Spirited Furnace villagers help stranded A83 drivers
Visions of Whisky Galore! as barrel lorry blocks road
Spirited Furnace villagers had visions of Whisky Galore! as a lorry transporting more than 100 barrels of the water of life overturned on the A83 alongside the Leacainn Burn.
The crash, on the afternoon of Thursday February 13, saw the road closed on the bends north of Furnace for nine hours and diversions put in place.
On Twitter, Transport Scotland confirmed ‘specialist recovery equipment [was] required to clear the road’ and that alternative routes should be used.
In true community spirit, the people of Furnace opened the village hall for those stuck at the scene and one individual, Richard Polanski, was thanked online for going the extra mile as he took cups of tea and biscuits out to drivers.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘The lorry, carrying barrels of whisky, overturned on the A83 between Furnace and Auchindrain.
The incident completely blocked the road.
‘BEAR Scotland, police, fire and ambulance services attended the scene and a diversion via the A816, A85 and A819 was put in place and publicised via social media. The lorry driver only suffered minor injuries. Recovery took some time but was completed with the road opened again at 11pm.’
An apology posted on the A83 Facebook page by the lorry driver was met with good humour and understanding. He said: ‘I would like to apologise for the disruption caused. It is not something I intend to be making a habit of,’ before thanking emergency services, hospital staff and the people of Furnace for offering hospitality to those in the queues.
‘I will be back down that way in a few weeks,’ he joked. ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m just wondering if you need me for a part in the rumoured film Whisky Galore!, the Furnace edition?’ There is said to be no truth in the rumour villagers were later spotted bathing and filling bottles in nearby Leacainn Burn.
‘I would like to apologise for the disruption caused.
It is not something I intend to be making a habit of.’