LISTEN: Soup & sandwiches for A9 snow-stranded
1.5miles of traffic has been stranded including coaches, one for 3.5hrs
Last updated 1st Mar 2018
A9 drivers have been stuck among snow drifts up to a metre high for 3-hours, or even more, and snow gates remain closed both ways at Helmsdale.
A mile and half of stationary traffic's gathered in Caithness and the police have been handling several incidents there this morning.
Dunbeath's day centre has been giving people food and drink to keep them warm.
"It's an old-fashioned snow storm. We're all used to two or three inches of snow, but when you get a foot of snow, it certainly changes things around" - JOHN GUNN
John Gunn is director of the day centre and told MFR News: "When I got up this morning at seven o'clock there were vehicles stuck in Dunbeath Brae, so there've been vehicles stuck in the Brae all day long.
"There must be a mile and a half of traffic stuck on the road, and then in the brae in Dunbeath we have two busses - one heading for Inverness with people on it.
"It's been stuck there for three and a half hours. It's really to the belly in snow. It's waiting for a breakdown truck to come and tow it out of the snow.
"We're issuing soup and sandwiches to the bus party. We've also been supplying them with tea and coffee.
"It's too stormy to take them out of the bus to get them into the centre, because we're talking about at least 12-inches of snow on the level; two, three feet in drift.
"It's an old-fashioned snow storm. We're all used to two or three inches of snow, but when you get a foot of snow, it certainly changes things around."
LISTEN: News reader John Rose brings you this 5pm report from our reporter Bryan Rutherford..
The worst of the weather - repetitiously referred to as 'The Beast From The East' - remains in the central belt, with the M80 motorway resembling a car park.
Last night 1,000 vehicles were trapped in freezing conditions.
Tim Wiley was among them after setting off from Inverness at 3pm the day before. He's been stuck on the M80 since 6pm last night.
Speaking to MFR News Tim told us: "I've seen a lot other motorists getting around and talking to each other, and people coming down from the houses across the fence.
"They're offering food, toilet facilities, and blankets."
Today Deputy First Minister John Swinney says there's been an "extensive operation'' to try to get traffic going.
In Sutherland, Marcus Munro - who runs the Highland Shooting Centre - told MFR News that rural parts are facing blizzard conditions, and explained that snow ploughs are struggling to make a difference on the roads in the Altass area: "It's pretty difficult conditions for them because when they go round, literally in a few minutes the wind blows, and another snow storm comes in, and we're back to where we were."
LISTEN: John Gunn spoke to MFR News reporter Bryan Rutherford this afternoon...
You can get the latest traffic and travel information on MFR's website. CLICK HERE.