From the archives: Biggest snowfall in living memory saw 30ft snow drifts in northern Highlands
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FROM THE ARCHIVES by Lorna Steele
Just like that this extraordinary and difficult year is nearly over. For our final article of 2020, as we head into the cold winter months, we wanted to look back at winters of the past.
In the run-up to Christmas, our time is often (although in different ways this year) filled with preparations for Christmas – present buying, food prepping, advent services and Christmas parties at work and school. Although all of these traditions have changed over the years they can be seen in our collections.
Business collections such as Rutherfords of Helmsdale include lists of special stock purchased, school log books provide stories of Christmas treats, concerts and, sometimes, no Christmas holidays!
One of the themes which appears regularly throughout our collections is the weather and in particular the impact of heavy snowfall, which can be seen in photographs, letters, diaries and of course, school log books.
One of the most severe winters in living memory was in 1955. Heavy and unrelenting storms and snow across the north of Scotland from January 10, 1955, led to blocked roads and drifts of snow of up to 30ft deep. Nearly all of Scotland north of the Caledonian Canal was affected and county officials in Sutherland, Caithness and Orkney requested help to distribute food and other essential supplies to rural communities (everything from hay for animals and food to coffins and coal).
That help came in the form of Operation Snowdrop, a relief effort carried out by the Royal Navy and the Royal Airforce. On January 17 the aircraft carrier HMS Glory dropped anchor in Loch Eriboll, carrying helicopters which left the ship to carry out supply drops and medical emergency trips across Sutherland and the wider Highlands, alongside planes stationed at Kinloss.
In total, between January 12 and 22, in an effort co-ordinated by police and county officials in Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney and Ross-shire, the Navy and Air Force carried out around 100 drops.
Documents held in Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives, the Highland Archive Service’s office in Wick, reveal the dates, locations and contents of these relief missions, from delivering food, medical supplies and main-line fuses for the Hydro-Electric Board to Melvich and Bettyhill on January 18, to taking 3 cwts of coal, a large container of biscuits and 200 cigarettes to Gobernuisgach on January 20.
There is an aside which records that “On 21st January a special supply of dog food was sent to Rose Cottage, Altnaharra, Sutherland”, and references to the transportation of a funeral party and to the huge impact the snow had on transporting patients and medical attendants to and from hospitals. It was recorded that the helicopter service for medical cases was well worthwhile and that some patients’ survival had only been achieved through their use.
The crisis finally passed, the roads were cleared again by January 26 (with the help of a snow plough which came up from Ayrshire to assist!) and there hasn’t been such a severe winter since.
To find out more about Operation Snowdrop, visit the Nucleus website, www.highlifehighland.com/nucleus-nuclear-caithness-archives, which will tell the story on its blog in January.
Wishing you all a very happy 2021.
