Power supplies restored to all Shetland homes after storm

All 5,289 homes that lost power in Shetland at the beginning of the week have now had their supplies restored.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said the last 24 properties initially cut off were reconnected at 16:00.

A major incident was declared on Tuesday after snowstorms brought down power lines.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown thanked everyone involved in the recovery effort.

Teams of engineers had travelled by ferry to Shetland during the week to help fix the network and restore supplies.

SSEN said a 160-strong team had focused on the areas experiencing the worst of the damage caused by line icing, where snow and ice accumulated on large sections of power line, bringing down overhead lines and breaking wooden electricity poles

While engineers were battling to restore supplies to the final properties, a further 94 lost power due to a secondary fault. However, SSEN confirmed these properties had now also been reconnected.

Mark Macdonald, head of region at SSEN Distribution, said: "On behalf of everyone at SSEN, I'd like to thank customers and communities for their patience as our teams battled to restore supplies and assist the welfare effort.

"We recognise it was a difficult time for many, and this helped drive our teams to restore power as quickly as possible.

"The scale of ice-loading on our network from Monday's storm brought comparisons of when the 'Big Snaa' hit Shetland in 1995, with many of our teams and residents saying the scale of damage this time was even worse.

"I'm immensely proud of the teams for their dedication and commitment in overcoming significant engineering challenges and getting the job done.

"It's clear that the sense of community in Shetland is very special, with local groups coming together to provide welfare where it was needed and help keep people warm and fed."

He also thanked those who helped to feed the teams which "lifted spirits during some very tough conditions".

Mr Macdonald added: "Our teams will continue to work on the network in the coming days to restore its normal resilient operation. In doing this, we will try to minimise the need for any planned interruptions, but if we do need to turn off your power for a short period, we'll let you know in advance."

Mr Brown, the Scottish government's lead minister for resilience who met responders and community representatives on Shetland on Thursday, said: "The exceptional weather conditions in parts of Shetland led to complex damage to the power network which was very challenging to restore.

"Throughout the recovery effort, the Scottish government resilience room (SGoRR) met on several occasions, alongside ongoing discussions with SSEN and other partners.

"I want to extend my sincere thanks to all our partners for the vital roles they have played in the recovery effort. From the hundreds of SSEN engineers, and supporting companies, SP Energy Networks, Northern Power Grid and BT, working round the clock to get people reconnected, to Police Scotland, Shetland Islands Council and local resilience partnerships who provided essential advice and welfare support to those affected.

"In particular, the local communities which stepped up to support those around them, providing shelter, warm spaces and hot food cannot be commended highly enough.

"It was remarkable to see first-hand, the incredible response from residents, businesses and partners across Shetland in very difficult circumstances."

He added that the situation would now be reviewed to see if any improvements could be made to the way it was handled.

Ch Insp Stuart Clemenson, Police Scotland's Shetland area commander, added: "The last week has been an exceptionally challenging time for the island and there has been a phenomenal response from partners and the community.

"I would like to thank our communities for looking after each other and following the guidance to stay safe. Support for those who need it within our communities will continue."