The Transport Secretary is thanking trunk road maintenance workers for their efforts to keep Scotland moving so far this winter, and urging travellers to continue to plan ahead during periods of challenging weather.
Scotland has already faced three named storms this winter season, as well as prolonged periods of disruptive snow, ice, rain and high winds. More than 240 gritters have carried out thousands of treatments across the 2179 miles of trunk road in Scotland since the start of winter.
Almost 193,000 tonnes of salt have been used across local and trunk roads so far this winter. Stocks remain healthy, with over 442,000 tonnes held across trunk road operating companies, local authorities and in strategic reserve.
Winter maintenance is part of our year round investment in the trunk road network, which rises to over £714 million in 2025/26, an increase of 4.7%. The increased budget will support our resilience response to severe weather events and deliver on our commitment to maintain a safe and reliable trunk road network.
Fiona Hyslop met the team at BEAR Scotland’s Burghmuir gritter depot in West Lothian to hear about their hard work ensuring the trunk roads in the south east of Scotland continue to operate during challenging weather conditions.
Ms Hyslop said:
“I was really pleased to be able to meet some of our winter teams in person and hear about their ‘round the clock’ efforts which help keep Scotland moving during the challenging winter weather.
“Some of the conditions we‘ve seen over the past weeks, including three named storms, really highlight the vital role they play at this time of year and we very much appreciate their hard work.
“It’s also important to remember that we, as travellers, have a role to play ourselves when the worst of the conditions move in. By planning your journey ahead of time, you can support the hard work of our winter teams across the transport network.
“Drivers should make sure their vehicle is winter ready and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that may be in place. Traffic Scotland provides up-to-date travel information on the trunk road network through its website, X account and internet radio broadcasts. It’s also home to the gritter tracker, which lets you follow our named gritter fleet as winter treatments are carried out in your local area.
“The same advice goes for other modes of transport – if you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, stay in contact with your operator for the latest service information.”
