An airfield in Perthshire was the coldest place in the whole of the UK as the weekend’s cold snap endured into Monday.
Police forces across Scotland responded to some 25 crashes between 8am and 9am oon Monday morning after Scots woke up to freezing conditions, with frost and ice affecting roads and pavements.
Strathallan Airfield was the coldest place in the UK after the mercury plummeted to -9.8C from Sunday into Monday, while Leuchars dropped to -7.8C.
Motorists were warned to be cautious while crossing the Tay Road Bridge due to the danger caused by the cold conditions.
Traffic Scotland also warned residents across Tayside and Fife to “drive with care due to low temperatures and the risk of ice currently affecting driving conditions on many roads throughout the region”.
The weather was so freezing that one of the mildest places in Scotland on Monday morning was the village of Machrihanish in Argyll, which reached a low of -0.8C.
After enjoying a bumper weekend which attracted almost 2,000 snowsports enthusiasts, the slopes of Glenshee Ski Centre were opened once again.
However forecasters said “milder” conditions are on the way in the coming days before colder weather moves back in again later in the week.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: “(On Monday morning) Strathallan Airfield was the lowest in the country at -9.8C. The coldest in Fife was Leuchars which was -7.8C.
“In terms of a forecast it will be milder into Tuesday morning for Tayside and Fife. The far north-west could expect to hang onto the cloudless skies. Temperatures will be ever so slightly milder, you are talking lows of 2C (on Tuesday morning).
“And temperatures will be feeling slightly milder as we go through the week. Tuesday will see highs of 5C and Wednesday highs of 6C, but perhaps returning to freezing and frosty on Thursday night.
“The colder conditions are never far away, the high pressure is bringing more unsettled conditions. There is just a few weather fronts moving in, breaking it up. Though it is ever so slightly milder it is closer to temperatures we expect to see this time of year.”
He added it was too soon to say what next weekend’s weather will have in store for Tayside and Fife.
Mr Claydon said: “It is a little bit far away at the moment. It looks like a fairly cold start to Saturday, with a band of rain pushing out west to east. Highs of 6C potentially.”
