Rooftops, vehicles, parkland and fields were covered by a white blanket in the north yesterday as snow hit the region – just a week before the beginning of May.
Thrill-seeking youngsters took the opportunity to hurtle down the hills of Aviemore on their toboggans, while bright yellow daffodils were turned a crisp white by the snow in Aberdeen.
Commuters, dog walkers and shoppers could be seen battling the elements across the north, while drivers needed to take caution as slush gathered on the roads.
A council worker, cutting grass, picked a bad day to get a puncture in Aviemore. He was seen tending to his vehicle amidst thick snow.
And Highland cows and sheep will have been glad of their woolly coats as heavy showers enveloped fields in which they were grazing.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning yesterday afternoon, which will continue into this morning.
Areas affected by the white stuff included the Grampian region, the Highlands, Central, Tayside and Fife, south-west Scotland, and Lothian and Borders.
The statement from the Met Office said: “Hail, sleet and snow showers are expected to become frequent overnight and at first on Tuesday morning.
“Heavier snowfall is likely to affect higher level routes, where 2-5cm of snow may accumulate in places, while 1-2cm is possible to lower levels. Some transport may be affected, with journeys requiring longer travel times.
“Wintry showers will occur at times through Monday night and Tuesday, though impacts on the road network from lying snow are mostly likely to occur overnight and at first on Tuesday morning, particularly routes across Grampian and the northern Highlands.”
Several ferries were disrupted in the west, with routes including Oban to Kennacraig, Uig to Tarbet, Ullapool to Stornoway and Mallaig to Lochboisdale halted from early afternoon for the rest of the day.
Other services where one or more crossing was disrupted included Ardrossan to Brodick, Tarbet to Portavadie, Kennacraig to Port Askaig and Port Ellen, and Mallaig to Armadale.
No significant issues affected the railways, despite the weather.