Storm Ali: Marquee near St Andrews destroyed by winds

A marquee at a prestigious golfing event near St Andrews has been lifted off the ground and destroyed as Storm Ali wreaked havoc across Scotland.

The marquee near St Andrews Old Course is destroyed in Storm Ali winds. Picture: Alan O'Laughlin

The large tent that was erected near the Old Course for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships was broken into bits as fierce winds took their toll this afternoon.

The moment of its destruction was captured on video by local resident Alan O’Laughlin, who was walking past the location about 1pm.

The 47-year-old told The Courier: “I could see the tent and it looked as though it was starting to lift, so I thought ‘I’m going to start videoing this’.

The marquee near St Andrews Old Course is destroyed in Storm Ali winds. Picture: Alan O'Laughlin

“It looked like a ripple effect and it all just took off.”

The footage shows the marquee being ripped open by the wind.

Mr O’Laughlin said: “I’m ex-forces, so I’ve seen some things happen like this before.

“There was nobody around, but I just knew it was going to go. There was nothing I could have done to stop it.”

The Alfred Dunhill Links said it was confident the marquee damage would not have an impact on the event, which tis running from October 4-7.

The public have been urged to take care with several other tents set up for next month’s tournament.

Police in Fife have told the public to take care around the St Andrews Old Course.

Wind gusts topped 100mph in parts of Tayside and Fife today as the first storm of the autumn caused transport chaos across the country.