Heavy rain causes landslide and severe flooding in parts of Scotland

Heavy flooding has hit parts of Scotland as rain and strong winds have also caused travel disruption across the country.

Oban appears to have been the worst town affected, with water building up in car parks and across roads.

A landslip at the at the Rest And Be Thankful – also in Argyll and Bute – saw the A83 closed in both directions leading to an almost 60-mile diversion.

Road operators said debris had been caught in one of the recently installed landslip mitigation fences across the bottom of the slope above the A83 but the road needs to be checked before it can reopen.

It had been suggested a shorter diversion along the Old Military Road could be opened once the road is assessed, however it was found to be too unsafe in the heavy rainfall.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s north west network manager, said: “At least four different debris fences have caught significant levels of material from landslips, however heavy rain is making conditions difficult for teams to assess the extent of the debris which has come down the hill and the likelihood of any further occurrences elsewhere on the slope.

“At this stage it is unlikely we’ll be able to safely open the A83 or the Old Military Road today until we are absolutely certain that the slope at the Rest and Be Thankful is safe, and until then we encourage road users to follow the diversion route via Dalmally or consider alternative travel options.”

Western Ferries announced it would be running a four-vessel service to keep traffic moving between Argyll and Inverclyde while the road was closed.

Elsewhere, motorists faced delays after a four-car crash on the westbound M8 at Arkleston and a further collision involving four vehicles restricted travel on the approach to the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow.

There was a lane closure on the eastbound A92 near Cowdenbeath in Fife, again due to a four-vehicle incident.

Flood warnings were in place in Strathglass and Strath Oykel in the north, and a further nine flood alerts covered areas including central Scotland, Tayside and Dumfries and Galloway.

A yellow Met Office warning for heavy rain was in place throughout Tuesday in west and central Scotland, the Highlands and Islands, Tayside and Fife.

ScotRail services were disrupted between Glasgow Central and Ayr due to a tree affecting overhead wires at Elderslie in Renfrewshire.

Some ferry sailings were disrupted or cancelled due to the weather, including services from Mallaig and Armadale.