A heated igloo and snow rollers: Scotland makes the most of cold snap

An Orkney stonemason has turned "snow mason" to build an impressive igloo with a working fire and chimney.

It is one of a number of unique sights seen across Scotland as heavy snow falls in the north and north-east of the country.

A rare natural phenomenon called snow rollers - which almost resemble hay bales made of snow - have been spotted on the islands.

And although Scotland's ski centres are blanketed in snow, few runs are open for snowsports fans due to blizzard conditions. Many hope to open by the weekend.

Kyle Doran, from Stromness in Orkney, told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme that he built the structure at his in-laws' home in Twatt using a old plastic Lego tub to create blocks.

His mother-in-law had the idea to add a fireplace to make the structure more cosy.

"It was a play area for my three-year-old daughter and it's gone from there," he said.

"It's been a nice little shelter for her. She can play in the snow and then when she wants a bit of a break from the wind she can come in here and play with her toys.

"It's a nice little cosy area to enjoy a cup of coffee and some biscuits. I haven't slept in it yet but maybe I'll give that a go."

Kyle said that while the fire melts the snow, the cold conditions mean that it freezes again as soon as it melts.

He has added some brick and stone to help the heat reflect away from the snow.

There has been heavy snow across the north and north-east of Scotland, leading to widespread school closures and transports problems.

Aberdeenshire Council has declared a major incident saying it was looking at a "prolonged period of significant impact".

The igloo appeared as so-called "snow rollers" were being created in fields across the west mainland of Orkney.

The rare natural phenomenon occurs when the wind and snow combine to roll the snow into perfect tubes.

BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston explained that snow rollers are snow balls formed by strong winds blowing across a snow-covered area.

"Once a snow roller is formed, the wind gets it to roll, collecting snow as it moves, in some cases even creating tracks of bare ground," she said.

"The appearance of a snow roller resembles a scaled down version of large rolled hay bales made of snow."

Others have enjoyed their snow day by getting out the sleds or ice skates.

But it's bad news for anyone looking to head to the slopes immediately.

Cairngorm Mountain Resort in Aviemore reported excellent skiing conditions across all runs on Monday.

However a spokesman said it closed early on Tuesday due to "deteriorating conditions".

About 65 miles south is Glenshee Ski Centre, which has suffered from inconsistent snowfall over the years.

Just two days ago the centre only had enough snow to open its small beginner runs.

Now managing director David Farquharson says he is feeling more confident about the winter sports outlook.

"We are getting some snow today," he said. "Until now it has been falling just a few miles north of here in Aberdeenshire."

Annette Cockburn, from the Lecht Ski Centre in the Cairngorms national park, said they hoped to open later in the week.

She added: "There's lots of snow which is good, but we're currently storm bound. Our staff are here but it's a white-out at the moment."

Also in the Cairngorms, Glenshee has opened beginner areas with the hope of opening more runs by the weekend.