Highland Council Winter Road Conditions report - Friday 20 January 2023
Maps of the Council’s gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Road condition reports for Friday 20 January 2023 are as follows:
Ross & Cromarty (East) (as at 10:27): Priority 1 and 2 roads are good with no serious issues. Hard packed ice still causing some problems on other, less trafficked side roads and streets. All routes being treated. Lots of footpaths throughout the area are still very icy. Treatment to footpaths is ongoing but the ice is stubborn and hard to shift. Caution is advised.
Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh (as at 08:42): The Bealach na Bà road remains closed. An attempt to reopen it is ongoing. Hard overnight frost across the network. Road side temperatures and air temperatures hitting minus 8. Very icy conditions on all routes. Extreme caution is advised when traveling on roads this morning. Called out this morning to the Achiltibuie road to aid in recovery following a road traffic collision. Treatment of roads is ongoing. The coast road is passable with care.
Lochaber (as at 08:20): Cold with icy stretches on all routes this morning. Treatments being carried out in priority order. No issues reported overnight.
Caithness (as at 08:09): Areas of black ice around on most routes with sparkle areas. All routes being treated as well as foot paths. No over night issues reported.
Badenoch and Strathspey (as at 07:41): Icy patches throughout the area. All routes to be treated with priority given to Primary and Secondary routes. No known overnight issues. Update at 09:18: The B9007 Duthil to Ferness road is currently closed and expected to reopen at 3pm.
Nairn (as at 07:37): Frost and icy patches throughout the area. All routes to be treated today with priority given to Primary and Secondary Routes. No known overnight issues.
Inverness (as at 06:12): Main roads black but icy. Still a covering of hardpacked/frozen snow on side roads. All gritters heading out to treat their routes.
Sutherland (as at 09:39): A good sparkle on the west coast. Black/sheet ice on the inland & east coast routes with residue of frozen slush in places. Hand salting the hills. Secondary routes treated as resources permit. No known overnight issues.
Skye and Raasay (as at 08:35): Cold night with current road surface temperatures well below zero. Widespread icy patches throughout. Treatment ongoing on Primary & Secondary routes and will continue onto other routes as available resources allow.
School closures
The school closures page on the Council’s website at: https://www.highland.gov.uk/schoolclosures is updated from 7am and cleared each evening by 6pm.
Get alerts of closures on Highland Council’s Twitter and Facebook. Or phone 0800 564 2272 to get the latest pre-recorded message from head teachers regarding their school. Have the school's PIN ready when you call.