Scotland fans stuck in Greece staying for a party

Scotland fans have been stuck in Athens following the sides 1-0 win over Greece after a fire near Londons Heathrow grounded all flights.

Supporters returning to Scotland from the Greek capital have had to find alternative routes home via Dublin, Milan and Istanbul due to disruption caused by an electrical substation blaze.

British Airways services from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness to Heathrow - which is Europes busiest airport - have also been affected.

But the Tartan Army remain in good spirits as a result of the sides victory - with some saying theyll stay in Greece for a celebration.

Passengers are advised to check whether their flights have been affected and contact the airline for further details.

Gavin Keith and Edith Stewart, from Aberdeen, only found out about the disruption when they woke up in Athens on Friday morning.

They were part of a group booking back to Aberdeen via Heathrow on a BA service.

They have since been told they will be on a 17:00 flight to Heathrow, but are not confident that will go ahead.

However they remain in good spirits.

"If we cant get out of here tonight, well stay for a party," Edith said.

"Its the chance you take when you are travelling. I would prefer to get home tonight or tomorrow because I have commitments at home.

"We know Heathrow is shut all day, the airlines are giving us the next available flight, but its just a case of waiting."

BBC journalist Thomas Mackintosh had been due to fly into Heathrow after watching the victory at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium.

He told BBC Radios Good Morning Scotland fellow fans had been looking for alternative ways to get home.

He said: "Weve heard some pretty wacky routes so far from friends of ours. Some are going via Dublin, some are going via Rome, Milan, Istanbul Ive heard as well.

"Its inconvenient for sure, but it cant be helped at the minute and the Greek authorities have been really helpful.

"Fortunately we have been able to book on another flight, but that has come at a bit of an expense, about €500 (£418)."

Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the match as Steve Clarkes side claimed a vital first leg win in the tie.

Greece visit Hampden on Sunday for the return leg.

Paige Mackintosh, who was also at Athens Airport, added: "I think half the Tartan Army are still in bed.

"Everyone is in quite good spirits, I think because its not like a baggage strike.

"It was a really good game, a really good build up that we had."

More than 1,300 flights will be disrupted after a transformer within the North Hyde electrical substation caught fire in west London.

It caused a power outage at the airport, with flights grounded as a result for safety reasons.

The backlog is expected to last several days.

About 120 flights to the airport were in the air when the closure was announced.

They were diverted to various locations across the UK and Europe, including a flight from JFK, which landed at Glasgow Airport.

A spokesperson for Heathrow said they did not know when electrical supplies would be restored.

Travel writer Simon Calder told Good Morning Scotland the scale of the shutdown was the largest since the Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010.

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Airport said 10 outbound and 12 inbound services had been affected by the fire.

They added that BA flights were the only services to be grounded and all others were operating normally.

About 2,800 passengers are understood to be affected.

A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which operates Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports, said: "Our airports are operating as normal apart from all flights to and from London Heathrow which have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.

"Any passenger scheduled to fly to Heathrow should contact their airline directly before travelling to the airport"

Meanwhile, Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), which runs Inverness Airport, confirmed the 10:00 arrival from Heathrow and the 11:05 departure to the airport were cancelled.

HIAL also said planned arrivals and departures from Dundee Airport had been cancelled.

All airports will be liaising with the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) about accepting flight diversions throughout the day.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? travel said passengers may not be entitled to compensation if their flight was cancelled.

However they may be able to claim a refund for the flight and parking fees through their insurance provider.

He said: "Passengers will have the choice of being rerouted or accepting a refund, and if you opt for the former, your airline is obliged to get you on a new flight as soon as possible, including with rival carriers from alternative airports.

"If you instead accept a refund, be aware that your airline will have no further duty of care to you and youll need to make your own arrangements.

"Its also worth checking the terms of your travel insurance to see if you are able to recoup any other expenses you may have incurred as a result of this incident, such as car hire or airport parking fees."