Thanks for the memories, Bella!
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
AFTER the sunshine came the flood.
That was followed shortly afterwards by a team of Red Cross volunteers to man a makeshift field hospital and supply emergency blankets to shell-shocked survivors of a torrential downpour in the small hours of the morning.
The eighth Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival - attended by hundreds of revellers from Ross-shire and thousands more from every corner of the country - proved an unforgettable event for all sorts of reasons.
Headlined by Texas and Deacon Blue, the two-day event, on the Belladrum estate near Kiltarlity, had been sold out for weeks before the masses descened on Friday afternoon.
Festival goers reported another vintage event as an eclectic line-up of acts in tents, on stages and tucked awat in corners all over the sprawling site vied for the attention of a large, wandering crowd.
But when the clouds broke late on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, a laid-back, chilled-out event assumed a somewhat different complexion as the extent of the flooding became clear.
More than 40 Red Cross Volunteers– including members of the swift water rescue team – were in action as torrential rain washed out the Tartan Heart music festival site. The post-party hangover was more of a cold, sharp shock for some unprepared for the downpour.
Some parts of the sprawling site, where several thousand people were camping, were under inches of water following constant downpours during the night.
The alarm was raised in the early hours by organisers, who woke campers to warn them that areas of the site were starting to flood.
Red Cross volunteers and staff, who had been on first aid duty and running a shop at the festival, helped organisers turn one of the performance tents on higher ground into a rest and evacuation centre for flooded-out campers. By 5am, more than 60 people – mainly families with young children – were being cared for at the makeshift centre.
Emergency supplies of blankets and heaters were brought in from a Red Cross store at Dalcross, 22 miles away, to help bring some comfort to the stricken festival-goers.
Ian Rideout, Red Cross operations director for Northern Scotland, said, “The fields at Belladrum were already soaked after heavy rain on Thursday and Friday. A series of torrential showers overnight on Saturday and into this morning saturated the ground, causing localised flooding.
“Roads in the area are passable but many vehicles on the festival site are bogged down, stranding their owners.
“As well as our volunteers, we have eight specially equipped Landrovers. Our swift water rescue team are equipped with inflatable rafts to move people and equipment across water and mud to our evacuation tent.
“We have a field hospital on site, staffed by first aid volunteers, a doctor and two nurses.”
The officer in charge of policing at Belladrum 2011 meanwhile praised revellers for their behaviour.
The event lived up to its reputation as a family friendly affair with "the vast majority" of people having a safe and enjoyable time.
Event commander ,Chief Inspector Jim Neil said, "Despite the weather, which closed in around midnight, festival goers remained in high spirits throughout.
"The rain has caused campsites to flood and there will be some challenges in terms of emptying the site. We urge people to be patient and wish them a safe journey home."
Festival-goers offering instant feedback on social networking sites like Twitter reported another memorable event.
"Wee bit moist this morning getting out but all good fun. Look forward to next year", said one. "Fantastic event, bit smelly and need a shower," tweeted another.
One of the performers, Roddy Hart, summed up the experience of many with his post-Bella tweet: "After torrential rain all night we made it out of Belladrum alive.Great gig, good fun. Wet clothes, sore head."
Were you there? Best Bella yet? Let us know what you think and share your pictures by emailing editor@rsjournal.co.uk
