A Thurso councillor has slammed the SNP government for failing to invest in roads after another landslip occurred at Scrabster.
Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Matthew Reiss highlighted the issue in a social media post in which he blames Maree Todd – the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross – for her party’s failure to improve the county’s road infrastructure.
Picture taken by Thurso councillor Matthew Reiss showing the landslip on the A9 road at Scrabster.
As Caithness thaws out after a severe wintry spell, roads and surrounding land are being flooded by melting ice and snow with landslips becoming more likely as a result. The hill leading into Scrabster has a recurring issue with mud and stones sloughing onto the road below and affecting access to the busy Caithness port.
In a public post on his Facebook page, Cllr Reiss wrote: “Another year, another A9 landslip at Scrabster.
Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Matthew Reiss slams the SNP for failing to invest in Caithness roads.
“And a new year’s message to our MSP Maree Todd MSP: no more excuses please – finally start spending some of our money on our A9. Multi-million pound businesses, the Scrabster Lifeboat, our Orcadian friends, all Caithness depend on this road. I, and others, have been asking for years for a solution to be found for this most northerly section of the A9.
“Please don’t say you’ll write another letter to your Government or arrange a Focus Group and don’t blame other politicians, Covid or the Loch Ness Monster. Instead, support Caithness, fight for your constituents and get some proper investment in the A9, not in a decade’s time but now – please – before it’s too late.”
Maree Todd MSP at the Caithness coast. Ms Todd pointed out a programme of roadworks outlined in a letter from Fiona Hyslop, the cabinet secretary for transport. Picture supplied
The far north MSP was sent a copy of the text written by Cllr Reiss and replied: “I recognise that the A9 north of Inverness is an essential route for my constituents in Caithness, and I understand the concerns surrounding certain parts of the road.
“I am aware of the history of landslips near Scrabster, which is why I was pleased to hear from the cabinet secretary for transport, Fiona Hyslop, that investigative work on landslide mitigation is planned here this financial year.
“I look forward to seeing progress on this.”
A close-up view of the picture taken by Cllr Reiss showing the landslide debris covering half of the road at Scrabster.
According to Traffic Scotland, there is landscape maintenance work being carried out at two areas of the A9 at Scrabster which will continue until Thursday (January 16). Portable traffic lights are currently in operation at the site. This work is presumably part of the scheduled “landslide remediation” work at Scrabster mentioned in a letter Ms Todd shared from the transport secretary.
Scrabster Harbour is a vital port in the far north as highlighted by last year’s visit of the cruise ship AIDAsol which boosted local tourism. Picture: DGS
Also in the letter, dated November 28 last year, Fiona Hyslop adds: “Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government.
“We assess the safety performance of the trunk road network on an annual basis by screening all locations where three or more personal injury accidents have occurred in a three-year period.
“This robust, evidence-based approach ensures that the funding available can be prioritised to those locations that offer the possibility of delivering the greatest casualty accident savings.”
Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for transport, sent a letter showing that there was scheduled maintenance to be carried out at the area where the landslips regularly occur at Scrabster.
Speaking to the Caithness Courier, Cllr Reiss said: “The A9 in Caithness and Sutherland must be sorted and now – no more stalling, excuses or warm words.
“We need hard cash for basic maintenance and modest improvements – a small amount would go a long way. Why has there been total silence from the Scottish Government for years? Where is the serious commitment? It seems to be located somewhere south of Drumochter.”
Local campaigner with Caithness Roads Recovery, Iain Gregory said: “Once again the A9 at Scrabster has been partly blocked by yet another landslip. It is long past time that action was taken to effect a permanent fix to this recurring issue, and we call on the Scottish Government to make sure that this happens.
Iain Gregory from Caithness Roads Recovery talked about the need for investment. Picture: Alan Hendry
“The A9 does not stop at Inverness. It actually runs to Scrabster, which is a vital port and ferry terminal, and we need the same level of attention as would be given if such a problem arose in Inverness or, heaven forbid, Edinburgh.
“I note that this time we were not advised that ‘motorists should take an alternative route’, which is at least a slight improvement over what happened on the previous occasion.”
Mr Gregory refers to the fact that there is no alternative route into the busy port of Scrabster.
A spokesperson for BEAR Scotland, which maintains the A9 route, said: “On 31 December 2024, a minor landslide occurred on the A9 Trunk Road near Scrabster Harbour, with additional material falling on 1 January 2025. BEAR Scotland, on behalf of Transport Scotland, promptly secured the site for public safety until a full geotechnical assessment was completed.
“The inspection has been conducted, and debris removal is scheduled for Tuesday, 14 January. The stone wall will be rebuilt in the following days. A temporary ‘Give and Take’ traffic management system remains in place and will continue briefly while monitoring the slope’s stability and addressing any further risks.”
BEAR further states that the current landslip occurred at a different part of the slope from where work was done last year.
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