On January 5th, 1991, Saltcoats was hit by devastating floods as Storm Undine swept across the west coast of Scotland.
Streets and shops were submerged under up to 5 feet of water, with over 400 properties damaged and millions of pounds in destruction across the region.
While no lives were lost, the impact was so severe it made international headlines. The disaster led to major changes in Scotland’s flood warning systems and remains one of the most significant weather events in Ayrshire’s recent history.
This film, “Saltcoats in Flood” shows the effects of the flood, with footage from in and around the town.
It was made thanks to Rev. Ray Brinkley, who loaned his flat-bottomed boat to the Fire Brigade and teamed up with Dan Ware to film the chaos using equipment from Harris of Saltcoats, who feature in the video.
Their footage not only aired on ITN national news that night but was later broadcast in Australia and New Zealand, putting Saltcoats on the international map, for all the wrong reasons.