“Ring in the New Year with Care: Travel Advisory for Scotland Celebrations!”

Citizens of Scotland have been advised to exercise caution while travelling during the New Year as severe weather alerts affect various regions.

Intense rain and winds caused considerable disruption on Hogmanay, resulting in road closures, cancelled trains, and power outages, especially in the Inverness and Highlands areas.

The northern part of the nation is anticipating additional weather alerts for snow and ice as 2025 begins.

Nevertheless, the rail service ScotRail expressed optimism that operations could fully recommence on 2 January after Network Rail completes repairs on the affected routes.

David Ross, the communications director of ScotRail, informed BBC Scotland News that “the vast majority” of services were running smoothly during Hogmanay, although “challenges” occurred in the northern regions of Scotland.

Train services between Inverness and Perth faced cancellations after the main railway line in the Highlands was shut down, while a landslide obstructed the track at Brora and flooding disrupted all operations between Wick and Thurso Tuesday afternoon.

Mr. Ross indicated that ScotRail’s decision not to operate trains on New Year’s Day would facilitate repair progress. Network Rail is set to use helicopters for inspecting the rail lines.

He stated: “Network Rail will utilize this time to examine the tracks and carry out necessary repairs so that we hopefully can return to a complete, regular schedule by Thursday, but we advise our customers to verify before you travel.”

Despite most weather alerts – including an amber warning for parts of the Highlands – being lifted, the governmental body Transport Scotland has cautioned travellers to remain vigilant and plan ahead for New Year’s Day.

Yellow weather alerts are still active in Grampian and the Highlands until 09:00 on January 2nd, with snow and ice likely to lead to “difficult” travel conditions.

A representative from Transport Scotland remarked: “While the amber warning and the most severe conditions have seemingly passed, we still advise the public to confirm details before travelling. Drive according to road conditions, heed police advice, and allocate extra time for your journeys.

“There is still a significant degree of localized flooding and several weather alerts remain effective. We’ve organized another meeting with our essential operational partners and the Multi Agency Response Team to make certain that operating companies have adequate resources deployed.”

“We appreciate the efforts of staff who are working around the clock under demanding conditions to help maintain most major roads open, with care and vigilance.”

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) released almost 50 flood warnings and alerts concerning the heavy precipitation.

Pascal Lardet, Sepa’s flood duty manager, indicated that although water levels had not reached the anticipated heights for Aviemore and Carrbridge, there remained “a notable concern for communities along the Spey river.”

He commented: “Other catchments experiencing issues include the Tay, Ness, Forth, and Teith. I want to emphasize that residents in these regions should remain vigilant as some rivers will continue to swell. Individuals should still take necessary measures to safeguard themselves and their property.

“The past few days have been challenging across Scotland, as weather conditions have resulted in widespread travel disruptions to road and rail networks and effects in local communities.

“In various parts of the country, there remains significant standing water, and it is crucial for people to be prepared and aware of the risks.”

The adverse weather resulted in power outages in the far northern regions of the country on Hogmanay, impacting numerous Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks users.

Technicians toiled through the final hours of 2024 to attempt and restore electricity to affected regions, which encompassed areas of Sutherland, Orkney, and Caithness.

A representative for the company stated that personnel would stay “on alert” for any further complications with the power distribution network.

They added that despite forecasts indicating a “lower risk” than on Hogmanay, “additional teams were organized to address” any problems throughout the northern sector of Scotland.

Concerns over the weather resulted in subdued Hogmanay celebrations in various regions of the country, including the cancellation of Edinburgh’s globally renowned outdoor celebrations on Monday.