Travel and transport across Scotland disrupted for fifth day due to cold weather

Travel and transport across the north-east of Scotland has been disrupted for a fifth day in a row with hundreds of schools shut as a yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in place.

The Met Office warning is in place across much of northern Scotland until 3pm on Friday, and across the central belt, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, until 12pm.

More than 250 schools are closed in the Highlands and 60 are shut in Aberdeenshire, while others had delayed openings on Friday.

Orkney Islands Council also confirmed that all of their schools would remain closed.

Fifteen schools and nurseries in Moray remain closed.

Some roads have been closed with public transport facing major disruption.

Overnight temperatures in Scotland again fell below freezing, with data indicating that the mercury dipped to minus 10C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway, at around 8pm on Thursday.

Conditions on the roads in the north of Scotland are still “extremely challenging”, Police Scotland said, and they advised drivers in the North Highland area only to make essential journeys.

Service alterations have been made on train lines north of Aberdeen, with work ongoing throughout Thursday evening to clear routes of snow.

Passengers due to travel are urged to check their journey, as ScotRail say they have been unable to provide alternative transport due to the condition of many roads.

Later this weekend, an amber weather warning for wind is in place across many parts of central and southern Scotland from Sunday at 6pm until 9am on Monday.

Yellow weather warnings for wind are in place for much of the rest of Scotland, as well as yellow warnings in place for rain in Dumfries and Galloway and northern Scotland.

The storm has been named Isha by the Met Office.