Air passengers attempting to travel to and from Inverness Aiport faced a day of disruption yesterday as freezing fog took hold.
Temperatures dipped well below zero for many parts of the Highlands and struggled to climb much higher during the day.
The conditions led to freezing fog setting in across many areas – with the airport at Dalcross one of the worst affected.
Passengers had their travel plans thrown into disarray by the conditions which left planes unable to either depart or arrive at the airport.
Flights were diverted to Aberdeen and Glasgow with passengers forced to make the onward journey by bus.
Some flights due to depart from Inverness have even been delayed by the conditions until tomorrow, with passengers due to travel being offered accommodation in Inverness overnight.
Among them was Fiona Moore from Ballymoney in Northern Ireland who had been attempting to fly home to Belfast after visiting family in Elgin.
She: “It’s frustrating but there’s not much you can do.
“The annoying thing is it was beautiful in Nairn on the way through but it’s bad here.”
Stephanie Longridge from Dorset was in a similar position, attempting to fly home via Bristol Airport after visiting family in Fochabers.
She said: “You just can’t do anything. All we can do is wait and see what is going to happen.”
The airport was the worst area affected as wintry conditions set in across the Highlands and islands.
The lowest temperature in the UK was recorded in Aviemore, where the mercury plunged to -9.6C.
Altnaharra and Kinbrace also recorded temperatures of -9C and -9.2C respectively.
Meanwhile the Inverness area broadly saw temperatures of around -5C.
However, the low temperatures are not set to last – with warmer weather on the way as soon as tomorrow.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Broadly the picture across the UK and the Highlands as well is that things will be warming up with a change in the air mass, which will be coming from a more south-westerly direction.
“It will push the settled high pressure system will be pushed out to the east.”
He said temperatures will rise into the double figures from Wednesday onwards and are expected to remain warmer until at least the weekend.
