'Welcome to the Moon- caution craters' sign appears on road in Caithness plagued by potholes

A sign reading “Welcome to the Moon – caution craters” has appeared on a Highland road marred by problems with potholes.

The message which was stuck over an official Welcome to Caithness signpost at the Ord of Caithness at the county’s boundary with Sutherland was described as “clearly a light-hearted April Fool’s Day gesture by a no doubt frustrated and despairing motorist”.

However, the sign “serves to highlight a very serious problem, which is having a highly detrimental effect upon the lives of people across Caithness” said Iain Gregory, from Caithness Roads Recovery campaign group.

Councillors in the area recently agreed to invest £60m in roads and transport infrastructure.

Caithness Roads Recovery have been gathering evidence of the state of local public roads, and has called for urgent permanent repairs.

Mr Gregory said: “The Highland Council ‘maintained’ roads in Caithness are in a truly dire condition, with many streets, rural routes, and even main roads, in a truly desperate state.

The group have been campaigning for urgent permanent repairs to local roads. Caithness Roads Recovery

“Daily, people are suffering huge repair bills, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and horse riders are forced to negotiate what are, in many cases, little more than rutted tracks, and demands for action are growing rapidly.

“The A9, and the A99 to Wick – maintained by Bear Scotland – are not an issue. The problems exist with the council roads network, and it is quite clear that Highland Council simply do not have – and never will have – the funds to put things right. Caithness Roads Recovery has argued for the past three years that the Scottish Government – and Westminster – have a duty to intervene, to provide the urgent funds required, and to ensure the safety of their citizens.”

Highland Council’s economy and infrastructure committee chairman Ken Gowans said on Thursday: “The road maintenance our teams are undertaking throughout Highland is stellar, we are also testing equipment that some consider light years ahead.”

Mr Gregory responded: “Whilst I greatly admire the councillor’s equally light-hearted cosmic allusions, and his commendable ability with words, I do have to say that if one has a look at Caithness roads, one might be better to remember that – as we are now within the Zodiac sign of Aries – it is time to recall that this is the season for ‘embracing new beginnings’.”