UK records coldest temperature of year so far

The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd being led to their food on Wednesday amid continued snow and freezing temperatures in the Highlands

The UK's coldest temperature of the year so far was recorded overnight in the Highlands.

The temperature fell to -10.4C at Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness, according to the Met Office.

Scotland also holds the record for the lowest temperature so far for this winter after it dropped to -17.3C on 13 December at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.

The wintry weather has disrupted schools and travel in the Highlands for a fourth day.

More than 100 schools and nurseries in the area have either had to shut or open later because of road conditions.

The number includes eight secondary schools, with Grantown, Golspie, Plockton and Portree closed.

Network Rail Scotland said its teams have had to clear snowdrifts more than a metre high

Sites in Skye, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross are among those affected, as wintry conditions remain across the Highlands.

Network Rail Scotland said its maintenance teams had encountered "extremely challenging conditions" on railways over the last week, particularly in the Highlands.

It said on Wednesday night there were snowdrifts 4ft (1.2m) high at Moy on the Highland mainline.

Other parts of Scotland, such as Argyll, Moray and Aberdeenshire, have also had fresh snow.

The Highlands, including Inverness, have continued to see wintry conditions

Argyll's Isle of Tiree had a dusting of snow on Thursday morning

Met Office yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in parts of Scotland, including Orkney and Shetland, expired at midday.

However, a new yellow warning of ice has been issued for north and north east Scotland covering from 17:00 on Thursday to 10:00 Friday.

An amber warning had been in place in the north of Scotland for much of Tuesday.

Snow levels at Loch Glascarnoch, between Inverness and Ullapool, had reached a depth of 34cm (13in) on Wednesday morning.