Snow forecast for across northern Scotland

Snow is forecast for northern parts of the country. Picture: John Devlin

It was ice cream and cold drinks that were causing shivers down spines during the 2014 Easter break as the mercury regularly shot up to around 20 degrees.

The village of Aboyne in Aberdeenshire twice netted the title for hottest place in Scotland during the two weeks that the schools were off and on one day the Royal Deeside village was even hotter than Barcelona.

But it looks set to be a different story this year as a cold front brings a Met Office yellow warning of snow and sleet across the north of the country tomorrow.

Forecasters have said that one to four centimetres of snow is expected to fall above 300 metres across Shetland, Inverness, Aberdeenshire and much of the Highlands throughout the morning.

Wintry outbreaks will also cause slush to form at lower lying areas, with overnight temperatures dropping close to freezing.

Drivers have been warned to watch for icy patches on untreated surfaces during the early morning with the possibility of difficult driving conditions developing through the day.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “We’ve got a band of rain that is falling as snow on high ground as this cold front comes in.

Public kept in dark for nearly two months over Hogmanay ban

“It’s chiefly above 300 metres where you could see accumulations of one to four centimetres of snow.

“But even outside that warning area, any rain or showers could fall as snow.

“You could well see some snow flurries into northern England and The Pennines but they are not likely to have the impact that you’re likely to see further north.”

And the outlook for over the weekend and into next week is not looking much better - with nighttime dips in the temperature and clear skies causing widespread frost in the mornings.

The Met Office spokeswoman added: “We’re looking at a fairly unsettled period as we go through into the start of next week.

“We’re likely to see a chance of fairly widespread frost through the weekend and into the start of next week.

“It’s not unusual to see these colder spells through April.”

However there could be a silver lining for keen photographers, with the rain and shine bringing an increased chance of spotting a rainbow.

But any amateur snappers have been warned to dress appropriately for the weather.

The spokeswoman said: “It’s fairly typical of April weather. April showers is an expression for a reason.

“You’re likely to see a lot of rainbows at this time of year.

“And you will certainly see these dips in temperature as you get these colder fronts coming in from the north.”

Scotsman Food & Drink: ideas, inspiration and guides