Highland Council winter road condition and school closure report for Friday 16 January 2026

16th January 2026

Maps of the Council's gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting

The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.

Highland Council road conditions report for Friday 16 January is as follows:

Mid and East Ross, and Black Isle

Posted at: 09:08

A very cold but dry morning. All Priority roads treated along with any others with known water issues. Roads are generally dry, but frozen snow melt is an issue on higher routes where there's still snow on the verges. Road temperatures are not expected to rise much above zero today, and icy patches on any untreated surfaces a possibility. Driver caution advised. No known overnight issues.

Caithness
Posted at: 08:01
Negative road surface temperatures on all routes this morning and a good spread of frost. All routes being treated as per the policy. No known issues to report overnight.

Sutherland
Posted at: 07:53
Frost throughout the area with some icy patches reported, all routes currently being treated in order of priority. No known issues overnight.

Skye and Raasay
Posted at: 07:32
Road surface temperatures remaining around freezing, treatment on routes and footpaths as per gritting priorities. No other known overnight issues reported.

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh
Posted at: 08:35
Road surface temperatures fell sharply through the night. Precautionary gritting was launched and a full winter call-out was called this morning including footways. Reports of cold but dry conditions. Air temps dipping to -6 on some routes. No known issues overnight.

Lochaber
Posted at: 08:20
Low road surface temperatures, wet and damp roads with some icy patches. No known issues overnight.

Nairn
Posted at: 07:28
Negative temperatures throughout the area this morning with frost and ice covering the network. All routes as well as footpaths being treated as per policy. No known overnight issues.

Inverness
Posted at: 05:37
Frosty start to the morning with icy patches on untreated surfaces. Treating all routes and footpaths as per policy, No known overnight issues.

Badenoch and Strathspey
Posted at: 07:28
Negative temperatures throughout the area this morning with frost and ice covering the network. All gritting routes including footpaths being treated as per policy. No known overnight issues.

Check for school closures at www.highland.gov.uk/schoolclosures - please note that this page is cleared at 4pm each day (Monday to Friday).

Follow our social media channels to keep up to date with Highland Council road issues - X @HighlandCouncil and Facebook.

For information on Trunk Roads follow @trafficscotland.

Information and flooding advice is available on our website.

Information on weather warnings is available on the Met Office website.

For information on power cuts, visit SSEN website.

SEPA are the Scottish Environment Protection Agency - SEPA.