Engineers brave ice and snow to reconnect Shetland

Teams of engineers have been battling to restore power to homes in Shetland, with about 1,700 properties still without supplies.

Energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said its engineers had to rebuild the "critical backbone" of the network to allow more homes to be connected.

Many of those without power are residential homes.

More than 100 schools are closed in Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.

Many roads have been badly affected by snow drifts.

A yellow weather warning is in place in the north of Scotland with the central belt due to be hit by snow and ice on Friday morning.

A Shetland mother whose twins were born prematurely eight weeks ago and who told how she was trying to keep them warm and fed now has power back on.

Siobhan Bradley's babies Danny and Annie were born five weeks early.

When the power failed on Monday, Siobhan, the twins and her nine-year-old son Benjamin moved into the home of her partner's mother, a mile-and-a-half away, and were in a room with a wood burner to keep them warm.

With power now restored, the 37-year-old, who is in Whalsay, told BBC Scotland it was a "massive relief".

She said: "We can get home, we can get settled, ready for Christmas, and get warm and cosy again and enjoy time together as a family."

Heavy snowstorms disrupted electricity supplies in Shetland, with many left without power for days.

SSEN said that on Wednesday power was successfully restored to customers in the Out Skerries, parts of Voe, northern parts of Whalsay, and clusters elsewhere on Shetland.

About 1,700 properties remained off supply in Voe, Brae and the West Mainland late on Thursday.

Meanwhile helicopters were sent to assess damage on the west of the island and parts of Voe where access on foot was a "significant challenge".

SSEN has warned that some of them may be without power over the weekend.

The company said it had replaced core infrastructure and points of damage in Voe and Yell and replaced kilometres of overhead line.

On Thursday afternoon, Mark Macdonald, head of region at SSEN Distribution, said a 125-strong team had been "working tirelessly" to repair significant damage.

He added: "I'd continue to encourage customers to visit warm welfare locations, organised in collaboration with our partners, which are serving hot drinks, offering kitchen facilities, and providing a warm space for customers without power.

"I'd also urge anyone who has any concerns for themselves or others, particularly family members or neighbours who may need extra support, to give our teams a call on 105."

Dr Susan Bowie, who works at the Hillswick practice in the northernmost part of mainland Shetland, has no electricity in her home or at the surgery.

The surgery is using a diesel generator but it does not provide heating.

She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's really cold at the surgery. You can't stay there too long because your hands get so cold, but there's been a real community spirit about this situation.

"The roads are terrible but the staff have come in, they have done their best. We are wearing coats, jumpers and fleeces just to stay warm."

The surgery has had to move some of its medicines into a fridge at a nearby hotel in order to ensure they are not wasted.

SSEN crews started arriving in Lerwick by ferry on Wednesday to help with reconnection efforts, which have been hampered by continuing poor weather.

More engineers and poles arrived in a Shetland off the ferry from Aberdeen on Thursday morning.

The power cuts have been caused by "significant" network damage as a result of line icing, where snow and ice accumulate on overhead power lines and the additional weight causes them to break.

Customers can claim up to £30 per person for meals for every 24 hours they are without power. This is in addition to statutory compensation.

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