Church counting cost after Storm Ali blow

The gate to a 19th-Century church suffered thousands of pounds of damage in Storm Ali.

Pillars holding it to the boundary wall were also crushed when a 20ft branch fell at Fyvie Parish Church on Wednesday.

Tree surgeons were called to safely remove the large chunks of wood from the path yesterday.

Church beadle Evelyn Black said: “It’s a real disaster as the main pillars are damaged and will probably have to be taken down and rebuilt, the metal rails are broken and the gate has been flattened.

“This is the second tree which has fallen in the last few years.

“One fell and broke the steps going from the top yard to the bottom.

“They’ve not been repaired yet but this is much worse. Those railings were made by a local blacksmith,” he said.

“It’s such a shame the ancient beech trees have been allowed to grow as tall as they have as the branches are big. It would have been horrendous if the tree itself had fallen.”

Local councillor Alastair Forsyth, whose wife Alicia is the locum minister for the parishes of Fyvie and Rothienorman, said it was too early to estimate the total cost of the damage.

Meanwhile, head of roads, landscape and waste services Philip Mckay said a number of trees have been uprooted due to the severe weather.

Photograph by Colin Rennie Councillor Alastair Forsyth, front, and Fyvie Church fabric convener John Mackenzie survey the damage.