A new community resource could be a lifesaver in the event of a Perthshire town being plunged into darkness.
Residents in Pitlochry were left without heating or lighting for several days during stormy weather in the last three winters.
Now, a new generator hook-up point installed at a community centre will ensure that, in the event of another large-scale power cut, locals will have a place of refuge.
The Atholl Centre needs only a small amount of electricity to kickstart its boiler system and its stoves run on gas.
That being the case, when approached by energy giant SSE to see if the centre would be willing to host residents in an emergency, manager Iain Walker readily agreed.
Mr Walker told The Courier: “It (the generator point) was put in by SSE as part of the community resilience plan for the area.
“A number of locations in Highland Perthshire have been identified as emergency rest centres in the event of a power failure.
“Two years ago people had no electricity, in some cases for three days. This means people, especially old and vulnerable people, can come in and get heated up and a warm meal and, if, necessary stay overnight.
“They came and asked us we are a community venue and a lot of groups use us and we also have bedrooms, so we are an ideal location.”
Mr Walker went on: “Ourselves and the school are getting one and it’s all been done so that people have somewhere to go instead of freezing in their own house with no access to hot food or drinks.
“It’s potentially lifesaving. I remember going into an elderly person’s house during the last blackout and she had at least a dozen candles in her sitting room. It would just take one of those to fall over or for her to fall asleep …”
He added: “People didn’t have any means to cook, keep warm or contact somebody because all the phones don’t work or their mobile had given up. How could they call anyone for help?”
Neil Anderson, a spokesman for SSE, said that the generator point was about “preparing for the worst” but that other work had been undertaken to try to avoid a situation getting to that point.
He said: “It all goes back to 2012 when there were widespread power cuts due to damaged overhead power lines.
“Staff have been reinforcing the overhead power cables and we have invested in technology.”