It was the storm which brought motorways to a standstill, grounded flights and saw Scots across the country snowed in.

One year ago, the Beast from the East tore its way across Scotland, causing chaos in its wake.

The storm swept in from Siberia, causing parts of the country to come to a standstill as a rare red warning was released by the Met Office - the first for snow in Scotland since a new warning system came into place in 2011.

Parts of the country were as cold as the Arctic Circle, with two inches of snow falling in an hour in some areas, with others dealing with up to 20 inches of snow in some places.

Schools, universities and workplaces closed for days as the snow made travel treacherous across the country.

Even those who wanted to travel were left stranded, with hundreds of flights cancelled, trains unable to move due to snow on the tracks and buses delayed by hours.

It didn't stop one couple though, who were pictured walking along the hard shoulder dragging their suitcases behind them, desperate to get to the airport.

Heavy snow forced people to sleep in their cars on the M80, with local residents walking out in the snow to bring stranded motorists hot cups of tea and food to keep warm.

Emergency services were praised for their response to the treacherous weather, with the-then Deputy First Minister John Swinney thanking those for their dedication.

"This has been a challenging few days for people across the country and I must thank our emergency services and those individuals who have gone above and beyond in difficult conditions," he said.

However, some people seemed unable to comprehend what a real emergency consisted of, with police revealing some of the strangest 999 and 101 calls they received during the Beast from the East.

One person rang to ask if officers could make emergency deliveries of bread as groceries ran out in supermarkets.

Another called to borrow a snow shovel and one person asked for advice about to get to the shop for alcohol and cigarettes.

The Scottish Government even had to step in when Scots began panic buying food, urging people to be 'patient and sensible'.

NHS staff were supported by numerous companies with help getting through the snow to work, with the army drafted in transport hundreds of staff in 4x4s, with Scottish Power also deploying trucks to help stranded staff.

Food parcels were made available to those in need, and numerous businesses, churches and centres opened their doors to the homeless to escape the freezing conditions.

Despite the problems the Beast from the East brought, the snow provided some welcome relief for some, with plenty taking the opportunity to play in the snow as they enjoyed time off work and school.

David Hedley, principal teacher at Denny Primary School, recorded a special snow day song for his pupils.

Rewriting a song from Diseny's Moana, he said: "I had seen a few snow day videos from America and thought it looked fun.

"My friend who is a teacher made one for his school and I thought I'd give it a go.

"I thought it would be a bit of fun for our pupils and parents."

Meanwhile two men decided to build an igloo in the middle of George Square in Glasgow.

A man from Renfrew was filmed braving the cold in just shorts and a T-shirt, bounding into a garden and jumping face first onto a trampoline covered with a large amount of snow.

A snowman was built inside a train and people began to get creative with snow sculptures in their back gardens - including a massive dragon and a panda.

It wasn't just kids and adults having all the fun though. A tiny penguin from Blair Drummond Safari Park was spotted struggling with the huge amount of snow which fell at the attraction near Stirling.

The snowy weather also saw Scotland's photographers take some stunning pictures across the country.

From Edinburgh to Aberdeenshire, social media was flooded with picture perfect images of the snow.