Flooding hits Scotland as thaw begins

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Scotland began thawing out Saturday after days of bitter weather, bringing floods that disrupted rail and road transportation.

Several roads were closed by flooding, others by snow and at least one, the A76 in southwest Scotland, by a landslide, The Scotsman reported. A 12-mile strecth of the M74, a major route from Glasgow to the south, was closed because of ice blocking drains, causing flooding on the road.

Caledonian MacBrayne canceled service on several ferry routes on the west coast because of high winds. On the east coast, the weather disrupted service between Aberdeen and the Shetlands and on local routes in the Orkney Islands.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency posted flood warnings for seven rivers in the south and east and watches for 19 more. Forecasters warned problems could be worse Sunday.

The CairnGorm Mountain Ski Center shut down because high winds blew drifting snow across access roads. The center was expected to be closed Sunday as well.