Recovery efforts under way as forecasters warn of further snow and ice

Ministers say recovery work is under way after days of heavy snow and ice in parts of Scotland, while the Met Office has issued yellow warnings covering much of the country until midday Thursday.

Recovery efforts are under way in Scotland after several days of heavy snow and ice, ministers said. Emergency partners met in the Scottish Government's Resilience Room to co‑ordinate support for the hardest hit communities. The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for snow and ice that affect large parts of the country ahead of Thursday midday. Current situation: - Ministers and emergency partners are carrying out recovery work to support communities affected by heavy snow and ice. - The Met Office has yellow warnings for ice and snow: the northern half of Scotland is under a warning until 11.59pm and a Scotland‑wide warning runs from 10pm on Wednesday to midday on Thursday. - Major transport routes are largely open, though some rail services and rural roads remain affected and snow gates are in place in parts of the Highlands. - Around 440 schools were closed on Wednesday, and Aberdeenshire declared a major incident with some rural communities at risk of being cut off. Summary: Officials report that mutual‑aid and recovery operations are ongoing to restore access and support vulnerable people. Local authorities will make decisions about reopening schools and services, and a Scotland‑wide yellow warning for snow and ice remains in effect until midday Thursday.