storm, with part of it becoming detached.

Meanwhile, residents in Dalintart Drive woke up to find their garden fences blown over.

Ferry and rail services disrupted

Calmac ferry services departing from Oban are gradually being reinstated today as conditions improve.

Inspections were carried out at ports and onboard vessels to assess for damage and ensure it was safe for services to resume.

Services between Oban and Castlebay have returned to normal.

However, CalMac services between Oban and Kennacraig have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.

Fence on Dalintart Drive in Oben lies on the grass following the storm. — Storm Eowyn caused extensive damage overnight, with fences being among the victims, including on Dalintart Drive. Image: Louise Glen/ DC Thomson.

Alternative timetables have been put in place for services between Oban, Coll, Tiree as inspections on other routes continue.

On the mainland, rail services ground to a halt yesterday amid safety fears.

Staff from Network Rail Scotland worked through the night to clear debris and trees from railway lines across the network.

This morning, thorough inspections are being carried out, with all ScotRail services expected to be halted until at least midday.

The West Highland Line remains silent this morning as debris covers the line between White City and Dalintart.

Trees have completely covered the railway line White City and Dalintart, leading to a string of cancellations. Image: Louise Glen/ DC Thomson.

A statement on their website reads: “The impact of Storm Eowyn has been felt across Scotlands Railway, with extremely high winds causing significant damage to infrastructure throughout the country.

“We won’t know the full extent of the damage until our Network Rail colleagues can get onto the network and carry out a full assessment. This will obviously take quite a bit of time.”