"There has been a dramatic increase in funding allocated directly to community safety projects across west central Scotland, " added the spokesperson.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Scotland | Row over fire inspections 'fall'

The flood alerts for Monday have been put in place for Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Caithness and Sutherland, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee and Angus, Orkney, Scottish Borders, Skye and Lochaber, Tayside, West Central Scotland, Wester Ross and the Western Isles.

BBC: Container in North Berwick harbour

That said, many of the newly identified deposits are located in the central North Sea or to the west of Scotland, and will require deep-water drilling which is expensive.

FORBES: North Sea Oil and Gas may Provide One Third of Britain's Energy by 2020.

The West Coast Main Line route serves 31 million passengers a year travelling between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the central belt of Scotland.

BBC: West Coast Main Line First Group deal put on hold

The West Coast route serves 31 million passengers travelling between London, the West Midlands, the north-west of England, North Wales and the central belt of Scotland.

BBC: UK

Snowfalls continued to affect much of north, east and central Scotland and north-east England and occasionally spread to parts of Wales, south-west England and Northern Ireland.

BBC: Weather - UK Review - November 2010