Road gritting priorities
With the longest local road network of any council in Scotland, it is not possible to treat every road at the same time. We prioritise our treatments to focus on the most critical routes first.
Keeping roads safe
Our aim is to help keep drivers and pedestrians safe. From mid-October to mid-April, our teams monitor weather forecasts and real-time data from our ice-detection system to plan daily treatments across the council-maintained road network (excluding private roads).
Operating hours
- Service hours: 6am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday
- No overnight service
- Evening treatments: after 6pm, primary routes only
- Public holidays: restricted service begins at 7am
Trunk roads
We do not maintain trunk roads. These are managed by Transport Scotland through appointed Operating Companies. Trunk roads in the Highland region include:
- A9
- A82
- A86
- A87
- A95
- A96
- A99 (Latheron to Wick)
- A828
- A830
- A835
- A887
- A889
Route priorities
We rate routes based on the following:
Primary routes
These are the highest priority routes and are treated daily from 6am to 9pm. Includes most A-class roads, key B-class roads, and major commuter routes
Secondary routes
These are treated after primary routes, typically between 6am and 6pm. They connect smaller communities to the main network. Bus routes may not be fully treated before services begin
Other routes
These are minor rural, residential, and local access roads and are treated as resources allow
Route maps
We have route maps and lists of roads alongside their priority for gritting.
View details of our gritting routes
Download our gritting route maps
Footway treatment
Footways are also treated based on priority:
- main shopping areas are treated first
- school, hospital, and commercial area footways may be treated depending on conditions
- residential footways are treated last, as resources allow