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Scotland continues to face severe wintry conditions as fresh ice and snow warnings have been issued across the entire country on Tuesday. Hundreds of schools remain closed in northern areas, with Aberdeenshire, Orkney, and Shetland councils confirming closures, while some schools in Aberdeen are expected to open depending on the proximity of staff to their workplaces. The Met Office has upgraded its weather alert to amber in parts of northern Scotland until 19:00, while central and southern regions remain under a yellow warning until 11:00. Travel disruption is anticipated on both roads and the railway, with efforts ongoing to keep major routes accessible.
In anticipation of further snow accumulation, Transport Scotland has forecasted an additional 5-10 cm of snow within the amber warning zone, rising to 15 cm at elevations exceeding 200 meters. First Minister John Swinney acknowledged the massive efforts by services to maintain transport and public services, noting, “Public services have been collaborating well in sharing information and vehicles.” He also praised the community spirit, highlighting exceptional efforts by farmers, volunteers, and the public to clear roads and assist those affected. Swinney urged people to continue planning ahead and to pay close attention to weather updates and travel advice as the impacts will persist.
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room convened on Monday to coordinate response and recovery strategies. Meanwhile, road maintenance operators like Amey have been active in the northeast, ensuring thorough treatments with salt on trunk routes, including double salt applications scheduled throughout the week. On the A9 near Caithness, road closures were enforced temporarily to recover a Royal Mail lorry that had crashed, illustrating the ongoing challenges posed by hazardous conditions. Police Scotland also cautioned drivers to carefully consider whether travel is necessary during such treacherous weather.
Rail services are heavily affected, with Network Rail dedicated to removing deep snowdrifts that continue to obstruct tracks, particularly in northern Scotland. Although multiple snowploughs and specialist teams are operational, some routes such as Inverness to Wick/Thurso and Aberdeen to Dundee experienced disruptions on Monday and are unlikely to return to normal by Tuesday morning. Scotland’s route programme director at Network Rail, Gary Hopkirk, described the situation as challenging, saying, “when snow depth exceeds 30cm, trains can’t run safely unless fitted with snow ploughs,” and that snowdrifts are forming as quickly as they can be cleared. ScotRail and LNER have advised travelers to monitor conditions closely and delay journeys where possible, with LNER warning against traveling between Edinburgh and Aberdeen before mid-afternoon on Tuesday
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