Weather woes across Highlands bring day off school for hundreds of pupils while council monitors conditions on massive road network

CHALLENGING weather overnight and into this morning has kept Highland Council gritters busy on the region's sprawling roads network.

Hundreds of children have also enjoyed an extra day of school with most of the closures put down to bad weather.

Highland Council said that in Lochalsh and Ross and Cromarty West, sub-zero road surface temperatures and air temperatures were recorded throughout the night.

Temperatures down to -5C were recorded across a lot of the routes. But it said: "However, as forecast the temperatures have risen a lot and rain has arrived on most routes. Some action is still ongoing along some of the longer routes."

In Ross and Cromarty East, sleety showers over higher ground and heavy rain and wind on lower routes this morning caused some issues. The council said: "Treatment has taken place over higher ground, sheltered areas and areas where water run-off had frozen. Temperatures came up very quickly this morning. No issues reported overnight."

In the Skye and Lochalsh patch, it said all Skye primary and secondary routes are being treated by priority and that black ice is affecting some routes in North Skye with "driver caution advised".

In Badenoch and Strathspey though, ice and frost is covering all of the area along with snow which is 5cm deep at the north end of area and slightly less at the south end. Roads are being treated with salt.

In Sutherland, there has been wind and rain on the east coast "with no hazards". It said: "Elsewhere rain, sleat and wet snow falling onto cold roads causing icy stretches. Some higher central routes affected by hard packed frozen slush and snow. All routes are being treated as necessary."

In Lochaber, there were reports of low temperatures with wintry showers on all routes.

All primary and secondary routes have been treated this morning.

In Nairn there is 4cm of snow on high level routes with snow still falling so high routes are being treated with salt. Lower routes are wet due to rain so no treatment necessary.

In Inverness it has been a wet morning with some snow showers on higher routes. Started treatment on all routes this morning as road surface temperatures were below 0C. No issues were reported overnight.

There were no issues noted in Caithness.

Highland Council said it has the longest road network of any council in Scotland "and it is not possible to treat every road at the same time". It said: "A priority system is applied to treat the areas in greatest need first."

The council said its road report "is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling".

Trunk roads are gritted by BEAR Scotland (North West) for Transport Scotland.

Maps of the Council’s gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting

School closures:

As at 10am today, two secondary schools (765 pupils), 11 primary schools (1039 pupils) and eight nurseries (133 children) were closed due to bad weather.

The list is:

Abernethy Primary and Nursery

Alvie Primary

Aviemore Primary

Carrbridge Primary and Nursery

Daviot Primary

Deshar Primary and Nursery

Grantown Grammar School

Grantown Primary and Nursery

Kingussie High School

Kingussie Primary and Nursery

Strathdearn Primary and Nursery

Stratherrick Primary and Nursery

Cauldeen Primary and Cauldeen Nursery opened an hour later today due to water/heating/power issues.

The school closures page on the Council’s website at: https://www.highland.gov.uk/schoolclosures is updated from 7am and cleared each evening by 6pm.

Related: Weather warnings flag more misery for Highlanders

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