It may be a small stream, but the Craigie Burn in Perth is responsible for some of the worst flooding in Scotland.
Which Shelley Jeffrey, 24, knows to her great cost.
She has grown up in the family home on Queen Street, next to the burn. Her grandmother bought the property decades ago.
But the severity of last year’s flooding made her realise there probably isn’t a future for her there.
She said: “It was like a river flowing down our street.
“After it happened I thought about it and came to the realisation that this house won’t really be safe when I’m older.
“This home has always been a safe haven, but I can’t see how it will be in future as I think it will get worse.
“It has been in the family for two generations now. I would have loved to take it over from my mum, but I can’t see it happening now.”
How is Scotland being affected by climate change?
Shelley has little doubt what is to blame.
“It’s absolutely down to climate change,” she added.
“The main thing we’re going to have to deal with here is flooding in Scotland.”
Shelley’s mother Liz was worried about her own mother, who now lives across the road.
Liz said: “It was the middle of the night when my husband woke me up and told me to look outside at the flooding.
“I was worried about my mother. She lives across the road in a ground floor flat.
“Luckily she was okay but I didn’t know for sure until the flooding had subsided.
“We had to turn the power off because of the water coming into our house from under the flooring.”
It took about six months for all the damage to be repaired and insurance to be dealt with.
Liz estimates it has cost them about £20,000.
Is Perth prone to flooding?
David Thow has lived on Queen Street since the 1980s.
He has has to deal with flood events before, but nothing like in 2020.
“That was the worst by far, so it definitely is getting worse,” he said.
“It was the first time water had actually come into the house like that.”
He was awoken by a “loud bang” to find water gushing from the front of his house.
It went through his back garden and knocked over a concrete wall. The bang was caused by the wall falling into the burn.
The burn flows behind his house, but the worst of the flooding was coming from the front.
“I spent the whole night sweeping the water away from the house, but it was an uphill struggle,” he said.
“But I’m not the type of person to quit; I had to do something.”
Forced out of home
The damage to the ground floor was so severe that David and his wife had to evacuate for about seven months.
“It was really stressful, especially for my wife,” he said.
They stayed at their daughter’s house for the first week, before finding a holiday let until they could return home.
He believes local factors have played a role. For example, tree felling to facilitate house building near the Cherrybank Inn.
But does he think climate change is also playing a part in the frequency and strength of flooding in Scotland.
“I would say it has been a factor.
We’re in Perth today for the latest leg of our #climateroadtrip to talk to residents of Queen Street about flooding. Some lovely gardens to bring cheer to some serious discussions about the environment. pic.twitter.com/w9B3YM6uoZ
— Scott Milne (@C_Smilne) October 26, 2021
“You hear how it’s going to make flooding worse and it gives you the fear that it’s going to happen again.
“I would like to see politicians actually do something at COP26 rather than all this talk.
“That’s all they seem to do.”
