Winter Watch

The TEC Services Committee has confirmed that emergency measures to conserve road salt will remain in place until the Council is able to source stocks of salt which will take the amount in store to 10,500 tonnes. The total currently in stock is 6,000 tonnes.

• Snow-damaged trees
• Weather updates: Conserving salt
• Road Closures - Traffic Scotland (External link)
• Gritting
• Highland school closures
• List of schools' unique 6-figure PINs (PDF 132 kb) - This service gives callers access to the latest pre-recorded message(s) from the Headteacher. The telephone number is 0870 054 6999 + the school's PIN
• Winter Advice to Council House Tenants
• Home contents insurance scheme

Emergency and partner agencies

Northern Constabulary | Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service | SEPA Floodwatch
The Met Office | Maritime and Coastguard Agency | Scottish Ambulance Service
Bear Scotland | Scotland Transerv

Weather forecasts from the BBC

 | Aviemore | Fort William | Golspie | Inverness | Nairn | Portree | Thurso | Ullapool | Wick |

Council Out of Hours Telephone Numbers:

• Social Work/Roads, flooding, lighting -  0845 769 7284
• Housing - 0845 700 2005

• Emergency numbers
• Flooding (External link)

Energy Advice

Tel: 0800 512 012

For winter energy saving tips read our page on Energy Saving Advice.

Winter road maintenance

Highland Council’s road gritting responsibilities

Highland has the longest road network of any Council within Scotland and as such it is simply not possible to treat every road at the same time. We have therefore established a priority system which targets roads based on their local importance. A copy of our gritting policy is at this link.

The Highland Council is responsible for 4,200 miles (6,700km) of roads.

The Scottish Government is responsible; through Scotland TranServ and BEAR Scotland, for the management and maintenance of trunk roads, the main strategic routes in the Highlands. These comprise the A82; A86; A889; A830; A87; A9; A835; A887; A99 (Scotland TranServ) and the A95 and A96 (BEAR Scotland). The trunk road winter service is a separate operation from that of the Council. Road users should be aware that treatment may vary between Trunk and Council roads. Scotland TranServ and BEAR Scotland operate manned control rooms on a 24 hour basis during the winter season.

What does the Council use on Highland roads?

The Highland Council purchases 6mm pure rock salt from a quarry in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. This rock salt is not pre-wetted. It complies with the recommended British Standard for moisture content.

Highland winter road maintenance statistics:

• on average 60,000 tonnes of salt per year are used on roads by The Highland Council (this excludes years with extreme highs/lows in salt usage);
• the Council has the newest fleet of gritting vehicles in the country which has been replaced over the last 4 years including a fleet of 114 road gritters; and 54 pavement gritters (these include Mercedes 4x4; Mercedes 6x6; Mercedes or DAF 6x2). The pavement gritters have mini-ploughs on the front of the vehicles and salt gritters on the rear of the vehicle;

         the winter roads maintenance budget for 2009/10 is £4.9 million;

• annual road salt tonnage used over the last 5 years was:
  • 2004/05 57,233 tonnes
  • 2005/06 57,612 tonnes
  • 2006/07 29,406 tonnes (low due to a mild winter)
  • 2007/08 57,253 tonnes
  • 2008/09 79,575 tonnes (high due to extreme conditions)
• the Council imports salt by ship from Northern Ireland to 13 harbours throughout the area at Lochaline, Corpach, Kyle of Lochalsh, Broadford, Portree, Dunvegan, Ullapool, Lochinver, Kinlochbervie, Scrabster, Wick, Invergordon and Inverness; and distributes this salt through 41 depots at Grantown, Nairn Park Quarry, Kingussie - TRO, Janetstown, Wick, Melness (Achuvoldrach) Tongue, Strathy, Longman, Cannich, Drumnadrochit, Gorthleck, Fort William Carr's Corner, Arisaig - TRO, Ballachulish - TRO, Invergarry, Strontian, Broadford, Sconser HC, Fairybridge Dunvegan, Conchra - TRO, Alness, Tain, Ardgay Ardchronie, Helmsdale, Durness, Dornoch, Kinlochbervie, Lochinver, Brora, Rogart, Lairg, Greenhill, Gairloch, Dundonnell, Lochcarron, Achiltibuie, Applecross, Ullapool, Torridon, Whinhill, Silverbridge. n.b. TRO = shred salt dump with Trunk Road Operator.