Storm Gerrit left thousands without power and caused travel chaos as high winds and heavy rain battered the country on Wednesday.
Drivers were left stranded on the A9 due to heavy snow on the road, with Police Scotland declaring a major incident.
A spokesperson for Highlands Council said: "A major incident has been declared for A9 due to miles of vehicles stuck in the snow between Drumochter and Dalwhinnie.
"Partner agencies are providing assistance to those trapped, prioritising [the] most vulnerable, and turning vehicles around at north and south of the closure. Conditions are very severe.
"We are advising people not to travel on A9 today between Inverness and Dalwhinnie."
Bear Scotland, which manages the trunk roads in the area, sent six ploughs and three tractors to the scene.
It said conditions were “extremely challenging” and drivers were urged to avoid the area. The A9 further south at Ballinluig in Perthshire was also closed by police due to flooding.
Police Scotland said: "Drivers are asked to remain in their vehicles, keep warm, and tune in to local radio or social media where further updates will be provided as soon as possible."
The view on the #A9 in #Scotland near Dalwhinnie right now. Huge lines of stationary traffic and severe gales and drifting snow. Not moved for two and a half hours. Seen one snowplough so far. #StormGerrit pic.twitter.com/cxOg2tsKVK
— Dr Shaun Dellenty B’Ed/NPQH/FRSA/FCCT (@ShaunDellenty) December 27, 2023
Thousands were left without electricity in the north of the country as high winds caused damage to power lines.
Close to 30,000 homes were left without power due to conditions which were described as "more severe than forecast".
SSEN said: "Teams from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution are working hard to restore power to properties in the north of Scotland impacted by the full force of Storm Gerrit.
"Today's weather conditions are more severe than forecast. From early this morning, sustained storm-force winds moved across from Argyll and the southern Highlands before impacting the Angus and Aberdeenshire coast and inland areas across the north east.
"Wind gusts, non-prevailing in nature, have approached 80mph in coastal areas with even stronger gusts on higher ground. These high winds, coupled with heavy rain and snow, has led to damage on the electricity network by fallen trees, branches, and other debris.
"As of 4.30pm today, supplies have been successfully restored to almost 8,500 properties, with over 18,500 properties currently off supply, mainly from faults this afternoon. "
Shortly after 2pm, ScotRail said no further trains would run between Aberdeen and Dundee, Inverness and Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness or on the West Highland, Kyle and Far North lines for the rest of Wednesday.
Horrendous tree impact damage to a ScotRail InterCity 125 locomotive today, en route from Dundee to Glasgow. Thankfully, the driver is unharmed.
— Paul Sweeney (@PaulJSweeney) December 27, 2023
Whilst a British railway icon, the crashworthiness of the 125 does not meet modern standards. The driver's cab is a fibreglass shell. pic.twitter.com/dwn3nmjAaZ
An InterCity 125 locomotive en route from Dundee to Glasgow was struck by a falling tree, causing extensive damage to the cab. The driver escaped unharmed.
Several routes experienced flooding, including Kilwining to Ardrossan/Largs, Dumfries to Kilmarnock, Ladybank to Dundee, Dalmuir to Balloch/Helensburgh as well as Paisley to Gourock/Wemyss Bay, which did later re-open.
Earlier, all train services between Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central were cancelled as a result of a tree falling and blocking the railway at Dumbarton East.
The A82 was closed in both directions near Fort William due to fallen trees, as well as at Milton near Dumbarton due to flooding.
Read More: Live updates as yellow warnings for wind, rain and snow in place across Scotland
CalMac ferries operating on the west coast were subject to delays and cancellations due to the weather, while NorthLink services across the Pentland Firth to Orkney were cancelled.
Matches in the Scottish Premiership fell victim to the weather as travel conditions saw two fixtures postponed.
Ross County were unable to travel from Dingwall to Glasgow for their match against Rangers, while a decision was made to call off Aberdeen vs Motherwell due to flooding in the Granite City and the cancellation of train services.
Chief executive Alan Burrows said: "Whilst much of Pittodrie has been battered by significant rain and gale force winds, the stadium itself and the pitch have coped admirably well.
“However, as roads became flooded and unpassable, or damaged due to fallen trees, and with rail services being cancelled north of Dundee, it was clear it was going to be a very difficult ask for many supporters of both clubs to safely get to Pittodrie.
“We remained in dialogue with all stakeholders and after putting our case across to the league, it was agreed between the two clubs, the league and the police that it was safest to rearrange the game.”
A yellow weather warning remains in place for parts of the Shetland Isles until 6am on Thursday.
Scottish Greens Environment spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP said: “These are incredibly challenging weather conditions for our communities, and our first priority must be for the safety of all those impacted by the storm.
“I would urge people to heed the advice of the emergency services, local authorities and others working through incredibly difficult circumstances including high winds, snow, floods and fallen trees, and dealing with power outages and significant travel disruption.
“I would urge energy companies to do all they can to ensure power is restored to those cut off as quickly as possible, particularly the most vulnerable, and ensure they are adequately compensated for any disruption to services.
“People should pay attention to advice from police and others, especially around whether this safe or sensible to travel, to allow them to focus resources where they can.
“While the Highlands and Islands have so far suffered the brunt of the storm, it is also extremely concerning to see flood alerts at the other end of the country, and the disruption and damage caused across the country.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected, and continued thanks with those frontline responders trying to keep people safe.
“It is clear we are suffering ever more severe weather as the climate crisis worsens, and we must ensure we can adapt and act accordingly.”
A total of 19 flood warnings were issued across the country.
David Morgan, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “Surface water and localised river flooding continues to take place across Scotland today due to heavy rain and melting snow.
"This has cause localised property flooding, flooding of roads and disruption to travel. Many of our rivers have not yet peaked including the Tweed, Nith, Isla and South Esk where significant flooding remains possible overnight tonight.
“The strong winds combined with high tides and large waves may also result in wave overtopping and flooding of causeways, promenades, properties and roads along Ayrshire, Solway Firth, Firth of Clyde, North East, Moray Firth, Orkney and Eilean Siar coastlines. Impacts are expected to be localised and around high tides.
“Regional Flood Alerts covering most of Scotland remain in place. Flood Warnings continue to be issued as our rivers respond to the heavy rain and snow earlier in the day. We continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7."
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