PA MediaAll properties in Scotland left without electricity following Storm Eowyn six days ago have now been reconnected, power companies have said.
Almost 300,000 customers were left without power after the storm swept in on January 24, wreaking significant damage, with gusts of up to 100mph.
More than 206,000 SP Energy Networks customers across central and southern Scotland were among those affected and around 700 engineers were deployed across the network to carry out repairs.
The company said most were back on supply within the first 24 hours and the remaining properties were reconnected in the very early hours of Thursday.
PA MediaScottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said late on Wednesday evening that all 92,000 of its customers whose supplies were interrupted had been reconnected.
The storm, which claimed one life north of the border, caused significant damage to infrastructure on the rail network, which led to many route closures.
The Girvan to Stranraer route remained shut on Thursday, with Network Rail Scotland continuing work to clear it.
SP Energy Networks said the storm caused the worst damage the network has ever seen and repairs had been “complex and challenging”.
Its chief executive Nicola Connelly said: “This has been a truly colossal task, with our teams pulling out all the stops – and making use of every possible resource at our disposal as well as drafting in people and resources from across the country – with that singular aim of getting all our customers affected by the storm back on supply as quickly and safely as possible.
“It’s been complex and challenging, but our teams stayed focused and persevered until we achieved just that – helped massively by the patience, resilience and understanding of our customers.
“We know it’s been difficult and you were always at the heart of the tremendous team effort made right across our business, so thank-you for your support.
“For us though, the work continues, and our teams are out there – and will be for some time – completing permanent repairs across the network and fixing the last of the damage caused by Storm Eowyn.”
Customers without power for more than 48 hours are entitled to automatic compensation, with increased payments for those affected the most.
Andy Smith, SSEN Distribution’s director of customer operations for the north of Scotland, said: “Eowyn was an exceptional storm which required an exceptional response from us.
“More than 1,000 people have been working hard since the storm first hit to reconnect homes and support customers, while a huge volume of network reconstruction has been done in challenging conditions.
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