Cuil bay sunset, by Natasha Maccallum Millar

Duror & KentallenNews

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BEAR Winter 2025 Road Updates

STORM ÉOWYN

Storm Éowyn blasted into Scotland on Friday 24 January, leaving damage and debris in its wake for many in parts of the North West.Most of the trunk roads on our network remained open although Police Scotland had issued advise to road users not to travel amidst the red weather warning.

Due to high winds, traffic management at the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful could not be operated safely, therefore the road had to be closed at 2pm from the Viewpoint Car Park to Ardgarten, re-opening around 9pm when it was safe to do so.Through Friday and into this week, our teams have been out in force clearing fallen trees and debris to ensure the ongoing safe operations of our trunk roads.

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A MERRY GRIT-MAS FOR NORTH WEST PUPILS

In 2024, we challenged primary school children across the North West of Scotland to come up with names for our new fleet of gritters. Competition was tough with over 800 schools being invited to enter the competition, but we managed to pick worthy winners.

As a thank you for their fantastic suggestions, our gritters paid a visit to winners Fraser (6) and Amy (6) from Luncarty Primary School and eight-year-old Sandy Lowe from Keiss Primary School in Wick.

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NETWORK INVESTMENT

A total of £22.6 million has been invested on the North West network throughout Q4. A range of schemes have been carried out including repairs to Inchbae Bridge, resurfacing at various locations across the network and upgrades on some of our swing bridges. Read more.

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SUCCESSFUL BOULDER REMOVAL

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Emergency repairs on a deteriorating rock face along the A828 between Ledaig and Benderloch were successfully carried out in November. The emergency works were completed promptly, ensuring the continued safety of road users, pedestrians and cyclists. Read more.

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NATIVE TREE PLANTING

At the end of 2024, our landscaping team undertook a project to replant native trees along the A9 near Bankfoot and south of Birnam. Read more.

STORM BERT

Storm Bert swept across Scotland towards the end of November, bringing extreme conditions and travel disruption in its wake. Our winter service team work hard to ensure that we're ready for extreme weather events like Storm Bert. If you've ever wondered how BEAR prepares for storms, check out our video.

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OVER £50K DONATED

Every year BEAR Scotland supports numerous organisations. We're so proud to share that BEAR Scotland donated over £50,000 to 31 charities and 39 community groups in 2024. Read more.

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