Wintry conditions cause major disruption

Roads in Aberdeenshire have been affected by snow

Thousands of homes were left without power as gale force winds brought blizzard conditions to Scotland.

Heavy snow and strong winds brought massive disruption to travel across the country, with roads closed and a number of ferry services cancelled due to the wintry conditions.

Part of the roof was blown off the swimming pool at the Coylumbridge Hotel in Aviemore and a number of trees were blown down in Dumfries and Galloway and Lothian and Borders.

More than 7,000 homes were left without power as the high winds damaged power cables overnight, but Scottish Power has been working throughout Friday to reduce that number.

Some youngsters have taken advantage of the weather

Power lines and trees were brought down by winds gusting up to 85mph.

A ScottishPower spokesman said that rural areas were worst hit by the power cuts, with Ayrshire, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and Argyll all badly affected.

Scottish Power said about 1,000 homes, mostly in the Dumfries and Galloway area, were still without electricity on Friday night.

A squad of about 200 engineers were preparing to reconnect lines from first light on Saturday morning

Hydro Electric it expected the majority of its customers in the north of scotland to be reconnected on Friday.

Some customers in outlying areas affected by heavy snow drifts would be tackled on Saturday morning, a spokesman said.

High winds

A number of roads were blocked by fallen trees, while other areas were affected by snow and ice.

Skiing was called off for the day at Aviemore, the Cairngorms and the Lecht - which Grampian Police said was totally stormbound due to high winds and snow.

The north-east of Scotland was particularly badly hit by blizzards and whiteout conditions, with many roads in Aberdeenshire closed.

Among the roads affected, Grampian Police reported the A939 road between Tomintoul and Grantown on Spey was closed due to snow, as was the A939 between Ballater and Corgarff road at the stretch between Cockbridge and Tomintoul.

Also closed were sections of the A93 Braemar-Blairgowrie road and the A941 Rhynie-Dufftown route.

Conditions have caused problems for drivers

The main A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road also witnessed hazardous conditions south of Huntly.

Police also said the A957 between Banchory and Stonehaven was "not advisable"

There were warnings for motorists travelling on all routes in the north-east of Scotland to take care.

Kirkwall airport was left snowbound and flights in and out of Aberdeen were delayed because of poor weather conditions.

Further south, a train travelling from Glasgow Central to Paisley Canal came to a standstill at Dumbreck station in Glasgow on Friday morning after being struck by a tree branch.

A section of scaffolding collapsed on Hyndland Street in the west end of the city, closing the road.

Ferry disruption

In the south west, Stena Line sailings between Stranraer and Belfast were suspended in the morning and were still subject to disruption during the afternoon.

Seacat sailings between Troon and Belfast were also subject to delay or cancellation, and passengers were advised to check ahead for details.

Elsewhere, Oban sailings to Mull, Barra and South Uist were back up and running in the afternoon after disruption earlier in the day.

Orkney services were also getting back to normal, while services between Brodick and Ardrossan have resumed.

The weather has also caused problems in Northern Ireland and the north of England, where thousands more homes have been left without power.