Highland Council’s local road crews showed just how valuable they are to our communities when they worked flat-out to re-open a key road in Skye following a landslide last Friday evening (2nd Oct).
The A855 near Uig, in the north of the island, was successfully re-opened on Wednesday 7th October.
The speedy and diligent efforts displayed by the roads staff, engineers and contractors to complete the job has rightly earned widespread praise.
Councillor John Finlayson, chair of Highland Council’s Skye and Raasay Committee, said: “Despite the unforeseen disruption the landslide has caused it is really important to acknowledge the sterling efforts of the roads team to clear the 300 tons of landslide debris and then stabilise the area with rock armour.
“The team responded immediately after the incident and worked flat out to get the road open as soon as possible.
“The speed with which they got the work done has to be applauded. I would like to thank Road Operations Manager Andrew Bone and all his team for working so hard to get the road re- opened in such a short timescale which I also know is hugely appreciated by all the communities in the Trotternish area of Skye.”
The incident was first reported by Police Scotland just before 5.30pm on Friday 2 October, after a substantial amount of landslip material had blocked the Idrigill Township Road (U4772), requiring an immediate response from the council’s roads team.
Debris blocked the road
Roads staff, engineers and contractors were quickly mobilised to assess the damage, make the area safe and begin clearing debris.
Following inspections, the decision was made to keep the road closed while essential stabilisation and drainage works were carried out.
Over the following days, teams worked hard to clear the landslip material, redirect water away from the affected area, improve drainage and install rock armour to stabilise the site. Regular safety inspections were also undertaken throughout the closure.
Behind the scenes, there was excellent coordination between Roads Operations, engineers, contractors, Traffic Management, Corporate Communications and emergency services. Regular updates were provided to councillors, community councils, local schools and the wider public to ensure everyone was kept informed.
Rock armour helped stabilise the affected bank
Particular efforts were made to support local schools, with arrangements put in place to maintain essential access during the closure and minimise disruption wherever possible.
Thanks to the dedication and collaborative efforts of everyone involved, the necessary works were completed and the A855 successfully reopened at 15:28 on Wednesday 7 October.
This was a great example of teams working together under challenging circumstances, responding quickly to an emergency and prioritising public safety while restoring a vital route for the local community.
Below is a timeline showing how the incident unfolded, and how our team responded:
Friday 2 October
- 17:28: Call from Police Scotland to the Out of Hours line reporting a landslip on the A855 at Idrigill bends, with landslip material blocking the Idrigill Township Road (U4772). Police closed the road.
- 17:31: Local council foreman advises and arranges for a team to go out to the site, with crew arriving within 45 minutes.
- Public messaging confirms closure and the process begins to clear landslip materials. Communities and the wider public are kept informed and updated of closure arrangements.
- 23:00: Team return home from the site.
Saturday 3 October
- 08:00: Engineer and Roads Operations Manager and team on site to further inspect the landslip and to discuss work required.
- 10:15-onwards: Inspection advises the road will remain closed for the weekend. Messaging and signage are put in place, with arrangements made to allow school access.
- 17:00: Idrigill Township Road is cleared from landslide materials.
Sunday 4 October
- 08:00 –17:00: Road is checked by staff to ensure it is stable. Closure remains in place with no traffic. Quarry is contacted to arrange for rock armour to be available.
Monday 5 October
- 08:00: Materials are collected from Sconser Quarry to be taken to Uig. Team and traffic management on site.
- 18:00: Works for the day completed. A Gully Sucker is organised to be taken over the next day from the Ross and Cromarty Roads Squad to clear gullies on the Idrigill Road.
Tuesday 6 October
- 08:00: Engineer attends to discuss drainage work. Stabilisation work continues for the day until 6pm.
Wednesday 7 October
- 08:00: Engineer attends again and team continues to work at the closure and on drainage.
- 15:28: Road is re-opened to all traffic.