Roads in the Highlands will receive improvements as the Scottish Government invests £2.2 million to help improve the transport of timber.

The money, which will go to Highland Council and a private project at Gorteneorn, is co-financed and drawn from the Strategic Timber Transport Fund which is managed by Scottish Forestry.

The funding goes mostly to improve minor roads – improving surfaces, widening corners, adding traffic calming measures or providing passing places.

The Scottish Government has said all these measures will help keep the flow of timber moving to market and reduce impacts on local communities.

Announcing the funding, Màiri McAllan, Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform said: “A green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is imperative and, as part of that, we are committed to supporting our forestry sector given its role in our transition to net zero.

“The sector also provides thousands of jobs and generates around £1 billion to our economy each year. By improving our timber transport network we can help the industry get its timber to market and ensure economic benefits continue. It will also reduce the effects that timber lorries can have on small local communities.”

In the last five years, the Scottish Government has invested around £41 million through the fund into over 200 timber transport projects, helping over 55 million tonnes of timber get to market.

Pic-Creel Consulting