Hundreds of motorists were stranded and dozens of people had to flee their homes last night after severe winter weather lashed the north and north-east.
Heavy snow also left thousands of homes in Perthshire and the Highlands without electricity and more than 250 schools were closed as blizzards and heavy snow brought many parts of Scotland to a standstill.
Last night, several roads remained closed because of drifting snow and flooding and police advice was not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
Snow and iced-up electricity lines forced the closure of a 30-mile stretch of the A9 from Perth to Dunblane.
Police had to draft in volunteers with 4x4s to take food and drinks to the stranded drivers and passengers. Some had become stranded at 7.30am and were still waiting for the roads to clear last night.
Van driver Andy Richardson from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, who had been stuck for seven hours, said: “I left home at 6.30am this morning and got as far as Gleneagles before 8am.
“Then the snow got so bad that I decided to turn around. I’m cold, I’m hungry and I’m dying for the loo.”
There was further drama in the north-east as dozens of families were forced to leave their homes at Stonehaven after council chiefs warned they were at threat from a series of landslides caused by the weather.
More than 100 residents in the Bervie Braes area of the coastal town were advised to leave for their own safety after 100 tonnes of soil almost engulfed one property, followed by further slips near the harbour.
Elsewhere in the town, householders were urged to protect their homes with sandbags as the River Carron came within inches of bursting its banks.
A total of 10,000 Scottish and Southern Energy customers were affected by weather-related faults in south-west Perthshire and the Highlands. A further 450 customers across the north-east were without electricity.
A spokesman said: “We knew the bad weather was coming and had set up teams in whatever areas we could to help with this.”
About a foot of snow fell in some areas, with strong winds causing drifts. Another 10in are predicted in some regions today.
The A92 Stonehaven-Montrose road was blocked at the Lower Northwater Bridge due to flooding, but reopened shortly after 6pm.
In the north-east, 80 more motorists were left stranded in cars, lorries and vans overnight on Wednesday as blizzards battered the area.
Some 50 cars, vans and lorries were stuck on the A98 Fochabers-Buckie road, in the Crudie area, about five miles from Macduff.
Another 30 were stranded on the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road between Keith and Fochabers. The same road was also closed between Inverurie and Colpy for several hours.
For most of the day yesterday, snowploughs and gritters were working to clear sections of the A98 between Macduff and New Pitsligo, near Fraserburgh, and between Fochabers and Banff.
All roads west of Aberdeen were badly affected by snow and ice and several roads were closed.
The snow gates on the B974 Banchory-Fettercairn road were closed as snow and winds turned the Cairn O’ Mount into a white wilderness.
Melting snow and heavy rain were causing roads to flood in and around Aberdeen, with police warning motorist to take extra care.
With the A9 and the A96 closed for most of yesterday, people in Highlands were left almost completely cut off.
Travel plans disrupted in the north with ferry and rail services cancelled, flights from Inverness disrupted and numerous other roads made impassable by drifting snow.
Motorists stranded on the A835 Garve-Ullapool road were taking refuge yesterday at the Inchbae Lodge guesthouse after being evacuated from their vehicles by police.
The B862 Fort Augustus-Whitebridge, the A939 Dave-Grantown, the A889 Dalwhinnie-Laggan and the A836 Dalchork-Tongue roads were all shut.
A police spokeswoman said another 10 motorists were stranded on the B8043 between Lochaline and Strontian at Sunart.
Orkney was hit by heavy snow yesterday, and there were warnings of drifting snow in Shetland.
ScotRail services between Aberdeen and Inverness, Perth and Inverness and Glasgow and Fort William were disrupted.
A Met Office spokesman said outbreaks of snow would continue and an expected 10in could fall on higher ground today.