A Fort William gritter driver has been honoured as Scotland’s gritter driver of the year after successfully clearing a hazardous Glencoe route on challenging winter shifts
The winter roads of the Highlands don’t forgive mistakes. On 26/02/a Fort William gritter driver was crowned Scotland’s gritter driver of the year — a quiet, hard-won honour that puts a spotlight on the routine bravery that keeps communities moving through snow, ice and gale.
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation.
Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.
Why this matters Gritting doesn’t grab headlines until a pass closes or ambulances can’t reach patients. Yet it’s frontline public safety: it cuts accidents, keeps deliveries flowing and allows emergency services to do their jobs.
There’s also a practical environmental angle. Smarter, targeted treatments reduce the amount of salt used, limit harmful run‑off into soils and waterways, and lower fuel wasted by vehicles idling at closures. In short, efficiency here saves money, time and environmental damage.
What set the Fort William route apart The A82 through Glencoe combines steep gradients with wildly shifting temperatures and exposure to spray from the coast. These conditions produce short-lived ice that only reveals itself for a few minutes. The winner’s strength was timing — matching spread rates and pre‑wet systems to small treatment windows rather than relying on rigid timetables. That approach meant fewer repeat runs, quicker reopenings and less material wasted.
Operational impact Beyond safer roads, the benefits are concrete: supply chains stayed open during cold snaps, school routes remained passable, and emergency vehicles kept their lines of access. Local authorities credited her route management for preventing minor incidents from cascading into full closures. That sort of everyday reliability is exactly what awards like this aim to highlight.
Practical lessons for others Communities and contractors can replicate these gains without magic tools. Key steps include: – Detailed route mapping that captures microclimates and vulnerability points. – Simple road‑surface sensors and real‑time weather stations integrated with fleet telematics. – Training that focuses on local judgement — when to treat, when to wait, and how to adjust spreading rates.
These measures let crews target interventions more precisely, cutting fuel use, material costs and environmental impacts. Several councils already run small pilots pairing mobile sensor kits with adaptive timetables and report fewer repeat treatments and faster reopenings.
Technology, technique and human skill Modern gritters are sophisticated machines: spreaders, tanks, pre‑wet systems and telematics all play a part. But equipment only goes so far. The driver’s role is to translate data into decisions on the move — adjusting speed, spread rate and route priorities as conditions change. Long shifts in freezing temperatures and poor visibility test concentration, so fatigue management and thoughtful shift design matter as much as mechanical know‑how.
Human qualities such as patience, persistence and local experience are often what tip the balance between a successful clearance and an escalating incident. The Fort William winner combined mechanical competence with an instinctive feel for when a bend, bridge or layby needs a second pass.
Wider benefits and workforce development Recognising individual excellence does more than boost morale; it sets practical benchmarks. Awards raise the profile of maintenance standards, encourage shared learning and make a case for investment in better spreaders, sensors and training. For recruitment and retention, visibility matters. Clear career pathways, modular apprenticeships and accredited training make the role attractive to new entrants — especially when employers can show measurable outcomes like fewer closures, lower overtime and improved coverage.
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation. Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.0
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation. Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.1
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation. Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.2
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation. Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.3
Neighbours, council officers and fellow drivers applauded her steady hand and deep local knowledge. She runs one of the trickiest stretches of the A82 through Glencoe, where steep hills, salt spray from the loch and razor‑thin patches of black ice can turn a routine shift into a high-stakes operation. Her award recognises not only good technique, but the judgement that comes from seasons spent learning how a road behaves in microclimates.4
