Travel chaos as Storm Gerrit hits Scotland

People are being urged not to travel until the heavy rain clears

Travel chaos has erupted across the country as Storm Gerrit brings wind, rain and snow to much of Scotland.

Major trunk roads have been closed due to flooding including the A9 at Ballinluig and Dalwhinnie.

Long queues are forming on the A90 after the stretch between Dundee and Forfar has been closed, also due to flooding.

Traffic Scotland said on their website motorists should seek an alternative route due to the road being shut at Inverarity.

Further north, the A92 at Stonehaven is restricted due to large amounts of water on the road.

Residents across the region have also reported fallen trees and deep surface water with some areas now impassable.

BEAR Scotland, who operate some of Scotland’s major trunk roads, reported further flooding on the A9 this afternoon after a small burn burst its banks.

Earlier this morning, several vehicles became stuck on the A9 at Dalnaspidal after heavy snowfall created difficult driving conditions.

Trains across most of the network are facing disruption with many routes cancelled and speed restrictions in place.

No trains will be running for the rest of the day between Aberdeen and Dundee, Inverness and Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness, West Highland Line or Kyle and Far North Lines.

ScotRail announced shortly after 1pm passengers can use their tickets on journeys departing Thursday December 28.

Tickets will also be accepted on McGills buses between Wemyss Bay, Gourock and Glasgow, on Stagecoach between Dundee and Arbroath, and between Inverness and Aberdeen.

The line between Stirling and Perth has been replaced by an hourly bus shuttle, however refunds are available on tickets for cancelled trains, or delays of half an hour.

Other routes affected further south include any services running through Bowling Station, which is closed for water on the tracks.

On the roads in the area, the A82 is closed at Milton in both directions because of floods.

Traffic Scotland are asking people to avoid travelling until the heavy rain has cleared, and to drive to the conditions if a journey is unavoidable.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) have issued flood alerts in 17 regions where flooding may occur, alongside 15 local flood warnings where floods are expected.

It comes as a major incident is declared on the A9 between Drumochter and Dalwhinnie with people trapped in vehicles in the snow.

Further updates on conditions and travel can be found on our social media pages, as well as on those of ScotRail, SEPA, Traffic Scotland, and Police Scotland.

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