Travel disruption across Scotland caused by high winds and heavy rain brought in by Storm Bram has given front line services a taste of what is fast becoming a regular fixture, writes Peter Brown.
Severe weather is increasingly more likely now than ever before. Representatives from Transport Scotland, Police Scotland and the Met Office were joined by CalMac and trunk road operating companies to remind the travelling public that difficult conditions can present a challenge at any time of year.
It means tackling more than just snow and ice over the winter period. Now gale force winds to flooding and landslides, means road haulage face potentially long delays when making deliveries from a plethora of weather conditions.
This winter, there will be around 240 gritters undertaking patrols of the trunk road network, spreading salt and ploughing snow from around 40 depots across Scotland.
The annual winter service runs until 15 May 2026 and will include dedicated snow plans for key routes like the M8, M74, M77, M80 and AWPR, and improved mitigation, detection and management of ice on the Queensferry Crossing.
There is 497,000 tonnes of salt currently in stock, which is more than was used for the entirety of last winter.
Cabinet secretary for transport Fiona Hyslop said: “Severe weather has traditionally been associated with winter, snow, ice and gritters. However, we just have to look back at the impact of Storm Amy and Storm Floris to realise that we can face challenging conditions at any time of year.
“We can see the real impact of climate change almost every day, be it on our television screens or through social media. Today gives us a chance to highlight all of the preparation that is put in place ahead of winter by our transport operators and resilience partners, as well as an opportunity to look at the hard work being carried out behind the scenes to cope with severe weather.
“It’s also important that travellers continue to plan ahead when the conditions take a turn for the worse.
“The Met Office’s named storm process and Traffic Scotland‘s gritter tracker have all helped raise awareness of the issue but the public also have a role to play – from drivers making sure their vehicles are winter ready to commuters on the rail and ferry networks checking with operators ahead of time to see how services are affected.
“Because of climate change we are seeing more frequent heavy rain and more weather extremes throughout the year. We heard from experts today across all transport modes about what they are doing to prepare, as it’s vital we all work together to face the challenge and keep Scotland moving.”
Modern technology is once again at the forefront of managing severe weather, explained national operations manager for resilience at Transport Scotland Martin Thomson
“In addition to work on the Queensferry Crossing to mitigate ice, a new advanced weather forecasting system, new sensors to provide early warning of risk levels, and automatic barriers are now in play, if required,” he said.
“Effective communications with the public and stakeholders is also critical. We know from recent named storms that, alongside Police Scotland, Traffic Scotland is one of the most trusted sources and a voice of authority.”
Resilience structures in Scotland bring together a multi-agency approach from a national level to local partnerships said the head of road policing chief superintendent Scott McCarren.
“Every agency has a role to prepare, respond and recover from severe weather,” he continued.
“Resilience structures in Scotland bring together a multi-agency approach from a national level to local partnerships. Every agency has a role to prepare, respond and recover from severe weather.
“We have police officers embedded with Transport Scotland to work alongside trunk road operating companies, gaining a joint overview of traffic management. Hardworking frontline officers will be responding on the ground and in communities across Scotland, doing their best in what can be extremely difficult conditions.
“Everyone can help emergency services by planning ahead, check for road closures in advance, pay attention to weather warnings and listen to travel advice.”
For the head of operations at CalMac Finlay MacRae, running ‘lifeline services within a complex marine landscape’ means that challenging weather conditions can affect its ability to operate effectively.
“The safety and comfort of our customers takes priority, which is why weather can lead to cancellations,” he added.
“Planning is key when it comes to severe weather, so we actively take part in resilience partnerships and planning events across our network with emergency services, local authorities, and other transport providers.
“Communication is also vital, and we strive to deliver clear messages as early as possible with customers digitally and through frontline staff when significant weather events are forecast.
“Today’s event gives us the opportunity to share good practice and to recognise the importance of working together.”
