£1,500 grants for homes and businesses hit by floods

Every household, business or charity in Scotland directly affected by flood water will get a grant of £1,500, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The first minister outlined details of new funding for those hit by recent severe weather during a visit to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.

She said more than £12m would be made available to help areas struck by storms and flooding.

Businesses whose trade was affected can also apply for an extra £3,000.

Hundreds of people were evacuated in Aberdeenshire after the Rivers Dee, Don and Ythan burst their banks in the early hours of Friday.

It followed Storm Frank at the end of last month which saw flooding hit Tayside and the Borders.

The first minister visited homes which were evacuated in the early hours of Friday morning

At Inverurie Academy Nicola Sturgeon talked to flooding victims

The first minister said the new funding was in addition to £4m announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney in December.

• An extra £5.8m will be made available to support households and business properties

• Councils which have suffered the most damage allocated a share of the fund - but people in any part of Scotland who have suffered flood damage can apply for a grant

• £5m of extra capital funding for councils - to replace roads and bridges severely damaged by flood waters

• Support for the reinstatement of the A93 between Ballater and Braemar

• Businesses able to apply for additional grant of £3,000

• A £1m Agricultural Floodbank Restoration Grant Scheme - to help the farming community also being set up.

Ms Sturgeon said: "In the face of devastation Scotland's communities have rallied together and shown real strength. I have met with some local business owners who have made a real difference by offering vital support and once again I am amazed by the determination and dedication of all of our emergency services who are working around the clock to save homes and livelihoods.

"We do not yet have confirmation of consequentials coming from UK Government flood funds - however, now that the picture of those who need support is clearer, the Scottish government is acting now to make sure that the people who need help get it."

New funding allocation to local authorities

• Dumfries and Galloway - £1m

• Scottish Borders - £0.45m

• Perth and Kinross - £0.45m

• Aberdeenshire - £2m

• City of Aberdeen - £0.5m

• Angus - £0.9m

• East Ayrshire - £0.5m

This money is in addition to almost £4m (announced in November) shared between these councils, plus Stirling and South Lanarkshire

Scottish Labour welcomed the funding announcement but repeated its call for an urgent review of the country's flood prevention infrastructure.

The party's environment spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: "It is vital that those affected receive this money as soon as possible. Families and local businesses can't wait for months for this support to actually arrive.

"Questions also need to be asked about how local authorities are expected to shoulder the burden for flood defences when the SNP plan to slash council budgets across the whole of Scotland."

The Scottish Conservatives welcomed the new funding. A spokesman added: "The UK government has made around £9m available through the Barnett Formula, and that alongside today's announcement will be of great assistance."

NFU Scotland said funding to help the farming community was "much appreciated" but that discussions should also now take place on protection for homes and businesses in the future.

President Allan Bowie said: "The damage seen on Scottish farms up and down the country has been extensive and the job of restoring flood banks and clearing up the debris will be costly and time consuming.

"The full picture will not be known until the waters recede but it goes without saying that, for a good number of farmers, the effects will be felt for much longer."

Water levels on the River Don reached their highest levels in 45 years during Thursday night's severe floods caused by heavy rain.

Almost 70 properties were evacuated, including the 86 residents of three care homes in Aberdeen.

As a clear-up operation got under way on Saturday, BBC Scotland reporter Andrew Anderson, in Inverurie, said it was a much improved picture but turning very cold.

"This morning it's starting to resemble an ice-rink . We've got sub-zero temperatures here and there's a freezing mist beginning to settle on Port Elphinstone and Inverurie," he said.

The first minister met some of the victims of the flooding on a visit to a rest centre set up at Inverurie Academy. She also talked with those who responded to the emergency and helped rescue those caught up in the flood water.

Homes on Port Elphinstone, Inverurie and Kintore were evacuated

The Ellon to Methlick bus was half-submerged after being caught out by flood water

David Barrack, who owns a hotel which offered free accommodation to those forced from their homes in Inverurie, told the BBC parts of the town had been devastated.

"A lot of people have seen their houses just decimated," he said.

"It'll be months and months and months before they can get back in, and last night we had about 30 of the people having dinner at the hotel, and they were very resolute.

"They were amazed that nobody was hurt, that nobody was drowned. It could have been so much worse."

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said it expected river levels to fall gradually, but a spokesman warned of the possibility of "residual impacts" in areas such as Kintore and Inverurie.

Meanwhile, work was continuing over the weekend to protect historic Abergeldie Castle, which was at risk of collapsing after the River Dee swept away about 60ft (18m) of land behind the property earlier this week.

The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings of more rain in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth and Kinross rain covering from Saturday evening through Sunday.

The recent severe flooding followed December being the wettest month for the UK in more than a century.

Work is continuing to shore up Abergeldie Castle after it was left on the brink of collapse

The River Ythan in Ellon caused flooding