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Drifting caused problems for drivers on a road between Kemnay and Monymusk in Aberdeenshire
New amber alerts for snow have been issued by forecasters, covering much of northern Scotland, starting on Sunday evening.
The Met Office said another 5-10cm (2-4ins) could fall fairly widely in the north east, Highlands and Northern Isles while a few places on the mainland could possibly see 20-30cm (8-12ins).
Widespread snow accumulations in recent days have already led to treacherous driving conditions with numerous reports of vehicles getting stuck.
The new alerts, which also warn of strong winds, run from 18:00 and continue until 10:00 on Monday when many schools are due to reopen after the holiday. Some councils have already announced closures.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for areas north of Glasgow and Fife until Tuesday night, while a second warning covers parts of East Lothian and the Scottish Borders on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Three new amber alerts have been issued, while a lesser yellow warning covers the northern half of Scotland
Highland Council said road conditions in Easter Ross, Sutherland and Caithness were particularly challenging, with drifting and freezing conditions overnight, and it advised people to travel only if it was essential.
Aberdeenshire Council said more than 100 contractor and farmer ploughs have been helping to clear the snow, but parts of the road network were still said to be “impassable”.
Vehicles were struggling in difficult conditions on the AWPR bypass that wraps around Aberdeen.
Efforts to clear the snow are under way across northern Scotland
Cotag, a voluntary 4×4 response team in the north east, said it had been called out to assist the NHS over 200 times since the new year.
Managing director Sean Donaghy said this included getting nurses, doctors and patients to and from hospitals.
So far, they have been called out to help three ambulances that were stuck in the snow, and transported 55 members of NHS staff.
“It’s been incredibly busy,” he said. “Possibly the busiest its ever been, which is good. It’s nice to know that we’re helping.
“Yesterday we got a new born baby home from Aberdeen Maternity back to Buckie.
“The family could not get back, the road conditions just weren’t suitable. But the baby is home and doing extremely well.”
COTAG 4X4 Response
The team helped transport a new-born baby home from Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
Donaghy said the weather was “up there” with the Beast from the East – a spell of very cold weather in 2018 which brought snow to much of Europe.
He said the team faced a difficult night on Saturday when five dialysis patients needed transport home.
“There were snow drifts above eight foot (2.4m) that we had to navigate through,” he added.
Trains cancelled
Network Rail said heavy snow in areas such as Kintore in Aberdeenshire, had seen snowploughs dispatched to clear the railway line, as well as further north on the line to Wick.
One of its snowploughs encountered drifts up to 1.2m (4ft) deep near Laurencekirk.
Train operator ScotRail said it was unlikely to be able to run services between Aberdeen and Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee and Inverness-Wick/Thurso services until at least midday.
Loganair has cancelled a number of Sunday flights but Aberdeen Airport remains open.
Some KLM and British Airways flights out of the airport have also been cancelled.
A spokesperson said: “With weather warnings in place we urge passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline before they travel to the airport.”
Sunday flights in and out of Sumburgh Airport in Shetland have been cancelled.
The railway tracks were barely visible at Insch in Aberdeenshire
The Far North Line locomotive stopped at Helmsdale on the way to Wick
All schools in Shetland and Aberdeenshire will be closed on Monday as a result of the amber warnings.
Aberdeen City Council has said the reopening of its schools would be delayed until 11:00 on Monday due to uncertainty about the weather conditions, and breakfast clubs will not open.
Further updates for each school will be issued by head teachers on Monday morning, it added.
A number primary schools in Moray will be closed, with arrangements for home learning put in place.
Several vaccination clinics in Aberdeenshire will also be closed tomorrow.
Transport Scotland said a multi-agency response team would have extended operating hours to monitor conditions and co-ordinate various agencies.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell of Police Scotland advised people to consider if journeys were absolutely necessary during the weather warnings.
He added: “If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.
“Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”
More stories from the recent cold snap