The contract to dual the Tomatin to Moy section of the A9 will be awarded in the next month, Scotland’s transport secretary has confirmed.

Cabinet secretary for transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP, said three bids have been received for the work to upgrade the six-mile stretch of road, says The Northern Times.

Ms Hyslop spoke at a Conservative-led a debate at Holyrood on the topic of “improving Scotland’s roads” yesterday.

The SNP MSP was responding to claims from Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson, who branded Scotland’s roads as “not fit for purpose due to 17 years of SNP neglect”.