Overnight rain and sleet showers coupled with low road temperatures, caused extensive icing of roads in various locations throughout the Western Isles on Tuesday, said the Comhairle.
A band of rain which froze on the ground in the chilly conditions made roads in Uist and Barra hazardous to drive.
Many pupils in Benbecula, South Uist and Barra were told to stay at home.
One islander questioned the Comhairle’s gritting policy.
They said: “Barra was a disgrace -
“Needless to say the council are claiming they were gritted.
“A bit of ice, frost or snow and we aren't prepared?”
The Comhairle said it instructed the gritting contractor on Barra to carry out a full grit in the morning on Priority 1 to Priority 4 routes.
But rain freezing with the low road temperatures, caused widespread icing.
A spokesperson said: “Some parts of the road network on Barra were covered in ice which made gritting very difficult and challenging for our contractor.
“Any pre-
“However, by lunchtime all roads had been gritted.”
Comhairle defends winter gritting efforts
5 February 2015