Many people across the UK are set to experience a big chill during the next week.
But it’s likely the north and north-east will be spared a severe dip in the mercury, according to weather forecasters.
The record low in the UK so far this winter happened in Braemar on November 21 when the temperature plummeted to -12 degrees.
Yet meteorologists believe the weather in the area will not fall beyond -6 this week, despite predictions it will be much frostier elsewhere.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Further south, we are expecting it to be the coldest night of the year, but this does not apply in the north of Scotland.
“The coldest temperature we have seen all year was in Braemar, but we do not expect it to be that cold this week.
“Temperatures to the west of Aberdeen are likely to be around minus four to minus five overnight on Monday.
“In the Inverness area, temperatures may be around minus five to minus six during this time.
“We are expecting temperatures to rise on Tuesday and we expect it to be a fairly dry week.
“There may be some rain on Wednesday, making its way across from the northern isles, but we are not expecting much.”
The cold temperatures have boosted the hopes of those dreaming of a white Christmas, with odds of 2/1 being offered by Ladbrokes for snow falling in Aberdeen on Christmas day.
However, the experts at the Met Office have confirmed it is premature to predict what may or may not happen almost a month hence.
Their spokesman added: “It is too soon for us to be able to forecast whether there will be a white Christmas anywhere in the UK.”