An ill wind

Homeowners sitting at home, or at work, and worrying about the strong winds currently buffeting the UK might spare a thought for the National Trust in Scotland.

Since Christmas, Brodick Castle, on the Isle of Arran, has experienced damage to its garden and Hutchesons Hall in the centre of Glasgow, built in 1805, has had to be temporarily closed for storm repairs after another building's wall collapsed, narrowly missing the stained glass windows.

Many other properties have also been damaged.

Michael Hunter, properties and visitor services director, appeals: "We do everything we can to protect the fabric of our buildings, under a planned repair programme, but many are in very exposed and remote places where weather conditions can be very bad.

"We do insure our buildings and contents against damage wherever we reasonably can, but we have millions of trees and plants which cannot be insured."

Lorna Stoddart, the Trust's director of development, added: "Extraordinary events call for extraordinary acts. Time is not on our side if we are to catch up with the damage caused by winds in excess of 70mph."

High winds are a major cause of property damage, making the recent weather conditions bad news for home insurance providers.

31/01/2008 11:59:54