Travel warnings as snow and 60mph Winds disrupt northern Scotland
Severe winter weather has brought widespread disruption across northern Scotland, prompting travel warnings as heavy snow and ice continue to grip large parts of the region.
Amber warnings that covered areas of the north east, Highland, Perth and Kinross, Shetland and Angus have now expired. However, yellow warnings remain in force until midday on Monday for most areas north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as Argyll and Bute. A separate yellow warning has also been issued for parts of the Borders from midnight on Monday through to the end of the day.
Rail operators and local authorities have urged caution. ScotRail warned passengers to expect cancellations and delays, while Highland Council advised people not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary.
Travel warnings as snow
Snow has forced the closure of the northbound rail line between Laurencekirk and Stonehaven after drifts built up to well above rail height, according to Network Rail. ScotRail said passengers with tickets dated for Friday or Saturday can travel instead on Sunday or Monday at no extra cost.
Phil McKay, head of roads and infrastructure at Aberdeenshire Council, described the situation as extremely challenging. He said it was among the heaviest snowfalls he had seen in his 15 years in the role.
“The snow has come very quickly over the past few days, and the wind has made drifting a major issue,” he said. “It has not lasted as long as the Beast from the East, but in terms of intensity it is certainly up there.”
He added that road surface temperatures are expected to remain extremely low for at least another week, warning that disruption is likely to continue into next week.
Emergency and volunteer groups have been heavily involved in rescue efforts. The 4×4 response team Cotag said it had transported 48 NHS staff members, helped four dialysis patients and freed four ambulances stuck in snow during the past 48 hours.
In Fraserburgh, DSBM Transport and Recovery rescued more than 100 motorists and attended six crashes, including a 12 vehicle pile up near New Leeds in Aberdeenshire in the early hours of Saturday. Company owner Dylan Masson said conditions were the worst he had ever seen locally.
“The drifts are unbelievable,” he said. “We just want people to stay at home for now. Everyone is exhausted but we are doing everything we can to get people safe and warm.”
Snowfall totals highlight the scale of the storm. Tomintoul recorded 37cm, Glascarnoch 23cm, Aboyne 22cm, Dyce 20cm, Aviemore 15cm and Tulloch Bridge 13cm.
On Friday, ScotRail was unable to run services to or from Thurso, with no replacement buses available because of road conditions. Several snow gates have been closed and accidents have been reported, including a bus crash on the A952 in Aberdeenshire and an incident that shut part of the A90 at Keithock in Angus. The A9 and the A99 between Helmsdale and Wick have both been closed in both directions.
The Met Office reported temperatures falling to minus 5.7C at Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness on Friday. Forecasters said air travel delays, power cuts and further road disruption were all possible.
Chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said Arctic air and brisk northerly winds were dominating conditions as the new year begins.
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“Snow and ice warnings remain in force, with heavy snow showers likely across northern Scotland and higher ground elsewhere,” she said. “Bitterly cold weather will persist into next week, with some areas struggling to rise above freezing by day and seeing overnight lows drop into double figures below zero.”
Network Rail said snow patrol locomotives were operating on key routes including the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen to Inverness line and the Far North Line, but warned conditions for response teams remained treacherous. ScotRail added that staff were carrying out continuous checks to monitor snowfall depth and maintain safety.
Avalanche warnings are also in place across six mountain areas. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service has issued an amber “considerable hazard” warning for the Northern Cairngorms, with moderate hazard warnings elsewhere, including Torridon.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop urged people to follow police advice, while Police Scotland reminded drivers to plan ahead, avoid unnecessary journeys and never drive through road closures.
Across the country, Scotland’s gritter and snowplough fleet remains on duty, with famously named vehicles such as Sir Andy Flurry, Robert Brrrns and Plougher O’Scotland working to keep key routes open as winter tightens its grip.
