Tributes have been paid to a botanic garden curator who died after being struck by a tree in Dumfries and Galloway during Storm Boelo.
Richard Baines, 60, curator at Logan Botanic Garden, died while walking near his home on Sunday as the storm battered Scotland with 80mph gusts.
Storm impact and warnings
The storm triggered yellow and amber weather warnings for wind across the country, resulting in power outages and travel disruption. Thousands of people remained without power on Monday and several schools were shut.
A fresh yellow weather warning for wind in south west Scotland comes into force at 6pm on Monday, followed at 3am on Tuesday by a yellow wind warning covering much of Scotland until 9pm.
Tribute to Richard Baines
Logan Botanic Garden, south of Stranraer, is a regional garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. David Knott, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, paid tribute to Mr Baines, describing him as an “enthusiastic plantsman” who will be “deeply missed by many”.
Knott said Mr Baines was “primarily responsible for a number of significant developments and initiatives at Logan including the first ‘all green’ public conservatory powered by green energy in the UK”. He added that during his tenure Logan was voted the best garden in the UK by Which? in 2021 and became the first garden in Scotland to gain gold for a Green Business Tourism award and install vehicle electric charging points, leading to 5-Star status as a visitor attraction from VisitScotland.
Knott also noted Mr Baines significantly increased and expanded the plant collection at Logan, participating in and leading fieldwork in China, the Canary Islands and Vietnam, from which seven plant species are currently being published that are new to science.
Power outages and school closures
On Monday morning, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said around 25,000 customers remained without power, while around 70,000 had been reconnected. SP Energy Networks reported that as of 4.30pm on Monday, around 500 customers remained without power, mainly across Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, with more than 50,000 reconnected.
In Aberdeenshire, 13 primary schools without power were shut on Monday, while Ellon Academy was closed because of storm damage. Ten primary schools were shut in the Highlands. Western Isles Council said all schools in the Western Isles will be closed to pupils on Tuesday due to forecast high winds at the time of the school commute.
Travel disruption and flood risk
Network Rail said most train services would return to normal on Monday but urged passengers to check their journeys online before travelling. ScotRail said the “vast majority” of services were running on Monday morning but warned of disruption on Tuesday, with some routes operating under speed restrictions.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “Safety is always our top priority, and with more strong winds and heavy rain across Scotland on Tuesday, we’re asking customers to plan ahead and check their journey before travel.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued an amber risk of flooding in the Western Isles, Caithness and Sutherland and the Northern Isles due to the likelihood of high tides and large waves. The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) met on Monday to discuss the situation.
Scotland’s Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who chaired the meeting, said: “More high winds, rain and coastal flooding is forecast today and into tomorrow, and it is important to note that buildings and trees that were weakened over the weekend will be particularly vulnerable.” She urged the public to check local weather forecasts and follow the advice of the Met Office, Sepa and the police.
