Drivers have been urged to only travel on Scotland's roads if absolutely necessary.

Heavy snowfall across the country has caused travel chaos with motorway and roads brought to a rush hour standstill.

A fresh amber "be prepared" warning for snow and ice was issued on Friday with the worst beginning around 3pm.

Police Scotland upgraded their travel advice to stage three, saying there was a "high risk of disruption" on the roads.

The force said any unnecessary travel should be avoided.

The affected areas include Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, North and South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, Ayrshire, West Lothian, Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk and the Scottish Borders.

Superintendent Louise Blakelock, of Police Scotland's road policing division, said: "As we progress into this afternoon and evening, I would like to remind the public of the ongoing risk of disruption due to the forecast.

"If you travel on the road network in the warning area, you will be disrupted and you will face significant delays."

Motorists travelling southbound on the M74 experienced delays between Junction 10 (Wellburn) and Junction 11 (Poneil) after a lorry went through the central reservation.

Traffic was reduced to one lane as a result of the incident, which happened just around 7pm.

Almost two hours later Traffic Scotland confirmed the vehicle had been recovered, although northbound traffic is restricted to two lanes due to barrier damage.

Meanwhile, Stagecoach has suspended its Kilmarnock-Stewarton service as the A735 is closed between Kilmaurs and Stewarton.

Dangerous conditions have also been reported on one of Scotland's most scenic roads, the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, in Argyll and Bute.

The NHS has also urged people to take extra care if out in the snow.

NHS24 tweeted: "Scotland is beautiful in the snow, but it brings hazards too.

"Weather predictions for today are more snow and everyone should take care if you're out and about."