Scotland weather: Continuous snowfall closes roads across north amid amber alert
Extreme weather warnings extended to Monday
Continuous snowfall across parts of northern Scotland caused difficult driving conditions on Friday as extreme weather warnings were upgraded to amber for 24 hours.
At least three routes in Aberdeenshire and one in the Highlands were closed amid snow accumulations of 30cm on the highest roads during an earlier yellow warning which has been in force across the northern half of the country since Thursday morning.
Traffic Scotland said the snow gates on the A93 Braemar-Glenshee, A939 Tomintoul-Cockbridge, B974 Cairn O’Mount-Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire and at the Bealach na Ba pass on the Applecross peninsula in the Highlands were shut on Friday morning.
Difficult driving conditions and delays due to heavy snow on the A96 Inverness-Aberdeen road in the Keith and Fochabers areas were reported by Amey, which maintains the trunk road for Transport Scotland.
The A90 was partially blocked by a crash at Keithock north of Brechin.
Police advised drivers to avoid the single track Glen Etive road off the A82 near Glencoe on Friday night “as the deteriorating weather in the area is making driving conditions hazardous”.
At Loch Glascarnoch beside the A835 Inverness (Tore) to Ullapool road, there was more than 8cm of lying snow on Friday morning, while Aboyne in Aberdeenshire had around 9cm of lying snow.
Temperatures at the loch are forecast to fall to -5C on Friday night and as low as -11C on Tuesday night.
CalMac said some sailings on its Stornoway-Ullapool route were cancelled on Friday due to adverse weather and sea swell, while others might be disrupted.
It said lorries were not being carried on Tayinloan-Gigha sailings due to sea swell.
The operator also suspended its Mallaig-Lochboisdale-Oban service because a defect in the hull of its 35-year-old ferry Lord of the Isles was found close to the water line.
The vessel will have to be repaired in a dry dock and will be out of action for at least a week.
ScotRail halted trains between Georgemas and Thurso in Caithness because of heavy snow and Network Rail Scotland said it was keeping a close eye on other routes.
It said: “Our snow patrol locomotive on the Highland Main Line is already reporting heavy snow on its trip north from Perth to Inverness.”
Attractions closed because of the conditions included Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge.
Travellers were warned of likely increased disruption during the amber warning, which continues until 12pm on Saturday for the north east and much of the mainland north of Inverness.
Aberdeen Airport said it remained open, with teams working to keep it clear of snow and ice and flights operating normally.
But it advised passengers to check their flight with their airline and to take extra care when travelling to the terminal.
Scottish and Southern Energy Networks, which serves northern Scotland, said it had “additional resources” on standby to repair any damage but had not seen any increase in the normal number of faults for this time of year.
The Met Office said during the amber warning period, accumulations of 10-20cm of snow were likely at low levels, with 30-40cm possible on high ground, while winds could lead to temporary blizzard conditions.
A separate amber warning for snow has been issued for Shetland, lasting from midnight to midday on Saturday, with accumulations of 10-15cm likely at low levels and 20-30cm possible on high ground.
The existing yellow warning, covering most of Scotland north of the Central Belt, has now been extended until 12pm on Monday.
The alert is for 2-15 cm of accumulating snow possible in low lying areas and 15-30 cm above 200m, including in the north west Highlands.
Aberdeen City Council reported: “Due to continuous snowfall, we did continuous gritting of the primary routes (the main roads).”
A spokesperson said: “We have been gritting the primary routes over the last few days and were continuously gritting them yesterday during the day and through the night.
“We are continuously gritting the primary routes today. The primary routes are about 50 per cent of the city’s roads network and these are the highest priority to keep running.”
Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: "Arctic air and brisk northerly winds are gripping the UK.
"Bitterly cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into next week, with daytime temperatures struggling to rise above freezing for some, and overnight lows dipping to minus double figures in places.”
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.
“If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.
“Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”
However, the snowfall promised good news for Scotland’s snowsport centres.
Cairngorm Mountain, near Aviemore, which was open on Friday, reported: “The beginners’ area is in great condition. [Artificial] snowmaking will continue as we work to increase the size of the slope.
“Still waiting on more snow to come through but looking promising for the weekend.”
Glencoe Mountain operated two of its eight lifts on Friday.
The Lecht, on the Aberdeenshire-Moray border was shut on Friday because of the A939 access road closure. It said: “Runs are filling in a little but still a good bit to go.”
The Glenshee centre was also shut because of its A93 access road closure.
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