SCOTLAND, and indeed most of the UK, is right now under the thickest blanket of snow seen in many a year, thanks to the weather system dubbed the 'beast from the east', which has reversed the usual flow of air across the UK, and treated us all to a taste of the Russian winter. 

The Scottish Farmer:

MONSTER STORM if you wondered what the Beast from the East actually looked like, here it is advancing on Easington, in County Durham, where Joanne Gray captured its face as it crossed the North Sea towards the UK

The results have been both alarming and spectacular, as parts of Scotland were put on the first ever 'red' weather alert, and people were advised to get home and stay there. But while offices and shops and even pubs can shut early, farmers cannot take a day off tending to their livestock.

The Scottish Farmer:

As the drifts piled up on Wednesday evening – and The Scottish Farmer got rushed to press ahead of our transport routes shutting down – we asked our social media followers to send in their photos and reports from around the country, and a selection of what we received in return is included here.
If you have a snowy tale or photo from your neck of the woods, send it in to gordon.davidson@thescottishfarmer.co.uk or claire.taylor@thescottishfarmer.co.uk, and we'll add it to the heap. 
Stay safe, stay warm, and watch out for those polar bears.

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Commenting on the conditions, NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist Tim Price said: "Farmers across the UK are facing huge difficulties to look after livestock in the worst UK-wide winter weather we have seen for over a decade. 
"In the areas which have had heavy snow and temperatures falling below -10c, farmers are facing a massive challenge to get fodder to sheep and cattle which are out in the fields or housed in remote buildings.
"Scotland and the north east of England are currently the worst affected regions with deep snow still falling and drifting in high winds," said Mr Price. "Unusually, there has also been very heavy snow in Devon and Cornwall – including low lying areas which rarely see snow.

The Scottish Farmer:


"Many farmers are doing their bit to help villages and towns cut off by snow by using their tractors to snow plough roads – and as part of our support for the countryside, NFU Mutual is pleased to provide cover free of charge for them to provide this as a community service," he added.
"We haven't seen such cold, prolonged temperatures for a generation. With temperatures not rising above freezing during the day, the risk of pipes freezing in homes and farms is very high. Usually, bursts occur when the thaw starts and frozen water expands in the pipes. For this reason, it's important to check pipes around homes, outbuildings and farm buildings every few hours as the temperature rises above freezing so you can isolate a leak before it causes devastating damage.
"With roads in livestock areas particularly badly affected by snow, it may be that some dairies are unable to collect milk. Some farmers take out uncollected milk insurance cover for this contingency, and we may see claims coming in if the present conditions persist.
"In 2010 we paid out our highest ever number of claims for snow damage when heavy snowfall in Scotland and the North East of England  brought down the roofs of hundreds of farm buildings. The present conditions, with light, dry snow coming from the east means it is unlikely we will see a repeat of 2010 scenario – but with more heavy snow forecast over the next 48 hours, it is important to keep an eye on depth of snow on roofs and move vulnerable livestock inside if snowfall turns wet and slushy and roofs appears at risk. 
"Safety for farmers, family members, and workers is paramount, and while fully understanding the pressure farmers are under, trying to keep animals alive and while working in extreme cold, it's vital to avoid taking risks which could lead to injury or fatalities," he stressed.
"We're also calling for the public to avoid using rural roads unless it's absolutely necessary.”

The Scottish Farmer:

These tups aren't too sure about the weather on the first day of spring at Fallburns near Biggar - thanks to Helen Crozier for the photo