ARMIES of engineers have been deployed across rural Scotland to prevent the chaos wreaked on thousands of homes following freak snow storms in March.

Around £32 million is being spent on improvements to the electricity network, with particular attention paid to areas in the West of Scotland such as Arran and Kintyre.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD), the company that owns and operates the power distribution system in the North of Scotland, says engineers have refurbished overhead lines, and inspected, maintained and upgraded electrical assets.

SHEPD has also put advanced weather monitoring systems in place, which give staff warnings of severe conditions, helping engineers to plan ahead and be ready for an impact on the electricity network.

Power had been cut to about 20,000 properties in Southern and Western Scotland after pylons were damaged by snow and ice in the spring.

Most of the properties lost their electricity supply for days after snow storms brought Arran to a standstill the week before Easter.

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Fergus Ewing said: "As we know, severe weather can strike quickly, at any time of year, and can cause a range of problems. While we can't stop the weather causing disruption, we can be well prepared to deal with it."

North Ayrshire Council has also staged a number of dry runs on Arran in recent weeks, with staff checking out equipment and vehicles including snow ploughs, as well as familiarising themselves with the more remote routes, many of them along narrow and twisting roads.