A MAN was killed last night when a tree was blown on to his car in

Lanarkshire as gale force winds caused havoc across Scotland.

Emergency teams cut Mr David Houston, 41, of Pinewood Walk,

Strathaven, out of the wreck of his vehicle on the A71, two miles from

Strathaven, but he died later in hospital. His 14-year-old daughter,

Catherine, a passenger in the car, was treated for a broken ankle at

Hairmyres Hospital.

A second man died after being struck by falling debris in Pinkston

Drive, Sighthill, Glasgow. Emergency services who were called to the

scene found the injured pedestrian lying in the street and took him to

Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he died a short time later.

The dead man's name is not being released until relatives have been

informed.

An employee died in an accident during high winds at the Glenshee Ski

Centre last night. He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the

accident at a building near the centre but was found to be dead on

arrival.

Grampian Police said an investigation has been launched into the

circumstances of the man's death.

Meanwhile nine people, including a year old baby, had to be evacuated

when a chimney crashed into their flats at Tower Drive, Renfrew. Council

officers and police were organising alternative accommodation early

today.

Earlier, a lorry driver had to be freed from his vehicle when it

overturned on the A74 near Douglas Road end. Police said he was not

badly injured.

The CalMac ferry Isle of Arran was last night riding out the storm in

the Clyde estuary with 10 passengers aboard as winds of more than 75mph

prevented her berthing at Gourock.

A spokesman for Caledonian MacBrayne said the vessel had left Brodick

before 5pm and arrived off Gourock about 6.30pm after being diverted

from Ardrossan. Her skipper, however, decided not to try to berth, but

to wait for a break in the weather.

In Glasgow, 170 students were evacuated from an 11-storey tower block

of Queen Margaret halls of residence in Bellshaugh Road when one of its

two fire escapes was declared unsafe after a section of wall cladding

broke loose.

Five residents of flats in East Burnside Street, Kilsyth, were

evacuated after a chimney collapsed on to the building's roof and

roadway.

Glasgow's Great Western Road was closed at Anniesland Cross for

several hours when the dome of a building overlooking the road was seen

to be in danger of collapse.

Residents of Banner Drive, in the city's Knightswood district,

reported that the roof of a block of flats had blown off.

At Glenboig near Coatbridge, 30 people fled from their mobile homes at

the Annathill Caravan Park when the vehicles were blown from their

moorings.

One of the worst problems on the roads came on the A78, which was

completely blocked by flooding between Largs and Skelmorlie. Police were

unable to set up a diversion as a fallen tree blocked the only available

route.

Earlier, high winds forced the temporary closure of North Bridge and

High Street in Edinburgh in the wake of damage from broken windows and

falling slates. The north-bound carriageway of the Tay Road Bridge was

closed from 4.40pm yesterday after a furniture van was blown over.