A historic house on the Angus-Dundee border has been saved from flooding thanks to emergency works to widen the route of a burn.
Ian and Elizabeth Glen feared the worst when a neighbour banged on the door of their 270-year-old home in Liff on the evening of December 30.
He told them Liff Burn had burst on to the Liff-Muirhead road outside their front door, and its floodwater was threatening their house.
The couple then discovered to their horror that the water had gathered right round their home of 45 years and was in danger of pouring inside.
“We panicked because the water was rising so fast and didn’t seem to be stopping,” Mr Glen said.
“We called the fire brigade and they were terrific. They brought sandbags which we placed around the entrances and dug a channel in the garden to take the water away.
“The firemen also used pumps and hoses to divert the water away from the house and back into the burn downstream.”
The problem was traced to the Victorian culvert under the road outside the Glens’ house being blocked by debris.
Unable to follow its natural route, the water swelled up on the north side and poured on to the road and into the Glens’ property, which sits in a dip, encircling their home.
Angus Council has carried out urgent repairs now nearing completion.
The old culvert has been replaced by a bigger new one to take water under the road and under the Glens’ property.
Mr Glen, 71, added: “Tons of earth have been removed and more sandbanks needed, but we’re grateful to the council, the fire service and the neighbour who banged on our door to raise the alarm on December 30.”
An Angus Council spokeswoman said the volume of water meant it had to close the Liff-Muirhead road and provide sandbags to protect property in the area,
She added: “There have been some delays in completing the work due to heavy downpours and unforeseen ground conditions, however it is hoped to have the work finished by mid-February.”