Western Isles travellers and freight traffic faced disruption over Wednesday with Storm Gerrit affecting key mainland transport routes to the islands.
As the number of incidents increased and more road closures were announced, people were advised to avoid travel unless essential in affected areas.
Police Scotland declared a ‘major incident’ on the A9 at Dalnaspidal, as snow, blizzards, high winds and flooding brought traffic to a standstill for miles over many hours. Emergency and council agencies dealt with a number of stranded vehicles in the area. Drivers were asked to remain in their vehicles and try and keep warm.
Trains from the central belt to Oban, Inverness and Aberdeen were disrupted or cancelled. Aberdeen and Inverness road and rail links were also hit.
Further rail delays will occur on Thursday as safety checks on railway lines are carried out in daylight.
The A9 Perth to Inverness road was closed in two locations. Very long tailbacks built up due to severe snow conditions at Drumochter. Flooding lead to closures in both directions at Dunkeld, north of Perth.
The route was deemed passable with care and extra caution when it reopened at 8pm.
Citylink bus services were suspended from Perth and Inverness, and also between the Highland capital and Aberdeen.
Bus and rail services for Oban were also affected.
Police Scotland warned of numerous hazards such as flooding, flying debris, downed trees and power lines. Motorists were advised to take due care and travel only if absolutely essential.
Joanne Maguire Scotrail’s Chief Operating Officer said: “ScotRail and Network Rail teams have been working flat out to keep people moving where possible, but we have faced extreme conditions in different parts of the country which has resulted in significant disruption. The safety of our staff and passengers is our top priority.
“We will be working overnight and early in the morning to inspect the railway and restore services, but disruption is expected to continue into Thursday. Our advice to passengers is to check before travelling via the ScotRail website or app.”
Disruption on mainland routes to the islands
27 December 2023
Bear Scotland assisted vehicles stuck in the snow on the A9 at Drumochter
