Storm Eunice: These 20 Edinburgh pictures from the 1950s and 1960s show the Capital being battered by wind, rain and snow

While moaning about the weather is something of a national pastime in Scotland, we’re actually relatively lucky in that extreme conditions remain a rarity compared to other parts of the world.

But there’s still a history of storms causing havoc – including loss of life – over the years.

Back in 1968 Hurricane Low Q became Central Scotland’s worst natural disaster, affecting hundreds of thousands of homes and causing particular devastation in the west of the country where 140mph winds claimed 20 lives.

More recently, on Burns Day in 1990, gusts of up to 104mph led to Scotland’s most economically damaging storm for insurers who had to pay out around £3.37 billion in claims.

Boxing Day 1998 saw another notable storm, with gusts of up to 103mph leaving around two million people without electricity and forcing energy chiefs to shut down the Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station.

And in December 2011 Scotland had its first ever red level warning for wind, with speeds of up to 165mph recorded at the summit of Cairn Gorm.

In Edinburgh the castle and Prince Street were closed over fears of flying debris, although thankfully there was not a single fatality.

Here are 20 pictures of stormy weather – and its aftermath – from over half a century ago.

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