The A9 was closed unexpectedly north of Inverness for almost two weeks over the last three years, according to statistics from Transport Scotland.
The figures, revealed in a Freedom of Information request from a member of the public, show the length of time the road was closed on each occasion.
The A9 is a vital route for people in Caithness. Picture: John Davidson
No reason is given for the closures, but they are generally due to crashes or weather-related problems on the trunk road.
When added together, they show that in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the A9 between Inverness and Scrabster was closed for 334 hours – or just under 14 full days.
Campaigners and local politicians in the far north have been pushing for more localised services such as maternity and mental health provision due to what they say are the dangers of the 100-mile-plus journey.
The person who requested the information from Transport Scotland wanted to highlight the problems the closure of the A9 presents to people in the far north.
They said: “MP Jamie Stone has invited the First Minister John Swinney to Caithness to experience the A9 – like thousands of individuals do every year – which is often blocked because of road accidents, treacherous weather or packed with campervans doing the North Coast 500.
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“It means patients such as pregnant women, children seeing an orthodontist and those attending New Craigs can’t access treatment which has been centralised by his government.
“When will Mr Swinney and the transport minister Fiona Hyslop travel to Caithness and experience the A9?”
Transport Scotland explained that the vast majority of closures are due to serious incidents, and said it was ultimately a decision for the police whether to close the road.
A spokesperson added that operating company BEAR Scotland has regular engagement with emergency services on planned maintenance works on this section of the trunk road network.
Jamie Stone has called for a safety audit on the journey required to access health services.
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: “These figures are damning proof of something that I have long believed – that the Scottish Government completely and utterly fails to take into account the risk factor of a patient travelling the long distance to Inverness for medical treatment of all kinds, including giving birth, during the winter months.
“Time and time again I have asked for a safety audit and the response from the SNP has been a deafening silence.
“I am extremely grateful to the person who has brought this information out into the open and, to be honest, I hope that it shames the Scottish Government into finally doing something about this appalling situation.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The 2025-26 Budget, if approved by parliament, will provide a record £21.7 billion for health and social care, including a commitment to provide £16.2 billion for NHS boards to deliver key services.
“We expect boards to plan and deliver services to meet the needs of local populations, our role is to set the national policy and direction and create the conditions for local implementation. This is particularly relevant in rural and island areas where we know that sustainability can be challenging.
“Sustainable service reform requires collaboration across our NHS and therefore we have convened a rural and island board-led working group to consider how reform can improve sustainability of care, maximise access and ensure equity of outcomes for all communities.
“As part of the work, the group will seek to define ‘core services’ that should be delivered locally, balancing these with the need for specialised care which may be provided outside the local area where clinically appropriate to ensure the best outcomes for patients.”