Skip to content

Schools closed in north of Scotland as more snow and ice forecast

BBC A mother and daughter clear the snow-laden windscreen of a car in the early hours. The car is on an upmarket residential street with sandstone properties, trees and bushesBBC
Mum Steph and four-year-old Ellie clearing the car in Aberdeen earlier

More snow and ice has been forecast for much of Scotland as the north makes efforts to recover from a week of severe winter weather.

A fresh yellow weather warning took effect at 20:00 on Thursday and lasts until midday on Friday for almost all of Scotland, with "a few centimetres" of snow forecast for inland and on higher ground.

Though road clearance work is said to be progressing well, thousands of pupils have been unable to return to school - and more than 160 schools in Aberdeenshire, 78 schools in Aberdeen and 63 in the Highlands will be closed on Friday.

In Sauchen, Aberdeenshire, which has been cut off since New Year's Day, contractors finally rolled in on Thursday to clear the snow.

Local resident Sarah Johnson, 66, told BBC Scotland News that a lot of people had not been able to get out at all.

"Especially living up the side roads in Sauchen, even people with four-wheel drives are struggling," she said.

"If you have got a drive like ours, we are just stuck here. That's it."

Sarah Johnson in a brown woollen hat and a large puffa-style jacket, standing in front of a tree covered in snow
Sarah Johnson says they are "stuck" due to the snow

After more than a week of snow, she said people were starting to run low on supplies.

She added: "My main concern at the moment is to try and get my drive clear which is quite long.

"My husband has to get to hospital on Tuesday. Tuesday may sound a long way away but this time last week I would never have thought that this week we would still be snowed in.

"I haven't been able to get a car out in seven days now and that's a concern."

Jim Thow sitting in a tractor cab, looking at the camera. He is wearing a black fleece jacket and has dark hair.
Jim Thow was helping clear the snow in Sauchen

Jim Thow, of JKR Contractors, was helping clear snow in Sauchen on Thursday.

"A lot of folk have been stuck since last Friday, their fridges are bare and they need out," he said.

"They have been really grateful to see us. I've not seen weather like this since the 80s, but winter is winter isn't it?

"It's our job, its what we do, but it's good to get them out and let them get on with their lives."

Stuart Benzie, who has grey hair, is standing next to his taxi. The ground around him, in a residential area, is covered in snow.
Taxi driver Stuart Benzie said the roads were "undriveable"

Meanwhile, drivers struggled with difficult conditions on some smaller roads in Aberdeen.

Stuart Benzie, a taxi driver in Aberdeen, said: "It's the worst I've seen - without a question of a doubt. The roads have just been horrendous.

"Last night one of my colleagues texted me - his words were 'the roads are undriveable'. And his car has winter tyres and all the rest of it."

The weather is also affecting numerous bus routes in the region.

"Yesterday I was taking old people home and their roads weren't gritted at all," Benzie added.

"Not every road can be gritted, but I just would have thought outside help might have come in."

Three large on-street bins. A couple of old Christmas trees are lying outside them. They bins, trees and street is covered in snow
Some bins are overflowing in Aberdeen
A snowy rural landscape under a blue sky. There are trees and shrubs in the background.
People in Sauchen have been snowed in for a week

Ministers have again heard from police, local authorities, utilities companies and other bodies as the Scottish government's resilience room discussed the response to the severe weather.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said "significant efforts" continue to clear local roads and rail, and that gritters, snow ploughs and blowers had been out "around the clock".

She said: "There are yellow weather warnings in place overnight for most of Scotland, and with Storm Goretti set to affect other parts of the UK and a cold but still unpredictable weather picture for Scotland over the weekend, it is clear that impacts will continue to be felt in the coming days.

"I would encourage everyone to plan ahead and check the range of weather and travel advice available."

Constance also urged anyone who was isolated by the snow to seek help from their local authority, health boards or public services.

Network Rail a railway line covered in snowNetwork Rail
Network Rail says the line north of Brora is the last to be cleared

ScotRail said it hoped to run a full timetable on Friday but urged customers to check their journey on its app or website as delays were possible

Network Rail managed to clear the final section of the railways in the north on Thursday after its large snow plough reached Wick.

On the roads, Highland Council said the A836 Lairg to Tongue road is shut due to drifting snow at Crask and north of Altnaharra, while Traffic Scotland said snow gates are shut at the Spittal of Glenshee to Braemar, Cock Bridge to Tomintoul, and at Bridge of Dye.

Police Scotland urged people to continue following travel advice.

Parts of Scotland have now had more than a week of consecutive weather warnings for snow and ice, with the first issued on New Year's Day.

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, as well as the Orkney Islands have been the worst hit.

BBC Scotland weather forecaster Kirsteen MacDonald said the cold weather would likely continue into the weekend.

She said: "The coldest conditions will gradually ease later this week, with milder air expected to move in over the weekend and into next week, helping temperatures recover toward more typical January levels.

"However, wintry showers and icy patches are likely to linger, which may result in further warnings over the next few days."

Trending Now