Eastern Scotland was battered by torrential rain over the weekend which left many areas under water and others on flood alert.
Arbroath was expected to stay on flood warning after bearing the brunt of the downpours.
The area was among the worst hit in Scotland as the country was battered by storms which saw almost a month’s average August rainfall in less than 24 hours in some places.
The Belladrum music festival near Inverness was also hit by the deluge, forcing the Red Cross to come to the rescue with alternative accommodation, blankets and heaters.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency still has flood warnings in place for Tayside, Dundee and Angus. There are lesser alerts for Fife, Aberdeenshire, central and west central Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothians and the Borders.
In Angus emergency services were swamped with calls.
Along with road closures and prolific localised flooding, the coastal stretch which bore the brunt of the problems, with emergency services called out to deal with a number of incidents including a threat to nursing home residents in Arbroath.
Tayside Fire and Rescue responded to several calls, with Angus Council staff also involved in the operation to put sandbags down and put in place signs warning drivers of road closures or flooding hotspots.Response praisedCairnie Lodge care home at the northern entrance to the town found itself at risk as water poured out on to the A933 Arbroath to Brechin road, leading police to close it.
Staff at the Southern Cross residential home declined to comment on the flooding situation but it is understood that prompt action in sandbagging the entrance averted serious flooding and no residents were evacuated.
Kirkton Road and Keptie Road were also badly hit but homes and businesses escaped major flooding damage.
With he level of the Brothock Burn at a peak, SEPA highlighted the risk of flooding in the Hume Street, Brothock Bridge and Old Shore Road areas.
In the village of Muirdrum one householder praised fire crews after their response stopped water from nearby fields entering her home.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, called the emergency services about midnight.
“The water was pouring off the fields at the back and coming all round the house, which has been flooded before,” she said.
“We really thought it would be coming into the house but the fire service response was amazing they have just been great.”Isolated problemsCrew manager Mark Lowe of MacAlpine Road, Dundee, said a Carnoustie appliance was at the scene from early on Sunday, remaining there until 5am when it was replaced by a water tender.
The environmental protection unit based at Forfar was also in attendance, with the pumping operation lasting until the early afternoon.
“The crews worked through the night and into the morning to assist the householder and when the rain slackened we managed to get things back to an acceptable level,” Mr Lowe said.
Further north the Lunan Valley leading to Lunan Bay gave a clear indication of the extent of the weekend rain, with fields under water but no major problems for traffic on the A92.
The A934 Forfar to Montrose road was difficult in places and closer to Forfar there were localised trouble spots at familiar locations, including near Rescobie Loch.
Although Forfar itself escaped serious flooding there were isolated problem areas, among them North Loch Road near the pitch and putt course.
At Belladrum the Red Cross said more than 60 people, mainly families with young children, were moved into a makeshift centre in a performance tent on higher ground.’Torrential showers’Emergency supplies of blankets and heaters were brought in from a Red Cross store at Dalcross.
Ian Rideout of the Red Cross said, “The fields at Belladrum were already soaked after heavy rain on Thursday and Friday.
“A series of torrential showers overnight on Saturday and into this morning saturated the ground, causing localised flooding.”
The A9 was closed for almost three hours southbound at Drumossie near Inverness on Saturday.
The road closed at 9.30am to ensure the safety of motorists but a local diversion was put in place and it reopened just before midday.
Scottish Government infrastructure secretary Alex Neil said, “Our road operating companies have been on standby with the necessary specialist equipment, given the heavy rain we are experiencing across much of Scotland, and I’m pleased that Scotland Transerv has been able to quickly reopen the A9 southbound carriageway.
“We are monitoring the effects of the rain today and our road operating companies are standing ready to deal with any localised disruption that occurs.”