PRICE £1 KILLIN NEWS KILLIN & DISTRICT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER Issue 82 October 2004 Two weeks after Glen Ogle landslide work in progress CongratulationsCongratulations Julia Bates graduated BSc(hons) in environmental biology and was Mark Grindlay, Leskine Farm, for- awarded the university medal for mer pupil of McLaren High School outstanding performance. Seen here graduated H.N.D. and N.V.Q. Level with husband David. 3 in Marine Engineering, also passed a combined steam and motor certifi- cate of competency. David Riddell and Kirsteen MacDonald married on 28th August in Oldhamstocks church (East Lothian) Laura and Gordon Bates in Dubai celebrating her MSc in Marine Mammal science with distinction. Olivia Sonia Helen Frances Geddes She is working there as a marine born 21st April to Gary Geddes biologist specializing in loggerhead and Sonia Cull of Crianlarich, with turtle and coral conservation. her big sister Rebecca. Jackie Simpson and Adrian Bremner were married on 7th August at Killin Parish Church. On Thursday 8th July Ann and Bob Kirk celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Kirk Care. The fol- lowing Sunday they renewed their vows in the Glasgow church where they were married and celebrated with family and friends. Page 2 18th August – A Day to Remember It is a wet day – nothing unusual in Glasgow and drives through storm and slip with rescue equipment. Killin. The villagers get on with their floods in Callander and Kilmahog. In Balquidder the Community Bus has usual everyday lives never dreaming that At 5.00 Killin Fire Engine is called to another crisis. One of the passengers is in a few hours time Killin will be hitting flooding in Lochearnhead and Killin diabetic and isn’t carrying her insulin. the headlines in newspapers and televi- policeman Ian Donaldson finishes work An ambulance takes her to Callander for sion stations throughout the British Isles for the day (he thinks!). urgent treatment. and beyond. Many people leave the vil- On Glen Ogle the heavy rain washes Back in Killin Willie Stitt hears of the lage for work or school. The Community rocks and water on to the road. Traffic to slip from Michael Halliday and rings Bus leaves for a shopping trip to Lochearnhead continues over the rubble Stirling Police HQ to see if the Mountain Glasgow. and meets a second landslide which Rescue Team can help. He, Michael, During the day the rain becomes torren- blocks the way. Cars turn and go back Dave Syme and Jim Beattie prepare to go tial and thunder and lightning intensifies. but the first landslide is now also impass- to the scene but are asked instead to ferry At 3.00 the Community bus leaves able. People in cars and a coach are those rescued from the Helicopter station trapped as more of the road collapses, to McLaren Hall. taking one vehicle with it. Emergency Community Council Chairman John services are called and helicopters MacPherson hears the helicopters and is mobilised. told the news by Dee Melia at the Post Index In Lochearnhead the Community Bus is Office. John informs Stirling Council stopped by flood near South Loch Earn and goes to the Hall, which is laid out as Road and eventually retreats to Kings if for a coffee morning. As the rescued 90th Birthday 27 House Hotel for much needed refresh- people arrive they are given soup from Across the Globe 35 Ads Index 34 ment for the shoppers. the Killin Hotel and a hot drink, toast and Angling 24 Just after six Ian Donaldson is called to biscuits by numerous helpers. They are Book Sale 30 the scene of landslip where he liaises not particularly distressed – more excited Bowling 25 with helicopters and the airlift begins. or in some cases quiet. One group feels Bric-a-Brac Sale 34 The initial airlift is to Lochearnhead the need to get going on a bottle of Brownies 10 which is cut off on all sides so Killin is whisky. Policeman Andy Fleming takes Charity Cycling 31 selected as rescue destination. names, addresses and car registration Church Guild 9 At this point a lot of things happen very numbers. Clanscape 16 quickly. Other people in the village have heard the Computer Corner 13 Country & Western Night 10 Colin McRae is rung by Ian Donaldson helicopters, think it must be a Mountain Crannog 13 asking for the McLaren Hall to be Rescue Exercise and take no notice, but Crossword 34 opened. Relieved that Marion and Katy one of the helicopters is from Sky News Curling 14 have got home safely just before the and soon newspaper reporters and televi- Dig Dig Dig 12 landslide, he opens the Hall and rings sion crews begin to arrive in the village, Donald Third 20 Bunty MacGregor to ask if the WRI can anxious to speak to anyone involved. Doorstep Milk 26 organise food and drink for people. Those who turn on their televisions Editorial 27 Bunty makes two phone calls and ladies quickly find that Killin is headline news Floral Awards 29 from all over Killin begin to arrive at the and over the next 24 hours many Killin For Sale 26 Golf 28 Hall with supplies. faces and voices are seen and heard in all Herb Society 16 At Lochearnhead the Edinample Bridge the media. Highland Dancing 11 and cars are washed away into Loch People arrive home via Crieff, Loch Highland Games 15 Earn. Killin Fire Crew, having rescued a Lomond or Ballinluig, tired and fed up K.C.C. 33 family from a car and pumped out vari- but relieved to be back. Keepfitters 11 ous premises in Lochearnhead, are called A special bus arrives at the Hall to take Killin Produce Show 15 to Glen Ogle where they climb over land- stranded coach passengers back to Landslide 3 Letters 32 Lochside Development 9 Mervyn’s Weather 23 Plants for the garden Mobile Library 22 New Houses Opening 14 Gatehouse Nursery New Owners 11 Nursery Fun Day 17 Shrubs, Fruit, Ornamental Trees, Herbaceous Plants, Obituary 31 Winter Pansies, Wallflowers and Spring Bulbs Ospreys 25 Rhododendrons and Heathers Playground Development 30,35 Firewood - seasoned hardwood logs in bags or trailer load Primary 1 20 Coal and Kindling also available Strathfillan by the Way 21 Gatehouse Nursery is situated 2 miles south of Aberfeldy Sunflower Winners 17,20 Tyndrum Woodland Day 17 on the Crief Road (A826) Virtual Learning Centre 22 What’s On 26 Tel: 01887 820472 Page 3 Edinburgh. Beds are offered to the Tea was a washout cars, when the water surged up over the remaining car passengers, who gratefully I only went out for a cup of tea, parapet of the bridge in a huge dark accept. because the power was off at home for whaleback and swept down the drive. I At 11.15pm Colin closes the Hall. Willie line repairs. I decided to visit my watched helplessly as my faithful old Stitt goes home after making sure the hel- friend Chris Hall at Edinample Lodge, Rover slid backwards out of sight. When icopter crew is looked after. Lochearnhead. Across the head of the we peered through the hedge, we saw that At 11.30pm the Fire Engine and the loch from the main village, this cottage Chris’s beloved Volvo had also vanished. Community Bus get back to Killin via sits at the gate to Edinample Castle, The neighbours’ wheelie bins swam past Crieff. looking across to an old mausoleum like a family of ducks. We watched all with a magnificent waterfall plunging evening as the torrent carried away the Next day into the depths behind it. A stone bridge, the road, and the very place bridge carried the road over the burn where my car had been parked. Huge 6am John McPherson is woken by that normally ran far below. It had trees were picked up and whisked away. reporter asking whether people have slept rained heavily all day until about 2.30 The mausoleum was now standing in the well - one example of the many disad- p.m. when the sun came out long middle of the waterfall, the river having vantages of being Community Council enough to tempt me to walk Chris’s gouged a new channel round the front of Chairman! collie, Idris, up the track beside the it, scouring away everything down to the 10am Jimmy Gauld agrees to drive peo- river, talking to the usual crop of walk- bedrock. Two neighbours made a heroic ple back to their cars in the Community ers and tourists on the way. I even met journey by Toyota pickup and on foot to Bus. He makes 2 trips with l5 people, 2 a couple from Lochearnhead U.S.A. check on a housewife from a remote dogs, various reporters and TV crews. and directed them to the waterfall, house up the afflicted glen, last seen The bus funds make £25 from the media warning them that it was frightening in picking up her little girl from school and folk. its power. now out of contact. She had managed to Pictures of Glen Ogle and interviews At the first rumble of thunder we headed get home just in time but her phone line with local people appear in all the news- back, and Chris and I drank tea and chat- was down and her husband was rescuing papers but village life goes back to nor- ted while the real deluge raged outside. stranded motorists from Glen Ogle. mal. Eventually we looked out to see streams When the water began to subside at last, There is a general feeling of relief that foaming through the garden and rainwa- the whole familiar landscape was no-one has been injured and that the ter inches deep running down the drive.