Travel warnings have been issued across northern Scotland as heavy snow and ice cause significant disruptions. Amber warnings have expired, but yellow warnings remain in place for areas north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as Argyll and Bute, until midday on Monday. ScotRail has advised against travel, with potential cancellations and delays, and the Aberdeenshire Council's Phil McKay describes the conditions as 'extremely challenging', noting it as one of the heaviest snowfalls in 15 years. Cotag, a voluntary 4x4 response team, has been busy rescuing NHS staff, patients, and ambulances, while DSBM transport and recovery in Fraserburgh has rescued over 100 people stuck in cars and attended to multiple crashes. The Met Office reports low temperatures, with -5.7C recorded at Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness. ScotRail has canceled several trains in the north of Scotland, and road closures are widespread, including the A9 and A99 between Helmsdale and Wick. Avalanche warnings are in place for six mountain areas, and the Scottish gritter and snowplough fleet is active. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Police Scotland's head of road policing, Ch Supt Scott McCarren, urge residents to plan ahead and consider the necessity of travel, emphasizing the potential for delays and road closures.
