105
Free national fault line
Free, 24/7
SSEN
Your DNO
serves Highland
9+
towns covered
incl. Inverness, Fort William, Thurso
up to £150+
Ofgem compensation
for cuts over 24h
Live outage map for Highland
The map shows incidents reported by users in real time, centred on Highland. Zoom in on your street to check whether a cut is your home only or a wider network fault — when neighbours are also dark, it is a SSEN job.
Cairngorms, Northwest Highlands, the Great Glen, and a long indented coastline punctuated by sea lochs. Atlantic storms break over the Hebrides and the West Highlands first — Storm Arwen (2021), Storm Babet (2023) and Storm Isha (2024) all caused multi-day outages across the region.
Live Power Outages in the UK
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Report a power cut in Highland
Seeing a cut the map hasn't caught yet? Add it in seconds. Your report is anonymous and appears on the live map above so neighbours in Highland know what's going on.
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Why the power goes out in Highland
Highland is the largest UK council by area and the most outage-exposed in mainland Britain. SSEN runs an enormous overhead network from Inverness out to Wester Ross, Sutherland and Caithness. Cairngorms, Northwest Highlands, the Great Glen, and a long indented coastline punctuated by sea lochs.
Weather and terrain. Atlantic storms break over the Hebrides and the West Highlands first — Storm Arwen (2021), Storm Babet (2023) and Storm Isha (2024) all caused multi-day outages across the region.
How the network is run. SSEN depots at Inverness, Fort William, Thurso and Portree dispatch engineers and coordinate helicopter access. Many West Highland villages sit at the end of single overhead feeders.
A local quirk worth knowing. Skye is fed by a sub-sea cable from Kyle of Lochalsh — when this fails, restoration involves divers and can take several days. Skye also has standby generators at Portree.
What to do when the power goes out at home in Highland
Check whether neighbours are affected
Look at the street lights and the houses opposite. If they're on, your fault is inside your home — check the consumer unit. If they're out too, it is a SSEN network fault: call 105.
Dial 105 or 0800 300 999
Have your full postcode ready. Ask the operator for an estimated time of restoration (ETR) and a fault reference number — both make any later compensation claim faster.
Unplug sensitive electronics
Unplug TVs, routers, computers and consoles to protect them from a surge when supply returns. Leave one light switched on so you'll know visually when the power is back.
Log start and end times
A cut over 24 hours in normal weather entitles you to £75 from SSEN under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards. Severe weather has higher thresholds and a £2,000 cap. Keep a written log with photos — most payments arrive automatically within 10 working days.
The Selectra expert answers your questions on power cuts in Highland
Always to your Distribution Network Operator, not your supplier. In Highland that is SSEN. Dial 105 (Free national fault line) — free, 24/7 — or call SSEN directly on 0800 300 999.
Atlantic storms break over the Hebrides and the West Highlands first — Storm Arwen (2021), Storm Babet (2023) and Storm Isha (2024) all caused multi-day outages across the region. SSEN depots at Inverness, Fort William, Thurso and Portree dispatch engineers and coordinate helicopter access. Many West Highland villages sit at the end of single overhead feeders.
Yes. Under Ofgem's Guaranteed Standards of Performance, domestic customers in Highland receive £75 after 24 hours off in normal weather, plus £40 every additional 12 hours up to £300. Severe-weather events have higher thresholds and a £2,000 cap. Payment is normally automatic from SSEN within 10 working days — claim within 30 days if it doesn't arrive.
SSEN announces planned cuts by letter (and increasingly text or email) 2 to 8 days in advance. Most run 8am to 6pm and last 2 to 8 hours. Planned cuts do not qualify for Ofgem compensation unless your DNO failed to give adequate notice (a £40 payment applies then).
Power cuts in nearby areas
Other counties close to Highland — useful if your storm or fault crosses council boundaries.
Perth and Kinross
SSEN
Moray
SSEN
Stirling
SP Energy Networks
Argyll and Bute
SSEN
West Dunbartonshire
SP Energy Networks
Clackmannanshire
SP Energy Networks
East Dunbartonshire
SP Energy Networks
Inverclyde
SP Energy Networks
Other counties served by SSEN
Same operator, same emergency number, similar restoration patterns and compensation framework.