A Perthshire town devastated by floods is showing shoots of recovery as the area’s businesses finally get back on their feet.
People were forced from their homes and businesses when Alyth was swamped amid devastating downpours in July.
Parts of the town were left under several feet of water, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
Residents and business owners banded together to repair the devastation and this week the town’s only dental practice has finally reopened after undergoing three months of refurbishment work costing £50,000.
Alyth Community Council vice chair Rachael Wallace said: “Alyth has not been defeated by this flood, it has been made stronger and our community spirit has shone through.”
Alyth Dental Practice was one of the many businesses in the town decimated when a burn burst its banks in July.
Hundreds were affected by the heavy rain as streets were submerged after the downpour.
Dentist Paul Roberts saw his practice submerged under 18 inches of flood water then left caked in three inches of mud when the water drained away.
This week, three months and £50,000 of repair work later, he has finally managed to fully re-open the Commercial Street property for business.
Dr Roberts said: “There hadn’t been a dental practice in Alyth for five or six years. We just opened in May of last year and were just finding our feet.
“There was about 18 inches of flood water. I was pretty heartbroken when I saw it. We were left with about three inches of mud right through the whole practice. All of it had to be scraped out and removed, which was a massive job.”
A flooding report compiled by Perth and Kinross Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) found a six-hour deluge of heavy rain, coupled with a high flow in the burn, was to blame for the July 17 incident.
Around 60mm of rain fell in six hours and the high-flowing river caused properties to be evacuated, trees to uproot, telegraph poles to fall, and footbridges to collapse.
Dr Roberts added: “All of our doors and plasterboard were removed and the flooring had to be ripped up. Once that was done we had dehumidifiers and heaters on flat out for about five weeks.
“All the local community have been behind the businesses that were damaged and are supporting them as best they can.”
Leader of Perth and Kinross Council, councillor Ian Miller, said: “Recovery from such an event is often the mostdifficult phase but I’m pleased to see that good progress is being made. Local people have responded with overwhelming generosity and compassion in fundraising to create a Flood Fund to assist fellow residents affected by the flooding.”
A public meeting regarding the flood report, chaired by deputy First Minister John Swinney, will be held at Alyth Primary School on Monday November 9.