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Road and rail travel disrupted as heatwave goes on

Glencoe MRT Landslide on B863Glencoe MRT
A landslide on the B863 between Glencoe and Kinlochleven

Landslides and flooding have disrupted road and rail travel in the Highlands following thundery downpours on Monday and overnight.

It comes as heatwave conditions continue across Scotland.

Network Rail said the West Highland Line could be closed near Roybridge until Thursday due to flood damage.

The A86 at Roybridge has also been closed because of a landslide. Traffic Scotland said a 113-mile (181km) diversion was in place.

Transport Scotland said at least 600 tonnes of mud and other debris was washed across an almost mile-long stretch of the A86.

It said the road could be reopened with the use of temporary traffic lights later on Tuesday, but the clear-up would continue on Wednesday.

Bear Scotland lanslide on the A86Bear Scotland
About a mile of the A86 was covered with at least 600 tonnes of mud and other debris
West Highland Line
Network Rail said the West Highland Line in Lochaber had been affected by flooding

In one incident, Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team said a driver had a lucky escape when a 100-tonne landslide struck the B863 loop road between Glencoe and Kinlochleven on Monday night.

After finding the road blocked by debris, the woman made a three-point turn before her car came within 100m (328ft) of a second, larger landslide.

Glencoe team leader Andy Nelson said this slide was estimated to have involved 100 tonnes of boulders, mud and trees and carried a small road bridge down a hillside.

On Monday, Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with Threave in Dumfries and Galloway reaching 30.7C.

Parts of the country have had thunderstorms since Saturday, and the Met Office has a yellow "be aware" warning in place for the weather affecting the Highlands until 21:00 on Tuesday.

Peter Jolly/Northpix landslidePeter Jolly/Northpix
Water and landslide debris on the B863
Glencoe MRT Landslide on B863Glencoe MRT
Glencoe MRT was called out to help a motorist stuck between landslides on the road
Glencoe MRT Landslide on B863Glencoe MRT
The incident followed heavy downpours

Glencoe MRT said it was asked by police to go to the aid of the driver stuck on the B863 at about 18:00 on Monday.

Mr Nelson said the area had been hit by an "almost tropical" storm and waterfalls in Glen Coe were swollen and black with mud and other debris.

He said the driver had managed to turn her car around when a larger landslide hit, washing away a bridge and its solid granite parapet.

"She was lucky. The landslide came down at least 100m from her," said Mr Nelson.

"Police asked us to assist and for us it was simple job. We basically gave her a 'piggy back' so she wasn't knee deep in mud."

Highland Council said the road had been affected by three separate landslides on Monday.

A spokeswoman said: "The B863 Kinlochleven loop road is currently closed as engineers assess the damage cause by landslips yesterday evening."