Police officers guarding Scotland’s energy sites have been publicly thanked for keeping services going through snow and ice. In a statement on 9 January 2026, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary said teams at Dounreay, St Fergus, Garlogie and Torness stayed on duty as further storms were forecast. ([gov.uk](Link

These posts sit on the front line of UK energy security. National Gas says the St Fergus terminal regularly supplies between 25% and 50% of Great Britain’s gas. Torness, Scotland’s last operating nuclear station, is currently due to generate until March 2030. Dounreay, now overseen by Magnox under the Office for Nuclear Regulation, continues decommissioning while hosting CNC training. ([nationalgas.com](Link

According to the CNC, officers cleared snow to keep facilities usable, worked extended shifts when travel was blocked, used specialist vehicles to maintain a local presence and carried out welfare checks and supply drops for residents who could not leave home. The Chief Constable praised staff for delivering “vital policing services safely, professionally and with real determination”. ([gov.uk](Link

Their effort coincided with Met Office snow and ice warnings into early January, with northern Scotland seeing the worst conditions. Reports noted accumulations exceeding 30cm in places-including around 34cm at Loch Glascarnoch-bringing travel disruption and widespread school closures. ([metoffice.gov.uk](Link

The climate context matters. The Royal Meteorological Society’s State of the UK Climate 2024 highlights long‑term declines in snow events and frost days, even as notable outliers still occur; sea levels around the UK have risen about 19.5cm since 1901. The Met Office’s latest stocktake also records fewer frosts since the 1980s and stresses that extremes-intense rain, storms and cold snaps-are driving the biggest impacts on people and infrastructure. ([rmets.org](Link

From an electricity perspective, the National Energy System Operator expects the strongest winter operating margins in six years-around 6.1GW, or 10% of average cold‑spell demand-while cautioning there may still be tight days in severe weather. The government’s security‑of‑supply assessment puts the loss‑of‑load expectation below 0.1 hours this winter, underscoring a prepared but vigilant system. ([neso.energy](Link

Adaptation is now a system requirement, not a slogan. The UK Climate Change Committee warns the gap between rising risks and the pace of adaptation has widened, with critical infrastructure among the priority areas needing more action. The National Infrastructure Commission’s resilience approach-accepted in principle by government-calls for clear resilience standards, regular stress tests and long‑term plans so essential services keep running when weather turns harsh. ([theccc.org.uk](Link

Scotland’s adaptation programme also stresses how energy, transport, water and digital systems depend on one another, raising the risk of cascading failures during storms and freeze‑thaw cycles. It backs place‑based work with councils, responders and communities so remote areas do not rely on a single point of failure. ([gov.scot](Link

In practice, that means stress‑testing staff access during snow and ice, pre‑positioning winter equipment, safeguarding staff welfare and communications, and rehearsing joint protocols with local responders. Publishing post‑incident learning and embedding it in training makes future operations safer and faster. These steps align with the NIC framework and Scotland’s guidance on climate‑resilient infrastructure. ([gov.uk](Link

As the cold spell continues, the CNC says it is monitoring conditions so policing and public safety remain resilient. Quiet reliability rarely makes headlines, but it is exactly what kept critical energy infrastructure operating this week. ([gov.uk](Link