In the Highlands, winter on the roads starts earlier than in the rest of Britain. The Highland Council launched its winter road service on Wednesday 14 October. It is responsible for 6,787km of roads in the region.
- Hours: gritters run seven days a week, from 6am to 9pm, when the weather allows. There is no overnight service. On public holidays, crews start only at 7am.
- Resources: at the start of the season the council has about 35,000 tonnes of salt, more than 100 gritters and footpath tractors, and over 200 staff.
- Trunk roads, such as the A9 or the A82, are not the council’s responsibility – they are managed by Transport Scotland through Bear Scotland and Amey.
- Priorities: roads are treated in order of priority, so minor and quiet routes may remain untreated for a long time.
Councillor Ken Gowans warned that in severe frost salt will not stop roads icing over, especially on low-traffic roads. The council also reminds drivers about black ice, which cannot be seen, and about dawn frost on wet surfaces.
Firework displays in the Highlands
According to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) list, events planned in the region include:
- Inverness, Bught Park – Thursday 5 November, 5pm–8pm, bonfire at 6pm, fireworks at 7pm (about 20 minutes).
- Dornoch, Dornoch Square – Thursday 5 November, 6.30pm–7.30pm.
- Ullapool, West Terrace – Friday 6 November, bonfire at 6.15pm, fireworks at 7pm.
- Aviemore, Macdonald Aviemore Resort – Saturday 7 November, from 6pm.
- Rosemarkie (by the beach café) – Sunday 8 November, bonfire at 6pm, fireworks at 6.30pm.
- Glenfinnan (5 November) and Spean Bridge (7 November) – details still to be confirmed.
What it means for you
Since the clocks went back on 25 October, it gets dark before 5pm, so the journey home from work or from a firework display now happens after dark. An analysis of Department for Transport data for 2022–2025 by Marshall Motor Group shows that in Scotland the number of collisions between 4pm and 7pm rose by 45.6% after the autumn clock change – the highest increase in Britain. If you commute early in the morning or late in the evening, you may find a road that has not yet been gritted.
Our assessment
The council is better prepared than in many previous seasons, but the lack of an overnight service and the route priorities mean that on minor roads drivers must rely on themselves. For transport, construction and care businesses working outside 6am–9pm, this is a real risk that should be built into rotas and route plans.
What to do
- Check the gritting route map for your area: highland.gov.uk/gritting.
- Read the Highland Council’s winter advice: Ready for Winter.
- If your community or business would like a grit bin, ask your Area Roads Office about the Winter Resilience Programme.
- Before setting off, check the forecast and warnings from the Met Office, and on trunk roads – Traffic Scotland.
- Check the date and time of a display just before you go on the SFRS list – some details are still to be confirmed.
Sources: The Highland Council – “The Highland Council is ready for winter” (12.10.2026); Scottish Fire and Rescue Service – Organised firework events 2026; Insurance Edge – analysis of DfT data (22.10.2026).
We assess factual corrections and substantive responses. Verified changes are reflected in our reporting.
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