MOTORISTS were left stranded, rail passengers faced cancellations and thousands suffered power cuts as Storm Gerrit carved a path through Scotland today.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution (SSEN) workers battling 80mph winds, flooding, and snow managed to restore power to 34,000 homes, but around 7,700 — from Tayside to the Orkney and Shetland islands — remain cut off.

SSEN’s Andy Smith warned: “It will take time to complete all repairs.

“Some customers in rural areas where there are multiple points of damage will be without power until Friday.”

Affected railways across the country remain closed while Network Rail carries out safety inspections, while main road routes remained closed after drivers found themselves trapped for hours in heavy snow.

The Met Office storm warning has now been lifted, but Transport Scotland’s Stein Connelly urged caution, saying: “We continue to ask people to plan ahead, to drive appropriately and to take care out on the road network.

“Public transport services remain impacted, so please check with your transport operator across all modes to understand if your service has been cancelled or delayed.”