Schools in three in four council areas stay shut

Hundreds of schools in more than three in four council areas will remain shut today because of the extreme wintry weather.

The shutdowns include all schools in 21 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.

A further four councils will close some schools, including around 65 in Dumfries and Galloway and 17 in Angus.

A handful will shut in Aberdeen and Argyll and Bute.

All schools will be shut in Clackmannanshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kin- ross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.

Schools are expected to open, or no announcement has been made about closure, in Aberdeenshire, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

Edinburgh City Council education convener Ian Perry said: “Closing just one school for a day is not a decision anyone takes lightly, so Tuesday night’s move to close all our schools was taken after much consideration.

“Always at the forefront of all our planning is the health and safety of our pupils, staff, parents and carers.”