An Aberdeenshire charity has raised more than £120,000 to help a village hit by the winter storms get back on its feet.
Ballater Charitable Chiels has managed to help 145 families affected by Storm Frank, which caused the River Dee to burst its banks and wash out businesses and homes.
The huge amount was raised thanks to the “generosity” of people from across the country.
Scott Fraser, from the group, said: “We never imagined that we could raise this sum of money, people’s generosity from across the country has been incredible and it means a lot for all the work to be recognised.
“As soon as the floods hit we wanted to do something straight away, for a small community everyone has achieved an awful lot and we will continue to raise funds until every business and every home is back to normal.”
And six months on from the floods, residents have been praised by councillors and business leaders for their efforts to recover.
Richard Watts, chairman of the Ballater Business Association, said: “The way in which Ballater picked itself up to move forward after the serious and devastating consequences of Storm Frank has been quite remarkable.
“People have shown reliance, grit and determination to move forward. This can-do attitude has been inspiring.
“What’s been particularly worthy of mention has been the strong pulling together of the local community.”
Councillor Geva Blackett added: “It was truly a team effort by many, many individuals and showed just how great the Aberdeenshire community is.”
