The mopping-up operation has begun and most main roads were reported open but many side roads were still affected.

A Railtrack official described conditions on the Scottish network on Tuesday as "the worst in years" and said that while most services were getting back to normal there were still some problems.

Residents had to be evacuated

In the east of Glasgow, emergency services were due to resume a search of Riddrie Cemetery after reports that a teenagers had fallen into a water-filled hole.

Fears were also growing for a 70-year-old woman who has not been seen since leaving the a hostel near Aviemore on Monday night.

Some residents in Shettleston in Glasgow had to be evacuated from their homes in the city during the worst of the flooding.

Emergency services evacuated 210 people from a hotel in the Trossachs overnight amid fears that rising water could destabilise the building.

Householders in Elgin were also among those affected by flooding and about power to about 1,700 homes was lost at one stage.

While the situation on the roads has eased, drivers were warned of the continued closures of the A834 at Port of Mentieth and the A701 in the Lothians at the junction with the B7003.

The A9 in the Highlands was reduced to a single lane at Slochd, with heavy flooding and boulders strewn across the road surface.

'Numerous landslips'

The main problem for rail users was the closure of the upper level of Queen Street station in Glasgow, which continued to be affected by flooding.

Passengers aiming to travel to Edinburgh were advised that a connection was available from Springburn station.

Other services disrupted included parts of the Argyle line, the Inverness-Aviemore line and the Maryhill-Cumbernauld service.

Railtrack spokeswoman, Dorothy Fenwick, said: "It was one of the worst days we've had on the Scottish rail network in years.

"We had flash flooding throughout the network and mainly in the central area but more than about 20 minor landslips, numerous severe floods affecting track and stations all over the central belt."