Storm brings snow and difficult conditions on roads

Children play in the snow on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, after winter weather swept across much of Scotland, brought by Storm Christoph. Vehicles were stuck on the A9 south of Inverness and many roads in the Borders were affected by snow while the Queensferry Crossing was closed due to the risk of falling ice before later reopening.

While many people were out and about enjoying the winter wonderland, for motorists across Scotland, Storm Christoph has created difficult driving conditions as heavy snow and rain hit.

Motorists were advised to drive with caution when crossing the A9 Dornoch Bridge in the Highlands due to high winds while on the A939, the snow gates were closed northbound at Cock Bridge in Aberdeenshire and southbound at Tomintoul in Moray.

The Met Office reported heavy snow across southwest Scotland, Lothian, the Borders and South Lanarkshire with smaller accumulations in south-west Scotland, Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway.

Further north, a yellow warning of snow is in place until midday today for Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian and the Highlands, with forecasts of heavy snow and strong winds, potentially leading to travel disruption, while a heavy rain warning is also in force in Grampian, the Highlands and Orkney and Shetland, again until midday today.

Authorities have reminded people they should only travel for essential reasons under current coronavirus restrictions, and to take care if they do have to go out.

0 Clockwise from top left: 17-month-old Anna Mcwhinnie sledges in Holyrood Park; Sarah Wolffe, Lady Wolffe, a judge of the Court of Session, skis through the snow across Edinburgh Edinburgh Castle; A snow covered Greyfriars Bobby; A woman takes photographs of the snow on Calton Hill, Edinburgh; Victoria Street in Edinburgh