Edinburgh Airport will close fully from 18:00 on Thursday.

Airlines that are still planning to run operations in advance of that closure are:

• Lufthansa

• Jet2

• Qatar

• Brussels

• Etihad

• Loganair

We ask that all other passengers DO NOT come to the airport. All passengers should check with their airline before travelling to the airport

We believe that closure at 18:00 gives us the best opportunity to prepare for Friday.

We are expecting further disruption on Friday and that the situation regarding getting staff to and from the airport will remain challenging.

NHS Lothian said it was cancelling all non-urgent operations on Thursday and Friday.

A spokesman said: "Due to severe weather conditions and transport difficulties, NHS Lothian has taken the difficult decision to cancel all routine, non-urgent elective procedures and all hospital outpatient appointments on Thursday and Friday 2 March.

"Emergency and urgent elective procedures will still go ahead.

"We will be prioritising urgent cancer surgery and patients are being contacted directly if their case is considered urgent.

"These decisions do not include community services.

"Please contact your local health centre or GP surgery to find out whether the adverse weather has affected your appointment. "

Even in the centre of Edinburgh the snow is above ankle-deep.

Image source, BBC - Angie Brown

The Forth Road Bridge is closed. The Queensferry Crossing is open but there is a speed restriction.

Motorists are being urged not to make unnecessary journeys as an amber weather warning for most of Scotland has been extended until tomorrow morning.

It comes as hundreds of drivers were stranded on the M80 motorway near Stirling overnight.

At the height of the incident, an estimated 1,000 vehicles were stuck on route.

More snow and high winds are expected throughout the day.

BBC Meteorologist Phil Avery said: "The red warning that lapsed at 10am was embedded within a larger, lower-grade amber warning that is still in force, widely across northern and eastern parts of Scotland.

"So there is still a suggestion from the Met Office that there are disruptive weather forces in place."

Whitehouse Loan in Edinburgh looking like Narnia.

Image source, BBC - Angie Brown

Andrew Thomson
BBC Scotland

Snow drifts of 2.4m (8ft) deep are being encountered in some parts of Caithness and Sutherland, says Highland Council.

Northern parts of the Highlands have been affected by snow and high winds, while other parts such as Inverness and its surrounding area have been experiencing temperatures of -7C but no snow.

Highland Council says some of the heaviest snowfalls in the region have been seen in central Sutherland.

Parts of Wester Ross have also been affected.

Image source, Pam

Cheryl Turpie called BBC Radio Scotland’s Kaye Adams Programme to tell how her two sons adapted to the extreme conditions.

She said: “All the schools in the Borders were closed yesterday so they decided to make the most of it and build an igloo in the garden.

“Once they built it they then decided they would stay out in it overnight.”

Image source, pam

Cheryl made sure they had plenty of warm clothes and blankets, as well as ground sheets and sleeping bags.

She added: “When they were inside they were not cold.

“They were nice and cosy.

“They were out most of the night.”

Son Sam said he used IKEA boxes and his scouting skills to build the 6ft high snow shelter.

He told the programme: “It surprisingly was not that cold.”

Image source, Pam

John Gent is trying to drive home to Plymouth and has been stuck on the M80 at Stirling since 20:00 last night.

He told BBC News: “Fortunately the people on the neighbouring estates have been bringing over bottles of water.

“There’s a motorway bridge about 400 metres away from me and they’ve set up a little area there where they’re making teas and coffees for people.

“They were knocking on windows and asking if everyone was all right and handing out blankets and teas and coffees and stuff.

“It’s nice to know they’re thinking of us stuck here when they’re in their warm homes.

“We’ve had very little information. I’ve seen police cars driving around near here, but no one’s stopped to talk to us.

“No one has given us any indication of when we might be on the move.”

Walkers hunch as they battle through the snow in Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh.

Image source, BBC Pic: Angie Brown

An Edinburgh Trams spokesman said: "We want to clarify we are running services today every 15-20 minutes. This follows a full day of operations on Wednesday and free services between midnight and 05:00."

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has cancelled visits to all but four of its establishments.

They are Dumfries, HMP Grampian, Inverness and Kilmarnock.

The SPS said because of the difficulty being faced by some staff in getting into work, some jails are operating on restricted regimes.

Yesterday a van on its way from Perth Prison to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court crashed off the road in icy conditions.

The driver was slightly injured, but the only prisoner onboard was unhurt.