End of the road for long-serving Highland civil engineer

11th April 2014

Sam MacNaughton, The Highland Council’s Head of Transport and Infrastructure today (Friday) retires after 44 years service in local government during which time he has secured many millions of pounds of investment in the Highlands to improve the Highland transport network.

Sam, who hails from Lochaber, is married to Anne and they have three daughters, Mairi, Sarah and Chirsty.

During his service with Inverness County Council, Highland Regional Council and The Highland Council, he has designed roads and bridges, has been a transportation specialist, a contract administrator, and has been the lead Council officer in many schemes and developments.

He has also had close involvement in the training and professional development of his staff. He has seen many colleagues become chartered or incorporated engineers, thanks to his input and guidance as team leader, Head of Service and Supervising Civil Engineer.

Building major marine installations is a real challenge and Sam has led the design and construction of major marine projects including the new harbours at Kinlochbervie and Lochinver, the ferry terminals for the Small Isles and Inverie, the new ferry terminal at Raasay, and the refurbishment of the Nether Lochaber Slipway at the Corran Ferry.

Sam and his team have delivered a number of major flood schemes including the River Ness which is currently under construction. Again, it was Sam’s foresight in getting the Flood Prevention Order in place for the River Ness at an early date that allowed the Council to apply for Scottish Government grant.

Over the last few decades Sam has been involved in the design and construction of many roads and bridges schemes throughout the Highlands including, the Saltire award winning Mallaig road upgrade, the Achnasheen road and Kylesku Bridge as well as the Southern Distributor and Friars Bridge in Inverness. Perhaps the one project Sam will be best remembered for is the Inverness West Link Road.

The West Link Road is only the final part of the Inverness Southern Distributor Road, a decades-long project which has seen the creation of a new road that links the A9/Inshes in the East, with the proposed crossings of the River Ness and the Canal, to the A82 in the West.

Stuart Black, Director of Development and Infrastructure, said: “Sam has been involved in many and varied civil engineering projects throughout his career with the Council, all of which have helped local communities, and he should be very proud of the legacy he has left for the Highlands. He has never lost his enthusiasm for his work and will be a huge miss to the Council.”