Man Killed by Falling Tree During Storm Boelo in Scotland

Tributes have been paid to Richard Baines, 60, the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden near Stranraer, who died when he was struck by a falling tree during Storm Boelo on Sunday morning. It is understood that the accident occurred while Baines was walking near his home in Mid Kelton, outside Castle Douglas.

David Knott, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, described the news as devastating. "He had a warmth, a genuine sense of humour, he always made time for individuals and that's one of the tributes that has been said many times this morning," Knott told BBC Scotland News. "He always found time for his colleagues. And he was always very supportive in providing opportunities for the next generation of horticulturalists. He was a very genuine and warm human being."

Logan Botanic Garden, one of four Scottish gardens managed by the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, is known for its collection of exotic plants, benefiting from the Gulf Stream's warming influence. Knott noted that Baines coined the description of Logan as "Scotland's most exotic garden" and was instrumental in promoting the garden and the wider south-west of Scotland.

Storm Boelo brought flooding, travel disruption, and power cuts across Scotland over the weekend and into Monday. The storm prompted an amber wind warning from Saturday night. The Galloway Mountain Rescue Team (GMRT) described one callout on Saturday to Curleywee in the Minigaff Hills as "one of the most grueling callouts our team had faced in recent history." Ten members of the team navigated "torrential rain, severe wind and unforgiving boggy ground" to reach an injured runner participating in the OMM mountain challenge. A coastguard helicopter was forced to turn back due to the worsening weather conditions. The GMRT, with assistance from the OMM safety team, carried the casualty off the hill before handing them over to the Scottish Ambulance Service.

OMM faced some social media criticism for proceeding with the event amid the poor weather. A spokesperson stated that the course was closed and all competitors were accounted for before the amber wind warning took effect at 9 p.m. on Saturday. "The event team continually assessed the mountain weather forecast in the build-up to and throughout the event, with competitor safety guiding every decision," the spokesperson added. The organization expressed gratitude for the understanding and support during the adaptation of the event to the forecast conditions and confirmed a donation to GMRT, a standard practice for OMM events.