This morning a threatening email was sent to schools across Highland and elsewhere across Scotland and the UK.
A total of 196 schools in Highland received this email.
All reviewed their school emergency protocols with the majority taking measures to evacuate on a precautionary basis while further information was sought from Police Scotland
When Police Scotland confirmed that they were treating this as a hoax, schools followed up directly with parents on arrangements for the remainder of the day.
Whilst some schools were able to re-open, others remained closed due to a range of factors largely in relation to the practicalities of returning pupils to school if they had already returned home/been collected by parents.
The safety of our children and young people was the top priority.
All schools are expected to open as normal tomorrow.
The following statement was released by Police Scotland at 10.30am on Thursday 11 November 2026:
On Wednesday, 11 November 2026 threatening messages were sent to a number of schools in Scotland and across and the UK.
These messages were immediately assessed and are being treated as hoaxes. Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public.
We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.
Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails. They have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat.
Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source of the messages, and officers continue to liaise with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationall