BBC Weather Watchers/Standing Stone
Snow ploughs were out near Wick trying to keep the roads open
Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will stay shut on Monday after new amber alerts for heavy overnight snow came into force.
The Met Office said another 5-10cm (2-4ins) could fall fairly widely in the north east, Highlands and Northern Isles while a few places on the mainland could possibly see 20-30cm (8-12ins).
The return of pupils from the holiday period has been delayed in Aberdeenshire, Shetland and Orkney, while schools in Aberdeen will have a later start.
Widespread snow accumulations in recent days have already led to treacherous driving conditions with numerous reports of vehicles getting stuck.
The new alerts, which also warn of strong winds, began at 18:00 on Sunday evening and continue until 10:00 on Monday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for areas north of Glasgow and Fife until Tuesday night, while a second warning covers parts of East Lothian and the Scottish Borders on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Christopher Blanchett looks ahead at the weather forecast for the coming days
Highland Council said road conditions in Easter Ross, Sutherland and Caithness were particularly challenging, and people were advised people to travel only if it was essential.
Aberdeenshire Council said more than 100 contractor and farmer ploughs had been helping to clear the snow, but parts of the road network were still said to be “impassable”.
At times vehicles were struggling in difficult conditions on the AWPR bypass that wraps around Aberdeen.
Efforts to clear the snow are under way across northern Scotland
Cotag, a voluntary 4×4 response team in the north east, said it had been called out to assist the NHS over 200 times since the new year.
Managing director Sean Donaghy said this included getting nurses, doctors and patients to and from hospitals.
So far, they have been called out to help three ambulances that were stuck in the snow, and transported 55 members of NHS staff.
“It’s been incredibly busy,” he said. “Possibly the busiest it’s ever been, which is good. It’s nice to know that we’re helping.
“Yesterday we got a newborn baby home from Aberdeen Maternity back to Buckie.
“The family could not get back, the road conditions just weren’t suitable. But mum, dad and the baby are home now and doing extremely well.”
COTAG 4X4 Response
The team helped transport a newborn baby home from Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
Donaghy said the weather was “up there” with the Beast from the East – a spell of very cold weather in 2018 which brought snow to much of Europe.
He said the team faced a difficult night on Saturday when five dialysis patients needed transport home.
“There were snow drifts above eight foot (2.4m) that we had to navigate through,” he added.
Planes and trains cancelled
Network Rail, which looks after rail infrastructure, said heavy snow had seen snowplough locomotives dispatched in areas such as Kintore in Aberdeenshire as well as further north on the line to Wick.
One of its snowploughs encountered drifts up to 1.2m (4ft) deep near Laurencekirk.
Train operator ScotRail said it would be unable to resume some services until Monday afternoon.
Aberdeen – Dundee, Aberdeen – Inverness and Inverness – Wick/Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh routes were most likely to be affected.
Service delivery director Mark Ilderton said: “Safety is our number one priority so it’s very important we make sure all routes that have been affected by the heavy snowfall and low temperatures are safe before we run any passenger services.”
All Sunday flights in and out of Sumburgh Airport in Shetland were cancelled.
Loganair, KLM and British Airways also cancelled some flights out of Aberdeen although the airport remained open.
A spokesperson said: “With weather warnings in place we urge passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before they travel to the airport.”
Drifting caused problems for drivers on a road between Kemnay and Monymusk in Aberdeenshire
The railway tracks were barely visible at Insch in Aberdeenshire
All schools in Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeenshire will stay closed on Monday as a result of the amber warnings.
Aberdeen City Council has said the reopening of schools would be delayed until 11:00 due to uncertainty about the weather conditions, and breakfast clubs will not open.
Further updates for each school will be issued by head teachers on Monday morning, it added.
More than 40 primary and secondary schools in Moray will be closed, with arrangements for home learning put in place, and several vaccination clinics in Aberdeenshire will be shut.
Schools in the Highland Council area are not due back until later in the week.
Peterhead Academy is one of nearly 170 Aberdeenshire schools that will stay shut
Transport Scotland said a multi-agency response team would have extended operating hours to monitor conditions and co-ordinate various agencies.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “We’ve already seen challenging conditions and freezing temperatures, with more snow and ice on the way for the same areas.
“Of course for many Monday marks a return to work from the festive break. If you have to travel then please ensure your vehicle is winter ready and have a winter kit in your car.”
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell of Police Scotland advised people to consider if journeys were absolutely necessary during the weather warnings.
He added: “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.”
More stories from the recent cold snap