New snow and ice warning for Scotland issued

Snow and ice disruption is expected to continue to affect Scotland into Wednesday, after a new yellow weather warning was issued for parts of the country.

The newest alert will run for 12 hours from midday, covering Grampian, the Highlands, Orkney & Shetland, Dumfries & Galloway and across Ayrshire.

Wintry conditions meant dozens of schools remained closed or opened late in the north east and Highland regions.

A number of flights from Aberdeen International Airport were delayed or cancelled after “freezing conditions” meant work on clearing the airfield of snow and de-icing the ground had to be paused.

More than 30 Aberdeenshire schools were closed again, along with around 20 in the Highland region and a further nine in Moray.

Aberdeenshire Council said school closures were mostly due to concern over transport for pupils and teachers.

A spokesperson for the local authority said the closures were “never an easy decision” for headteachers to make.

They added: “They are certainly not taken lightly, involving a range of factors such as ability of staff to travel safely and availability of pupil transportation.

“Where possible, schools will provide a delayed opening to allow staff and children to travel safely and work will be provided via online platforms should schools be closed.”

Dozens of schools in the area opened later than normal, while some intend to close earlier than expected.

On Monday, more than 80 schools throughout the north east were unable to open at all.

A spokesperson for Aberdeen Airport said passengers should continue to check flights with their airlines due to the weather, despite services restarting.

They said: “Our teams have been working throughout the night to clear snow and de-ice the airfield.

“We would advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline and to take extra care when travelling to the airport.”

Gritting crews have been on the roads in the region since 05:30.

Transport Scotland said travellers should take extra care on the roads, allow extra time for their journeys and drive to the road conditions.

However the organisation’s Douglas Cairns told BBC Scotland News that the travel network had “coped relatively well” with the weather on Monday.

He added: “We’ve dealt with challenges faced along the way. The Highlands and Islands area has been more prone to the weather – that’s probably normal for this time of year.”

Cairngorn Mountain Rescue Team said they were called out to two simultaneous rescues on Monday night, helping a climber who had sustained a deep cut to their lower leg and a couple who intended to camp but raised the alarm after conditions deteriorated.