One of the worst areas hit by the weekend’s torrential rain was the A816 between Oban and Lochgilphead, causing a massive landslide at the Bealach by Ardfern, a helicopter rescue for motorists trapped by a raging river at Kilmartin, and Ford being cut off from the outside world.
An alert reached Oban Mountain Rescue Team (OMRT) at lunchtime on Saturday. A landslide that morning had blocked a car and a pick-up driving up the Bealach, before a second had the four occupants – and farm animals – running for their lives (see our page 1 story), pushing the two vehicles down the mountain.
“By the time we got there, there was still areas that were moving,” OMRT’s deputy team leader Andy Ravenhill told us. “We parked on the north side. We got out and searched. We checked the vehicles to make sure no one was in them.
“We had a spotter out to look above us, so we can shout and get people to safety. We did witness another small landslide. A blast on the whistle is the signal to look out and run for cover. It is like eyeing an avalanche in the winter.
“The guy in the pick-up and trailer, they got their cows out of the trailer.
“The local farmer, who was just below the hill, did an amazing job. He went up and got the people in the car. He was looking after them in the farmhouse. It was a couple who were on holiday.
“Another couple were caught between the landslide and the flood, south of the landslide. They were put up by a resident just further down the road. It is always good to see the community response. It was not just our team.
“The police were checking the south. There were people trapped between the landslip and just before Kilmartin, where the junction goes to Ford. The river that comes out drains Loch Awe. It carries a lot of water. It floods badly down to Kilmartin.
“There were 18-20 people stuck between the two points. Most got lifted out by helicopter to Lochgilphead.”
One driver who was trapped praised OMRT on its social media update. “Top job folks,” he said: “We were stuck further back south from this for the night. Frightening. Glad we weren’t 20 minutes earlier. Glad everyone is safe and thankful for you guys being out there in atrocious conditions. Respect.”
“This isn’t an average weather system,” said another comment. “It had serious threat to life. It’s amazing no one was killed.”
Andrew Spence, chief executive of business network BID4Oban, said: “The damage is on a par with anything that has happened at the Rest and Be Thankful.
“We have got a huge number of people who travel down between Oban and Lochgilphead every day. No one south of Ardfern can travel to Oban right now.”
Argyll and Bute Council updated on Monday: “Three separate landslides have blocked a 200m section of the A816. They started from approximately 120m above the road.
“The volume of debris on the road is around 6000 tonnes. There are large potentially unstable boulders (some estimated to exceed 70 tonnes) high on the slope.
“Current estimates are that the road will remain closed for at least four weeks.”
For the impact on the Craignish community, visit the Argyllshire Advertiser’s website or pick up a copy of the paper this Friday.
The torrent also cut off the village of Ford at the mouth of Loch Awe, when further floods and landslides shut both roads running north along its shores: the C30 to the west between Ford and Dalavich, and the B840 to the east between Ford and Eredine.
A couple driving home settled in a layby in Lochgilphead with a duvet for the night. “You’ll need a canoe to get into Ford,” remarked one local. “I have lots of wine and no chocolate,” another said; “Am open to bartering.”