The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Schools closed and region in lockdown
Accidents plague the roads and shoppers start to panic buy
The outlook for the next few days is bleak as the Beast from the East continues to batter the region.
Much of the area was in lockdown yesterday, with schools shut, businesses closing and reports of panic buying of essentials in some areas.
Amid widespread disruption, snow ploughs and gritters struggled to contend with blizzards and drifting snow.
The M90 in Fife was treacherous and the A90 from Perth to Dundee was reduced to a single lane.
Motorists were forced to endure white-out conditions at times and a number of accidents were reported.
Schools throughout Tayside and Fife will remain closed today.
Communities and travellers across Scotland pulled together as the Beast from the East continued to batter the country yesterday.
A Met Office red alert remained in place across the Central Belt, Fife and Tayside until 10am, when it was downgraded to an amber warning until the evening.
The poor weather resulted in a day off for many workers, who took the opportunity to help vulnerable people.
Motorists who were stranded overnight on the M80 were given food and water by residents living next to the Stirling-Glasgow route.
Dundee HGV driver Alex Downie described being stuck on the M80 near Castlecary since 5pm on Wednesday.
He said: “A few volunteer people came up and down the roads, it must have been about one o’clock this morning, a gentleman came over from his house with provisions and passed them out to people in cars.”
Further south, on the A1 at Lindisfarne, a Greggs delivery driver unloaded his lorry to feed hungry motorists.
Mechanical engineer Les Goff from Leeds was also stuck and helped the driver Jon Gowing to share cakes, pasties and doughnuts out.
Mr Goff said: “The traffic had been stopped for a couple of hours so I went for a walk for a couple of miles to see if I could help, but I still couldn’t see the start of the queue.
“I was walking back down the hill when I saw the Greggs guy at the back with the tail-lift and he just said ‘Do you want some cakes?’
“He asked me to take some to the other drivers and he walked up the traffic and I walked down the traffic with doughnuts, vanilla slices and cakes, handing them out.
“He was a top guy. He said if he hadn’t delivered them by a certain time, they would go to waste.”
Roisin Currie, people and retail director at Greggs, said: “We are incredibly proud of Jon and his act of kindness in what must have been a very tough situation for him and all the other poor people stuck on the A1 in this cold weather.
“We hope that his kind gesture was able to help make everyone’s day a little bit better.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said they bought hundreds of pounds worth of food and water from supermarkets to distribute to stranded drivers on the route, along with blankets.
Assistant Chief Officer Lewis Ramsay said: “This was an unprecedented weather event and there is absolutely no doubt that our firefighters went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Elsewhere across Scotland, an army of civilian volunteers offered to take medical staff to work, or to fetch medication and other provisions for elderly residents trapped in their homes.
In Carnoustie community-spirited youngsters spent hours helping dig more than 30 vehicles, including buses, out of drifts on the Westhaven to Panbride Road.
The Beast from the East resulted in Scotland’s first ever red warning for snow since the system was introduced in 2011. A second red warning was also in place for the south west of England.
The storm has already claimed several lives, including that of a seven-year-old girl, who died after a car hit a house in Cornwall.
The poor weather is set to continue into the weekend, with many schools and workplaces remaining closed.
Witnesses due at 15 courts in Scotland have been told not to attend trials today.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service has said a number of hearings will not take place over safety fears.
Cases will be adjourned to another day and witnesses will be advised of the new date.
Courts affected include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Livingston, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Hamilton, Alloa, Stirling, Falkirk, Paisley, Dumbarton, Airdrie, Greenock, Perth and Coatbridge.
Only what is deemed as “essential business” will take place, meaning criminal custody cases and time barred cases as well as urgent civil applications.