Flights to and from Scotland have been cancelled for the second day in a row following severe gales which battered the country yesterday.

Storm-force winds of up to 165mph disrupted travel, cut power supplies and resulted in the closure of schools.

The Met Office issued its highest red-alert warning and police warned motorists to avoid the roads altogether. But no serious injuries or fatalities were reported.

Airlines that were affected included Flybe, which was forced to ground 11 flights and Bmibaby, which cancelled all of its flights yesterday.

Edinburgh airport stayed open overnight in a bid to ease the ‘severe disruption’ that it suffered yesterday as a result of the winds.

Meanwhile Glasgow airport has advised passengers to check with their airlines before they fly.

Hundreds of ferry passengers were also affected as Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to the western islands were all cancelled, while other ferry timetables were severely disrupted.