Landslide and flooding cause traffic chaos amid heavy rain weather warning

Latest updates

SEPA issues flood warnings for 18 areas in Scotland with ‘severe’ alerts
The Rest and Be Thankful is closed in both directions after a landslide
Heavy rain battering Scotland with a yellow warning in place across the north west
A9 closed at Blair Atholl and A92 closed at Porlethen due to flooding
Ferries cancelled and ScotRail passengers to expect disruption with speed restrictions
Bridges on A9 facing high winds as large gusts forecast

Flooding and landslides have caused traffic disruption across Scotland, as heavy rain and strong winds batter the country following days of extreme weather.

On Monday, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issued flood warnings for 18 areas and increased the number of less severe flood alerts to 12, spanning most of the country.

The warnings are in place in areas including Dalry and Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, Aberfoyle in Stirling, Newton Stewart and Whitesands in Dumfries and Galloway, the Churchill Barriers in Orkney, Carse of Lennoch to Lochlane, Glen Lyon and Crieff to Innerpeffray in Tayside.

The flood alerts affect much of the rest of Scotland.

Glasgow & West

Rest and Be Thankful closed after landslide amid flood warnings

The road on the A815 at Lochgoilhead, which has been troubled with a number of landslips in recent years, is closed in both directions.

On Monday, police confirmed the troubled Rest and Be Thankful was closed after a landslide.

The A92 was also closed north and southbound at Portlethen due to flooding. The A9 at Blair Atholl was also closed due to flooding.

Emergency services were also called to the A90 at Toll of Birness on Sunday afternoon to flooding on the roads.

A decision will be made about returning traffic to the A83 trunk road by midday on Monday, following a hillside inspection and subject to the forecast improving.

As temperatures increase, the Met Office said snow melt and a “rapid thaw” combined with further rain could lead to flooding concerns.

A yellow alert for rain covers north-western areas of Scotland until 10am on Monday, where up to 110mm of rain could be possible over parts of Skye, Lochaber, Argyll and the Trossachs, the Met Office said.

A separate yellow warning for wind will come into force for north-west Scotland, which could see gusts of up to 85mph, until 8am on Monday.

Aberdeenshire Council said ten schools remained closed on Monday after it declared a major incident last week.

It comes after hundreds were closed across the region and in the Highlands, Moray, Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Aberdeen City Council said all schools should be open again.

David Morgan, SEPA Flood Duty Manager, added: “Continuing heavy rain, combined with melting snow, increases the risk of flooding. Flood risk is greatest in Dumfries and Galloway, and the west and north of Scotland.

“Possible impacts could include flooding affecting parts of communities, low lying land, transport infrastructure and individual properties. Driving conditions will be very difficult at times.”

Scotland’s travel networks also faced disruption at the weekend and into Monday.

Ferries were cancelled in Oban, Troon, Mallaig, Ullapool and Largs, and several roads were flooded.

Traffic Scotland said high winds are affecting the Dornoch Bridge and the Kessock Bridge on the A9 and the Skye Bridge on the A87.

Scotrail has urged passengers to check ahead whether services and are introducing speed restrictions on a number of lines.

Passengers travelling from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, Tain, Wick and Edinburgh can expect delays or cancellations on their journey.

Glasgow Queen Street services to Oban and Fort William/Mallaig are also facing disruption until 3pm.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, previously said: “As a result of forecast severe weather in some parts of Scotland, it’s likely that there will be disruption to ScotRail services on some routes.

“We may also see speed restrictions implemented across parts of the network meaning that some journeys may take longer than usual.

“We would urge passengers to check their full journey before they travel using the ScotRail website, app, or our social media channels.

“Our teams across Scotland will be working flat out to keep people moving where possible in difficult weather conditions.

“We’re grateful to our customers for their understanding as this period of severe weather continues.”

Euan Scott, Bear Scotland’s north west representative, said: “The safety of road users is the priority for Bear Scotland and we closely monitor conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis.

“Heavy rainfall is expected throughout Sunday, which will increase saturation levels on the hillside. We have therefore made the decision to utilise the Old Military Road as a proactive safety measure.

“The use of this route maintains access to the A83 corridor for the travelling public, keeping Argyll very much open for business with minimal delays of around 20 minutes.

“Subject to the weather improving, we plan to inspect the hillside thoroughly on Monday January 12 and this will inform a decision to return traffic to the A83.”

The north and north-east of Scotland have already seen several days of snowfall, ice and sub-zero temperatures which have led to school closures and travel disruption.

A meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Room was chaired by Ministers on Sunday for the seventh consecutive day, as agencies continue to co-ordinate their efforts to respond to challenging weather conditions and restore normal services in the coming days.