Scotland has suffered some of the coldest winter months in almost 100 years, the Met Office has confirmed.

By combining the temperatures of January and December it showed they were the coldest since 1914 - the year data started being logged.

Elsewhere, it was the coldest December and January in Northern Ireland since 1962/63 and the coldest in England and Wales since 1981/82.

Sub-zero temperatures and snow blew into the UK from mid-December.

The average minimum overnight temperature for January is usually at freezing point, but in Scotland it was regularly below -5C.

Salt grit shortages were reported throughout December and January and the tiny Highlands village of Altnaharra recorded one January night temperature of -22.3C.

Although Scotland has had the coldest combined December and January on record, temperatures would need to go lower to beat the coldest two month winter combination.

January and February in 1963 was the coldest on record north of the border.