Auckengill residents, including a nurse, were forced to dig out Rockhill Road themselves after heavy snowdrifts blocked access, while council gritters cleared nearby routes
Local Nurse Highlights Snow-Clearing Issues in Auckengill
An interview with a hospital nurse living on a side road in Auckengill shows local frustration with Highland Council’s snow-clearing efforts.
Donna Mather, a nurse at Dunbar Hospital in Thurso, described how heavy snowdrifts on Rockhill Road reached the windows of her vehicle, trapping her and preventing her from attending her shifts.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Nurse’s Name | Donna Mather |
| Hospital | Dunbar Hospital, Thurso |
| Road Affected | Rockhill Road, Auckengill |
| Vehicle | Mitsubishi L200 |
| Time of Call for Help | 6 AM |
| Number of Households | Seven |
| Council Response | Ignored Rockhill Road |
Vehicles were trapped on Rockhill Road. Residents watched helplessly as gritters drove past on the A99. Donna said, “I’ve got a Mitsubishi L200, and it wouldn’t go through the deep snowdrifts. I had to leave at 6 AM, so I rang my husband, who was still in bed, and he had to come and dig me out of the truck, which was stuck in a snowdrift.”
She added, “I couldn’t open the doors as the snow was up to the windows.” The road sits lower than the surrounding fields, causing snow to drift into it and make it impassable. Despite multiple calls from several households, the council reportedly ignored Rockhill Road while clearing a neighboring loop road four times.
On Wednesday, Donna said, “We have all requested that the road be cleared, but it is still not done. I have missed going to work twice. The gritter has just been and cleared the road next to us for the fourth time and has not done ours.”
She mentioned, “None of the other neighbors have a 4 x 4. During this time, we had a dog whelp and had to get her and the puppies to the vets. We had to use a quad and then a truck, which got stuck again.”
“Only the kindness of the neighbors meant that she got the treatment she needed. We now have to dig out the road ourselves today or tomorrow. I will have to walk down to the main road at 5:30 AM.”
People from the seven houses on Rockhill Road, mostly aged over 50, gathered and cleared the road themselves late on Wednesday. Donna claims there was little communication from Highland Council. As a nurse caring for elderly patients, she expressed concern over the safety implications of being snowed in.
When staff cannot reach the hospital, current employees are forced to stay beyond their long shifts, and patient care can be compromised due to lower staffing levels. Donna says her occupation should warrant prioritized access, as healthcare facilities must remain staffed 24 hours a day.
She feels that their community pays the same taxes as those on cleared roads but remains “neglected by a council that lacks local knowledge.”
“While neighbors have managed to clear a path for now, the sense of being treated poorly by local authorities remains high,” she adds.
A Highland Council spokesperson said, “The Highland Council maintains the longest road network of any local authority in Scotland. Due to the vast distances involved, it is not possible to treat every road during periods of severe weather. To keep communities moving safely, we follow a strict, well-established priority system that focuses first on Primary and Secondary routes.”
Highland Council said its gritters are working to improve conditions as quickly as possible. “We are fully prepared for winter resilience, with robust salt supplies across all depots. Our 120 gritter lorries and over 200 operational staff are currently deployed to treat priority and secondary routes as well as footpaths. Grit bins across the region are also being replenished for local use, as resources allow.”
“You can find our winter gritting policy and helpful information at: www.highland.gov.uk/readyforwinter,” the spokesperson added. The council appreciates the public’s patience and understanding as its crews work tirelessly to keep the network safe.
