By Paul Reoch, Mark Mackay and Liz Fowler

PERTH AND Kinross was worst affected by wintry weather with most of the region covered in a blanket of snow yesterday morning, but most roads were “passable” with care.

Most main routes were open. The exceptions were the A93 at Spittal of Glenshee, which was closed both ways due to snow, and the B974 Cairn o’ Mount.

In Aberdeenshire the A939 Ballater-Strathdon was closed, and the B976 Gairnshiel to Crathie.

A number of roads across Aberdeenshire were affected by surface water due to heavy rain.

More exposed parts of west Fife were blanketed with snow but the weather posed no major problems for people living in the area.

Bear Scotland—responsible for roads maintenance—said the snowfall had been expected to pass before morning rush-hour but, although it lasted longer, they had the situation under control.

Operations manager Colin Pryde said they deployed “all resources” to cope with the wintry conditions.

“There has been quite a heavy snowfall in the past 36 hours,” he told The Courier.

“But we had used precautionary treatments on Wednesday. Basically this means grit being laid throughout the trunk-road network. This prevents a build-up of snow on the carriageway and gives us more time to deal with it.”

Mr Pryde said that by working in the early hours they hoped to make it easier for commuters to reach their destinations.

“We have been out on the roads since Wednesday evening,” he added. “This is to make sure that we get through the busy areas before peak traffic times.”

He continued, “We had been told that the snow would be stopping on the east coast about 6am and passing west. But we received an update to say that it would be continuing for a further two to three hours.

“So we had gritters and ploughs on the roadworks to deal with this.

“My advice to motorists is to remember we are on the network and have been out for a long, long time. And I would ask them to drive to suit the conditions.

“There are some ‘high’ areas in Perth and Kinross which have given us concerns, but most roads are passable with care.”

This was echoed by Perth and Kinross Council, who clarified that schools weren’t affected, with children still enjoying the festive holiday.

A spokesman said the B8019 Strathtummel Road had been closed short-term due to a fallen tree. It took around 30 minutes to clear.

The road closure at Spittal of Glenshee affected the ski centre, with conditions described as “wild.”

“We’re not busy today with the road being closed,” a spokesman said. “It’s been quite wild out here all day but we’re hoping it clears up for the first opening day tomorrow.”

Many of the lower lying communities in Fife, particularly those along the Forth coastline, were barely affected.

Those on higher ground, such as the hills around Knockhill Racing Circuit, had a good covering.

Fife police confirmed there had been no reports of any accidents or problems on the roads.

Later yesterday, HGVs were being advised to avoid one Perthshire road after a tree fell and blocked the route.

The incident occurred on the A984 between Caputh and Dunkeld at Deanspark.

The tree became lodged on another tree and a BT cable on the opposite side of the road. BT engineers worked to remove the tree and, while cars could pass with care, HGVs were advised to avoid the area.