A SCOTTISH holidaymaker confined to his hotel by ash has described the "humbling, amazing and worrying" eruption of Taal volcano in the Philippines.
Flights from Manila, the Filipino capital, have been disrupted since the eruption began on Sunday and the Foreign Office is advising against travel to the nation.
Ewan Carroll, originally from Dunblane, was awoken by tremors on Sunday morning while on an anniversary weekend away in Tanauan, Batangas.
"I was lying in bed upstairs in a beautiful lakeside villa when I felt the house shake," the 44-year-old said.
"After a few tremors, I went downstairs and saw the enormous column of smoke.
"It was humbling, amazing and worrying all at once."
Carroll, who has worked in Brisbane, Australia as a primary school teacher for the past 15 years, says they quickly left the villa and are now at a hotel in Manila 37 miles away.
"I have asthma and so even in Manila we are confined to the hotel because of the ashfall all around which (Philippines authorities) reported as dangerous.
"We have a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter who we also worry about as the face masks are too big for her."
There have yet to be any casualties or major damage reported due to the eruption, but ash has been blown more than 62 miles, coating the area.
Filipino student John Tugade, 22, is from the town of Taal, just south of the island volcano, and said: "Taal Volcano erupting consisted of frequent earthquakes as well as thunderous roars.
"If you were at the scene, you could hear the subtle eruption sounds as well as see the lightning that crackles around the spiral of smoke."
Fellow student Lance Virtucio, 18, added that "the air smells like gunpowder".
Experts have warned the eruption could get worse in the coming days and Philippine authorities plan to evacuate hundreds of thousands from the area.
All flights were initially halted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, cancelling more than 500 flights, but the transport hub partially reopened on Monday.
"Although we are not scheduled to fly out until Monday 20, it's unclear when the ash cloud will dissipate enough for flights to resume," Carroll said.
"So, in a nutshell, worrying times still lie ahead."
The Foreign Office said in a statement: "The Philippines' authorities are currently recommending evacuation of an area within a 14km radius of the Taal main crater.
"You should follow updates on the PhiVolcs official website.
"Also be aware that, due to this, flights in and out of Manila international airport are subject to disruption.
"You should consult your carrier.
"In addition, the ash cloud is over Metro Manila and local government authorities in Manila have begun to advise staying indoors while ash is falling."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here