Police Scotland in amber weather travel warning
- Published
Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park has seen heavy snowfall
Police have urged people living in parts of Scotland covered by an amber weather warning to avoid making unnecessary journeys.
The Met Office said it was possible heavy snow, high winds and thunderstorms could hit between 15:00 on Tuesday and midnight.
The warning covers large parts of the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire and northern areas of Tayside and Fife.
Hundreds of schools across Scotland were closed because of the weather.
The Met Office said 32cm (13in) of snow fell at Loch Glascarnoch in the Scottish Highlands on Tuesday morning while nearby Altnaharra saw 11cm (4in).
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for Highlands, Western and Northern Isles.
A similar yellow warning covers Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire until 12:00 on Wednesday.
Ch Supt Louise Blakelock, head of Police Scotland's road policing, said: "We would encourage people to plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel.
"If you are travelling, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions."
She added: "Stopping distances can be up to 10 times greater in snow compared to dry roads so keep well back from the road user in front, check your windscreen washer levels, ensure your mobile phone is charged and have sufficient fuel and warm clothing in case your journey is delayed."
The snow and low temperatures have resulted in tricky driving conditions in the Highlands on Tuesday morning, including in Inverness
An amber warning has been issued for parts of the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said people should consider leaving work early to avoid the worst of the weather.
"The conditions will likely cause difficult driving conditions and disruption to the wider transport network, so it's important that anyone that has to travel during the warning period plans their journey ahead of time," she said.
"If possible, people at work should consider whether they can leave early to avoid travelling during the amber warning period."
Avalanche debris in Observatory Gully on Ben Nevis pictured on Tuesday
All schools in Shetland have been shut for a second day.
In the Western Isles, all schools in Barra and Uist were shut, while more than 200 schools and nurseries were closed in the Highlands, affecting more than 20,000 pupils.
About a dozen schools in Aberdeenshire have been closed or partially shut.
Highland Council has warned of snow and ice affecting many of its roads, while Inverness Airport's runway was temporarily shut due to the weather.
Trunk roads in the Highlands were badly affected with difficult driving conditions on the A82 near Drumnadrochit and along the A835 near Ullapool.
Network Rail Scotland said blizzard conditions had been experienced on the Kyle of Lochalsh and Far North lines, but so far its network has remained open. ScotRail has warned of disruption between Inverness and Wick/Kyle of Lochalsh.
It was a snow day for thousands of pupils in the Highlands
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has reported the avalanche hazard in all six areas it monitors as "considerable".
The service provides forecasts for mountains in Lochaber, Glen Coe, Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh and Torridon.
SAIS has recorded 56 avalanches in the past month and its Lochaber team came across debris from a slide in Ben Nevis' Observatory Gully on Tuesday. The avalanche was thought to have happened at the weekend.
- Published17 January 2023
