Scientists warned yesterday that climate change would bring more frequent storms to Scotland, and a government minister said the country had to learn lessons from the recent severe weather
Their comments came as islanders prayed after last week's tragedy on South Uist, where one of the worst storms in living memory saw Atlantic waves sweep Archie and Murdina MacPherson, their children Andrew and Hannah, and

grandfather Calum Campbell to their deaths half a mile from their home.
N icol Stephen, transport minister, said the Scottish Executive would have to learn from the storms. He told BBC Radio Scotland: "Of course, we've got to learn lessons from all of this. Virtually the whole of the transport system in Scotland at one point came to a halt. We've got to learn from that because the weather is becomming even more exreme. "When you have a situation where there is 100mph winds, the sort of strong conditions that we haven't seen in Scotland for a long time, there are going to be problems".
Scientists in Thurso and Southampton agree. Their work suggests climate change will drive up winter wave heights off western Scotland.
Researchers at Thurso's Environmental Research Institute, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) network, and Southampton Oceanography Centre have studied the impact of the sea on costal communities and lifeline ferry services, making use of data from satellites. Their findings point to more frequent disruption to communities and transport networks. "Our modelling work indicates that the large wave heights which presently disrupt ferry services may be set to increase in the furure" said Dr David Woolf, of the Southampton Oceanography Centre.
John Coll, of UHI, added: "Lifeline services to the Western Isles are already heavily subsidised to maintain and link communities. If the intensity of this recent storm is repeated with greater frequency in the future, the level of subsidy may have to rise to provide bigger boats to protect timetables and maintain communities."
On South Uist, Father Michael MacDonald, parish priest at Lochdar, the scene of the tragedy, said prayers had united people yesterday.
"The majority of our people are people of very deep faith, irrespective of denomination. I think that this is what our people turn to and we turn to what is familiar. "What is familiar to us is the holding of our religious services, the celebration of our masses, the whole atmosphere of prayer and our confidence that the grace of God will out in the end, somehow or another in a manner which we may not understand completely."
The Rev Jacqueline Petrie held two services at South Uist Church of Scotland parishes at Daliburgh and Howmore, where Mr MacPherson's father, Davie, is an elder. Ms Petrie said of the tragedy: "I wouldn't say it's rocked my own faith, but it's pushed me back on the support of God. This disaster has left the community shocked and shattered".

for further information:
John.Coll@thurso.uhi.ac.uk