Icy conditions set to grip Scotland on Tuesday
Icy conditions, snowfall and strong winds are forecast to grip swaths of Scotland tomorrow, with some commuters expected to face significant disruption. The Met Office has issued five yellow '˜be aware' warnings, with plummeting temperatures set to bring wintry conditions to much of the mainland. Forecasters said up to 10cm of snow could fall overnight on high routes in the worst affected areas in the southern and eastern Highlands. Further south, it will be cloudy with showers, but ice is expected to form, making conditions on the roads difficult. It comes after high winds caused major problems across the country's transport network today, with extensive cancellations to ferry services. With winds of up 69mph recorded in Mallaig, and speeds of up to 75mph forecast for parts of the Highlands late tonight, Caledonian MacBrayne cancelled many of its scheduled sailings. They included services in Arran, Barra, Colonsay, Harris, Mull and Skye. In all, sea traffic on 16 of the operator's routes was cancelled, with disruption to several other crossings operated by the firm. It said that additional services will be put on tomorrow on some routes, such as the Mallaig to Oban crossing, but warned of potential ongoing disruption to the Coll and Tiree service.Northlink passengers have also endured a day of travel misery, with sailings from Aberdeen, Lerwick, Scrabster and Stromness cancelled due to the forecasts. The company said that two services scheduled for Tuesday - the 7pm crossings between Aberdeen and Lerwick - were currently under review but stressed there was a 'high probability of cancellation.' The winds also led to Pentland Ferries bringing forward its evening sailings from St Margaret's Hope in South Ronaldsay and Gills Bay near John o'Groats. The company said the forecast 'adverse weather conditions' prompted the rescheduling. Air traffic was largely unaffected by the severe gales, although inbound and outbound flights at Barra Airport were cancelled for the day. Falling temperatures are
