1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204 
Don't let it get on top of you
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Scottish operators should prepare for more landslides due to global
warming. David Harris reports.
GLOBAL WARMING is likely to cause more landslides on Scottish roads like those last summer, according to a new report.
The study published by the Scottish Executive warns that increased rainfall is likely to pose risks for Scottish roads, threatening businesses and tourism alike. Last August alone there were three landslides onto major roads after three times as much rainfall as normal fell that month in parts of Scotland.
The narrowness of many Highland roads means that operators whose vehicles are blocked face particular difficulties because they cannot easily turn around.
Calum Boyd, director of Fort Williambased Boyd Bros,says: "When the road is closed you just have no turning point, so you are stuck. We've had vehicles left overnight on the road before, but luckily so far we have missed the long-term blockages."
Boyd suggests that better drainage would be a key element in reducing the risk of landslides, while more turning places would help make the consequences of landslides less troublesome. The Executive's study concluded that although last August was a particularly difficult period because of high rainfall, future landslides could happen at any time of year.
Roads believed to be particularly vulnerable include the A83 between Ardgarten and Loch Shira; the A87 in Glenshiel; and the A82 between Fort Augustus and Lochend.
However,the report admits that solving the problem is likely to be more difficult than analysing it, because it is not clear where money can be best spent.