Major incident declared and schools to remain shut in north of Scotland as heavy snow continues

Latest updates

Major incident declared by Aberdeenshire Council
All schools in Aberdeenshire to remain closed on Wednesday for third day
Amber weather warning for snow in place until 7pm
Police ask people to consider if journeys are ‘really necessary’
Two further yellow alerts for snow and ice to come into force on Wednesday
Risk of communities being cut off due to heavy snowfall
A9 road closed to allow recovery of Royal Mail lorry after crash

Parts of Scotland are continuing to be hit with heavy snowfall after days of extreme weather conditions and multiple amber and yellow alerts.

Hundreds of schools across Scotland were closed for a second day on Tuesday, while police urged Scots to consider if journeys were “really necessary” amid widespread travel disruption.

The north of the country has been blanketed with more snow and ice across Angus, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.

Ministers met police, local authorities, utilities companies and other bodies on Tuesday to discuss the response to the severe weather.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said “difficult conditions” are expected to remain this week, and ministers will “continue to closely monitor the situation and to engage with local partners in severely affected areas”.

A new Met Office amber alert comes into effect at 11am on Tuesday until 7pm.

It comes as three further yellow warnings for snow and ice have been in force since midnight, with the central belt and southern areas affected until 11am on Tuesday.

Wintry weather will continue on Wednesday, as the Met Office issued two further yellow alerts for snow and ice, covering much of the country.

Parts of the central belt and southern parts of Scotland will be hit with icy conditions until 10am, while northern areas will once again be battered by snow showers until shortly before midnight on Wednesday.

Within the amber warning area, a further 5-10cm of snow is expected widely on Tuesday afternoon with 15cm in places, particularly on higher ground and roads above 200m.

Schools in Aberdeenshire are set to be closed for a third day on Wednesday due to the adverse weather, with all schools in Aberdeen also following suit. A large number of schools and nurseries in Moray have also been closed due to heavy snowfall.

Waste collections in Aberdeen and areas in Aberdeenshire have been impacted by the adverse weather conditions.

Missed collections will be looked at once the conditions have eased.

Glasgow & West

Glasgow Subway services cancelled after ice causes power failure

SPT said that due to the power failure at the Subway depot caused by ice on the third rail, services are unable to run.

Schools in Shetland and Orkney remained closed on Tuesday for a second day, with the return to regular schooling delayed due to the weather.

The A9 is closed for the recovery of a large royal mail lorry BEAR Scotland

The A9 was closed for a number of hours on Tuesday around half a mile south of Berriedale in Caithness in order for a Royal Mail lorry to be recovered following a crash.

In Glasgow, all services on the Subway were cancelled on Tuesday morning due to frozen ice causing a power failure at the depot.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen Airport suspended operations until 5pm on Monday due to deteriorating conditions.

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Loganair cancelled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness airports following heavy snowfall.

Driving conditions became “dangerous” amid the warning, and there remains a chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Some 32 gritters were sent out in Aberdeenshire on Sunday morning, and parts of the road network are said to be “impassable”.

Kennethmont in Aberdeenshire is said to have been hit with particularly heavy snow, according to Network Rail.

ScotRail said the line between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh remains closed as staff work to clear snow from the tracks, while the Inverness to Aberdeen line partially reopened on Tuesday afternoon.

Network Rail Scotland said teams were patrolling the lines by air as workers on the ground dug out junctions for snowploughs to pass.

The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) has also been activated in response to amber warnings for snow.

First Minister John Swinney said on X: “Please be aware of amber warning of snow affecting much of the North of Scotland today and the Yellow warning of Snow and Ice across most of Scotland.

“I am very grateful to all public bodies and volunteers for the support that is being provided. Please stay safe.”

Cabinet Secretary for transport Fiona Hyslop said: “Tuesday will bring more severe snow and ice to the north of Scotland – and with it, continued travel disruption and risks to people and communities. It’s important that people plan ahead, consider their travel plans and work from home if that’s an option.

“Please follow Police Scotland travel advice. If delaying your travel is an option in these affected areas – please consider doing so. Frontline staff have been working tirelessly to respond to the existing conditions and keep key routes open for critical services and supplies, and we’ve been using the time window offered by the improved conditions today, to replenish ahead of further winter treatments overnight into tomorrow.

Members of the public are seen at the snow gates at the A939 Cockbridge. Getty Images

“Please also plan ahead and check with your public transport operator. Journeys will likely be impacted. If you must drive, the Traffic Scotland website and social media channels gives people access to the latest information on the trunk road network. Checking ahead to ensure your route is available is vital.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: “Local resilience partnerships are continuing to meet to co-ordinate and deliver the response to disruption experienced by communities in the north and north east of Scotland following heavy snowfall over the weekend.

“We have been working closely with resilience partners across local authorities, other emergency service partners, transport partners, NHS and health and social care partnerships, and other local organisations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible. Some services may be impacted by adverse weather, and I would encourage the public to check on neighbours or relatives, if they are able to do so safely.

“Heavy snow and ice mean driving conditions are likely to continue to be hazardous in some areas. Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary.

“If you need to travel, please fully clear your vehicle windows of snow and ice before you drive, drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.”