Laurie Goodlad, a writer and tour guide in Shetland, tells Radio Scotland's Mornings the weather has been unprecedented:
"It's an island of remote communities and generally speaking we don't get weather like this.
"It's no usually a problem moving around, but when the roads are blocked or impassable, if you're living in the country it might be a few miles or more to find somewhere that's got the lights on.
"I think generally speaking as a society we're less prepared than what we would have been 20 or 30 years ago.
"In general we're less prepared."
Your pictures from across sub-zero Scotland
Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter, BBC news website
Bill DicksonCopyright: Bill Dickson
BBC news website readers have been capturing the wintry scene across the country over the past few days.
Here are some of the images which have been submitted but if you want to see more, just follow this link.
The snow and ice across Scotland has been causing travel disruption this morning.
The snow gates on the A939 at Cock Bridge in Aberdeenshire have been closed, while the A96 at Tyrebagger near Dyce has also been affected by wintry conditions.
A school bus left the road this morning at Tankerness in Orkney east mainland.
Parents say three children were on board at the time but they all made it safely to school by other means. No one was hurt.
Meanwhile Aberdeen Airport was closed for a short period overnight while snow was cleared from the runway.
Crime writer's laptop 'buried in snow'
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Novelist Ann Cleeves has lost her laptop in ShetlandImage caption: Novelist Ann Cleeves has lost her laptop in Shetland
Crime writer Ann Cleeves is appealing for help after losing a laptop containing the draft of half her next novel in a blizzard in Shetland.
The novelist, whose books have been adapted into the television series Shetland, fears the computer may have fallen out of her bag as she made her way through Lerwick in wintry conditions on Monday.
"Nobody has found it yet and I think to be fair it has
snowed so much since I lost it that it's probably under about a foot of snow
wherever it is," she told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland show.
The writer is offering a reward for the return of the laptop, but says she backed up a copy of her novel.
"People have been amazingly kind, I've been getting
responses from all over Lerwick," she said.
"But luckily my latest book that I've been working on,
I had sent it as an email attachment to myself just a couple of days ago so
I've not lost too much."
Heavy snowstorms have interrupted supplies to about 2,800 homes with many facing days without power
15 crews arrived in Lerwick by ferry to help with reconnection efforts which are being hampered by continued poor weather
Energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has said it could be the end of the week before some homes are reconnected
BBCCopyright: BBC
A convoy of SSEN vehicles arrived in Shetland this morningImage caption: A convoy of SSEN vehicles arrived in Shetland this morning
The situation in Shetland has been declared a major incident, with residents urged to stay at home
There's been heavy snow across much of north-east Scotland overnight
Aberdeenshire Council says most of its roads network has been affected by heavy snow
Aberdeen has also seen significant snowfall and bus company Stagecoach Bluebird says its services have been affected, with many cancelled, delayed or diverted
Ice and snow yellow weather warning for Friday
The Met Office has issued a snow and ice yellow weather warning for Friday across large swathes of Scotland.
The warning covers about half of the country, including the central belt.
It is in place from 06:00 to 23:59 and means outbreaks of snow and icy surfaces are likely to bring some disruption, says the Met Office.
Met OfficeCopyright: Met Office
Cold snap is a health concern, says public health director
BBCCopyright: BBC
Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason LeitchImage caption: Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch
Scotland’s National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch, says the wintry weather across the country will add extra pressure on the NHS.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said more slips, trips and falls are an issue for
already overstretched emergency departments.
He said: “We are not panicking in any way but we are concerned.
“Extreme temperatures of any kind are a worry for the health
and social care system.”
The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice covering northern Scotland until 23:59 on Thursday.
It covers the north and north-east of Scotland, Shetland, south-west Scotland, the Lothians, Scottish Borders and Orkney.
A Met Office yellow warning for strong winds is also in force between 07:00 - 14:00 in Shetland, where gusts of up to 60-65mph will accompany blustery wintery showers, especially for northern areas.
CCTV released of missing Aviemore man
Police ScotlandCopyright: Police Scotland
A CCTV image of missing man Rodrigo FalconImage caption: A CCTV image of missing man Rodrigo Falcon
CCTV images have been released showing a man who has been missing from Aviemore amid wintry conditions.
Police said the pictures of Rodrigo Falcon on the village's Grampian Road at about 03:10 were the last known sighting of the 33-year-old.
The images show him walking towards the southern end of Aviemore.
His friends, concerned that he is not adequately dressed for the weather, have been joined by volunteers in searches to find him.
Ch Insp Alasdair McLeod said: "It is obvious from the response we have had that there is great concern in the community for his well-being and I would like to thank the local community for their assistance so far.
"As part of our inquiries, it has been established that Rodrigo was not wearing his brown woollen coat, but was seen on CCTV wearing his red jumper and baggy jeans with no coat."
Police ScotlandCopyright: Police Scotland
Mr Falcon disappeared on SundayImage caption: Mr Falcon disappeared on Sunday
Stay at home urges minister
BBC Weather WatchersCopyright: BBC Weather Watchers
BBC Weather Watcher AndyMoe2101 sent us this picture of a snow day in Scousburgh, ShetlandImage caption: BBC Weather Watcher AndyMoe2101 sent us this picture of a snow day in Scousburgh, Shetland
The Scottish
Government Resilience Room has met to discuss the impacts of power outages in
Shetland.
Justice
Secretary Keith Brown is the lead minister for resilience and he said:
“I chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) with
our multi-agency partners to make every effort to restore power and support
households.
“Our utmost
priority must be to ensure that people, especially the most vulnerable, are
safe and warm.
"SSEN have contacted all priority customers and Shetland
Islands Council has identified vulnerable people who may need extra support.
It is also considering how buildings such as community centres could be used
to provide respite centres if needed.
“I would urge
people to heed the Police Scotland advice to stay at home, find ways to stay
warm, check in on neighbours, friends and family, and listen to the local
radio or follow social media for updates.”
More engineers arrive to aid reconnection efforts
BBCCopyright: BBC
SSEN vans arrived off the overnight ferry from Aberdeen on Wednesday morning.Image caption: SSEN vans arrived off the overnight ferry from Aberdeen on Wednesday morning.
Extra engineers have now arrived in Shetland to help local crews
repair the damage to the electricity network.
A total of 15 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks crews arrived on the freight ferry from Aberdeen, while others are
being flown in by plane and helicopter.
Extra electricity poles have also been unloaded at Lerwick
Power Station to aid the repair effort.
A helicopter is also being used, where the weather allows, to
assess damage to overhead lines.
The utility firm will repair electricity lines where
possible or put in temporary power generation until major repairs can be
carried out.
However, it could be
the end of the week before some homes are reconnected.
What's happening in the rest of the country?
BBCCopyright: BBC
The street ploughs are hard at work in AberdeenImage caption: The street ploughs are hard at work in Aberdeen
There has been heavy snow across much of north-east Scotland overnight.
Aberdeenshire Council says most of its roads network has been affected by heavy snow, and a number of schools in Aberdeenshire and Moray are closed.
Bus company Stagecoach Bluebird says its services have been affected, with many cancelled, delayed or diverted.
The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice for northern Scotland until 12:00 on Friday.
It covers the north and north-east of Scotland, Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.
Shetland Council leader: 'The community is very resilient'
The leader of Shetland Council says local people are helping
each other deal with the big freeze.
Emma Macdonald tells the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme the situation is “unprecedented” given Shetland does not typically get a lot of snow
in the winter.
She says: "The community is very resilient, as
an island we have to be, and we have seen a lot of community support, everyone
pulling together to do what they can.
"There is a lot of snow, a lot of wet snow and it is sticking on
the lines which is the issue.”
Community centres have been opened for those without electricity, while the council is continuing to clear roads and check on residents in outlying areas.
Why is the situation so bad in Shetland?
The power cuts have been caused by "line icing", this
is where snow and ice sticks to overhead power lines, weighing them down and
causing them to break.
Graeme Keddie, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ director
of corporate affairs, says that the weight of the snow and ice on some lines is
the equivalent to that of a small car.
There have been more than 60 points of damage across Shetland
with about 2,800 homes still without electricity.
Keddie says: "This has been a very concentrated and
explosive weather event on Shetland which has been far worse than expected.
Local crews say it is the worst they have seen it since 1995.”
Shetland power cuts declared major incident
BBCCopyright: BBC
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homesImage caption: SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homes
The power cuts in Shetland have been declared a major incident.
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homes but Keith Brown, lead minister for resilience, said it was clear that many properties would face days without power.
Extra engineers are due to arrive on the ferry from Aberdeen on Wednesday morning to help restore power.
Generators will also be sent and a helicopter will be used to assess damage to overhead lines.
All Shetland's schools will be closed for a second day.
Heavy snowstorms have interrupted supplies to about 2,800 homes with many facing days without power
15 crews arrived in Lerwick by ferry to help with reconnection efforts which are being hampered by continued poor weather
Energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has said it could be the end of the week before some homes are reconnected
The situation in Shetland has been declared a major incident, with residents urged to stay at home
There's been heavy snow across much of north-east Scotland overnight
Aberdeenshire Council says most of its roads network has been affected by heavy snow
Aberdeen has also seen significant snowfall and bus company Stagecoach Bluebird says its services have been affected, with many cancelled, delayed or diverted
Welcome
Matt DavenportCopyright: Matt Davenport
Good morning and welcome to our live page coverage of the freezing wintry weather and the power cuts in Shetland.
your questions answered
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BBC Scotland News
All times stated are UK
Get involved
Shetland weather 'unprecedented' says writer
The heavy snowstorms on Shetland have interrupted supplies to about 2,800 homes with many facing days without power.
Laurie Goodlad, a writer and tour guide in Shetland, tells Radio Scotland's Mornings the weather has been unprecedented:
"It's an island of remote communities and generally speaking we don't get weather like this.
"It's no usually a problem moving around, but when the roads are blocked or impassable, if you're living in the country it might be a few miles or more to find somewhere that's got the lights on.
"I think generally speaking as a society we're less prepared than what we would have been 20 or 30 years ago.
"In general we're less prepared."
Your pictures from across sub-zero Scotland
Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter, BBC news website
BBC news website readers have been capturing the wintry scene across the country over the past few days.
Here are some of the images which have been submitted but if you want to see more, just follow this link.
And if you would like to send in your own images, the email address is scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk.
Wintry conditions cause travel disruption
The snow and ice across Scotland has been causing travel disruption this morning.
The snow gates on the A939 at Cock Bridge in Aberdeenshire have been closed, while the A96 at Tyrebagger near Dyce has also been affected by wintry conditions.
A school bus left the road this morning at Tankerness in Orkney east mainland.
Parents say three children were on board at the time but they all made it safely to school by other means. No one was hurt.
Meanwhile Aberdeen Airport was closed for a short period overnight while snow was cleared from the runway.
Crime writer's laptop 'buried in snow'
Crime writer Ann Cleeves is appealing for help after losing a laptop containing the draft of half her next novel in a blizzard in Shetland.
The novelist, whose books have been adapted into the television series Shetland, fears the computer may have fallen out of her bag as she made her way through Lerwick in wintry conditions on Monday.
"Nobody has found it yet and I think to be fair it has snowed so much since I lost it that it's probably under about a foot of snow wherever it is," she told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland show.
The writer is offering a reward for the return of the laptop, but says she backed up a copy of her novel.
"People have been amazingly kind, I've been getting responses from all over Lerwick," she said.
"But luckily my latest book that I've been working on, I had sent it as an email attachment to myself just a couple of days ago so I've not lost too much."
'Luckily I got a camping stove from a neighbour'
Ken Banks
BBC Scotland North East and Northern Isles reporter
Matt Davenport, 41, lost power at the family home in Upper Voe, Shetland, at the start of the week.
After two days, his wife and their nine nine-year-old son went to stay with her sister who does have power. However Mr Davenport has remained at home.
He has borrowed a camping stove for food - with his nearby work at Sullom Voe offering the chance of warmth and the ability to recharge his phone.
"We have oil-fired central heating and there's no power," he said of their house.
"Luckily I got a camping stove from a neighbour, so last night I heated up a tin of beans. I had a couple of duvets on the bed and wrapped up warm."
How are things looking across Scotland?
If you're just joining us, here's a recap of how Scotland is faring in the freezing weather:
Ice and snow yellow weather warning for Friday
The Met Office has issued a snow and ice yellow weather warning for Friday across large swathes of Scotland.
The warning covers about half of the country, including the central belt.
It is in place from 06:00 to 23:59 and means outbreaks of snow and icy surfaces are likely to bring some disruption, says the Met Office.
Cold snap is a health concern, says public health director
Scotland’s National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch, says the wintry weather across the country will add extra pressure on the NHS.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said more slips, trips and falls are an issue for already overstretched emergency departments.
He said: “We are not panicking in any way but we are concerned.
“Extreme temperatures of any kind are a worry for the health and social care system.”
Weather warning in place until Thursday
The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice covering northern Scotland until 23:59 on Thursday.
It covers the north and north-east of Scotland, Shetland, south-west Scotland, the Lothians, Scottish Borders and Orkney.
A Met Office yellow warning for strong winds is also in force between 07:00 - 14:00 in Shetland, where gusts of up to 60-65mph will accompany blustery wintery showers, especially for northern areas.
CCTV released of missing Aviemore man
CCTV images have been released showing a man who has been missing from Aviemore amid wintry conditions.
Police said the pictures of Rodrigo Falcon on the village's Grampian Road at about 03:10 were the last known sighting of the 33-year-old.
The images show him walking towards the southern end of Aviemore.
His friends, concerned that he is not adequately dressed for the weather, have been joined by volunteers in searches to find him.
Ch Insp Alasdair McLeod said: "It is obvious from the response we have had that there is great concern in the community for his well-being and I would like to thank the local community for their assistance so far.
"As part of our inquiries, it has been established that Rodrigo was not wearing his brown woollen coat, but was seen on CCTV wearing his red jumper and baggy jeans with no coat."
Stay at home urges minister
The Scottish Government Resilience Room has met to discuss the impacts of power outages in Shetland.
Justice Secretary Keith Brown is the lead minister for resilience and he said:
“I chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) with our multi-agency partners to make every effort to restore power and support households.
“Our utmost priority must be to ensure that people, especially the most vulnerable, are safe and warm.
"SSEN have contacted all priority customers and Shetland Islands Council has identified vulnerable people who may need extra support. It is also considering how buildings such as community centres could be used to provide respite centres if needed.
“I would urge people to heed the Police Scotland advice to stay at home, find ways to stay warm, check in on neighbours, friends and family, and listen to the local radio or follow social media for updates.”
More engineers arrive to aid reconnection efforts
Extra engineers have now arrived in Shetland to help local crews repair the damage to the electricity network.
A total of 15 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks crews arrived on the freight ferry from Aberdeen, while others are being flown in by plane and helicopter.
Extra electricity poles have also been unloaded at Lerwick Power Station to aid the repair effort.
A helicopter is also being used, where the weather allows, to assess damage to overhead lines.
The utility firm will repair electricity lines where possible or put in temporary power generation until major repairs can be carried out.
However, it could be the end of the week before some homes are reconnected.
What's happening in the rest of the country?
There has been heavy snow across much of north-east Scotland overnight.
Aberdeenshire Council says most of its roads network has been affected by heavy snow, and a number of schools in Aberdeenshire and Moray are closed.
Bus company Stagecoach Bluebird says its services have been affected, with many cancelled, delayed or diverted.
The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and ice for northern Scotland until 12:00 on Friday.
It covers the north and north-east of Scotland, Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.
Shetland Council leader: 'The community is very resilient'
The leader of Shetland Council says local people are helping each other deal with the big freeze.
Emma Macdonald tells the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme the situation is “unprecedented” given Shetland does not typically get a lot of snow in the winter.
She says: "The community is very resilient, as an island we have to be, and we have seen a lot of community support, everyone pulling together to do what they can.
"There is a lot of snow, a lot of wet snow and it is sticking on the lines which is the issue.”
Community centres have been opened for those without electricity, while the council is continuing to clear roads and check on residents in outlying areas.
Why is the situation so bad in Shetland?
The power cuts have been caused by "line icing", this is where snow and ice sticks to overhead power lines, weighing them down and causing them to break.
Graeme Keddie, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ director of corporate affairs, says that the weight of the snow and ice on some lines is the equivalent to that of a small car.
There have been more than 60 points of damage across Shetland with about 2,800 homes still without electricity.
Keddie says: "This has been a very concentrated and explosive weather event on Shetland which has been far worse than expected. Local crews say it is the worst they have seen it since 1995.”
Shetland power cuts declared major incident
The power cuts in Shetland have been declared a major incident.
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homes but Keith Brown, lead minister for resilience, said it was clear that many properties would face days without power.
Extra engineers are due to arrive on the ferry from Aberdeen on Wednesday morning to help restore power.
Generators will also be sent and a helicopter will be used to assess damage to overhead lines.
All Shetland's schools will be closed for a second day.
Read more here.
What's happening this morning?
So, it's another day of freezing temperatures with thousands still without power in Shetland.
Here's a summary of what's happening around the country:
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live page coverage of the freezing wintry weather and the power cuts in Shetland.