Flood warnings for parts of Scotland remain in place as heavy rain is expected overnight.

As the country recovers from Storm Frank, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) issued 23 flood warnings, mainly in the Tayside region.

The Met Office also issued a "be prepared" warning for the north east and parts of central Scotland, saying transport links could be disrupted.

Heavy and persistent rain is expected over the weekend and into Monday, with rivers in Aberdeenshire and Tayside expected to remain high overnight.

Phone lines were disrupted in Braemar and Crathie due to a cable in the area which was damaged by Storm Frank.

BT and the Red Cross provided cover with communication vehicles as repairs were carried out.

Vincent Fitzsimons, Sepa's hydrology duty manager, said: "Outbreaks of rain are expected to be heavy and persistent over Tayside, Angus, and southern Aberdeenshire through the weekend and into Monday.

"Flood impacts may affect communities and cause disruption to travel and infrastructure from Tayside to Angus to Aberdeenshire over the coming days.

"Rivers in Angus are expected to peak overnight on Saturday and remain high into Sunday and Monday. In Aberdeenshire and Tayside, rivers are expected to peak a little later; from Sunday and remain high into Monday.

"Localised flooding is also possible in parts of the Scottish Borders, and in Caithness and Sutherland during Sunday and Monday.

"SEPA is continuing to work closely with the Met Office to provide as much information as possible."

The Met Office said: "Outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, will affect eastern Scotland over the weekend and during Monday.

"This rain is not expected to be as intense as recently, and it is for this reason that impacts are judged more likely to be "medium" rather than "high". However the persistence of the rainfall will produce some large totals, over areas where ground remains saturated."

Police said the A93 road between Ballater and Braemar remains closed until repairs can be carried out. The Invercauld Bridge is also closed to traffic and is expected to remain shut for several weeks.

Chief inspector Alastair Reid said: "We are continuing to work closely with other agencies following the impact of Storm Frank last week across the Tayside region, and are also preparing for further rain and any potential flooding.

"We are asking people to stay away from rivers and already flooded areas so you don't put yourself in danger. River banks may be unstable and could be liable to give way.

"Additionally, we are advising people to park their vehicles away from areas close to rivers and to park on higher ground where possible. We also ask that motorists do not ignore road closure signs and avoid driving through flood water as there will be unseen dangers, including lifted man-hole covers.

"The closures are there for a reason and are to protect your safety. By ignoring these closures you put yourself at risk as well as the emergency services."

The warnings come as deputy first minister John Swinney defended cuts to Sepa which were set out in his recent draft budget for 2016/17.

He faced criticism for reducing funding for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) by 6%, from £39m to £36.6m. Scottish Labour have called for an "urgent review" of Scotland;'s flood defences.

Mr Swinney told the Sky News Murnaghan programme that the Scottish Government was committed to doing all it could to help those affected by flooding.

He said: "The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has a broad range of responsibilities and what the budget settlement provides for is sustained funding for the flood forecasting service for example, and also for the investment that is necessary in a variety of flood protection and flood alleviation schemes which we have sustained since we came to office in 2007 and which we intend to sustain for the duration of this budget settlement.

"We've got a lot of work that's being done just now to protect communities from the harsh effects of flooding.

"Flooding and the implications of flooding are very serious for individuals and the Government is committed to doing all that we can to support communities in withstanding these challenges."

Mr Swinney said capital funding had been put in place for flood prevention schemes across Scotland, including in Edinburgh, Elgin, Selkirk and Galashiels.

More than 6000 homes were left without power and hundreds were affected by flooding on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as Storm Frank hit Scotland.

During the flooding a Stagecoach bus became trapped in flood waters in Dailly. Police Scotland said ten adults and two children aged seven and five, were rescued.