Police crash among road accidents during snowfall in Highlands

Several road accidents, including one involving a police vehicle, have occurred in the Highlands during snow showers and icy conditions.

Police were responding to an incident when their vehicle crashed on the A99 near Lybster. No-one was injured and no other vehicle was involved.

In separate incidents on the A9, a car and lorry collided near Aviemore and a lorry jack-knifed at Berriedale Braes.

The causes of the accidents are not known but came during wintry weather.

The Met Office had issued a yellow "be aware" snow warning. It now has a warning for ice that runs into Friday.

Disruption to travel in the Highlands had also included a landslip closing the railway line near Wick. ScotRail said the track had been cleared and services were operating on the line again.

On Wednesday, a landslip near Wick caused a temporary disruption to services.

Police Scotland has confirmed one of its vehicles had been in a collision on the A99 shortly before 08:00.

A spokesman said: "The police vehicle was responding to an incident at the time of the collision.

"A separate vehicle was dispatched and there was no significant disruption to police service."

The crash on the A9 involving a car and lorry happened about five miles (8km) south of Aviemore, where snow has fallen to a depth of about 5cm.

Police Scotland said no-one was thought to have been seriously injured in the collision.

The other incident on the A9 involving the jack-knifed lorry happened at Berriedale Braes in Caithness at about 07:00. The road was initially blocked but police traffic was now getting through.

Meanwhile, hillwalkers and climbers have been warned of a heightened risk of avalanches on Scotland's mountains.

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service said heavy snowfalls on Thursday were expected to be followed by showery condition at the weekend.

The service said: "Due to the strong winds and snow showers significant deposits of new snow will continue to build onto wind sheltered locations on many northerly through east to southerly facing slopes over the next few days.

"Deeper unstable deposits will form in the colder conditions in wind sheltered steep places and hollows, high in back corries and ridge flanks mainly above 700m."