Back to HOMEPAGE Without a 4x4 many country roads have
been impassable for weeks
during the prolonged freeze
James Irvine
Editor: www.land-care.org.uk
Filed 10Jan10
©www.land-care.org.uk
mm
This country road was untreated for weeks, making it impassable
for vehicles other than 4x4's.
There were no postal deliveries for weeks and still no refuse collection.
The trouble is not the depth but the impaction of snow,
giving a very slippery surface.
Photo © Kimpton Graphics
The deep freeze over the UK has lasted since the middle of December (1) and continues. Although the part of Perthshire where Cultybraggan Farm is located has got off relatively lightly compared to other areas, it has certainly been bad enough. Temperatures have been consistently overnight in the region of -10degC (and often less) and rising to -4degC (and often less) during the day. There has been no thaw so far.
In rural areas this has caused major problems in providing livestock with drinking water, and if out-wintered, providing them with sufficient feed. Even with housed cattle, the problem of repeatedly having to thaw pipes taking water to the troughs has made it necessary to abandon feeding them the cattle cake that helps maintain their nutrition and which normally supplements silage. When feeding dry cake to cattle it is essential that they have an abundant and continuous water supply. Otherwise the cattle can become seriously, and possibly fatally, ill.
But another problem is the road access to the farm. While Cultybraggan Farm is no where near as isolated as other farms in the area or in Scotland generally, there are nevertheless plenty problems with the access road. While tractors and 4x4 vehicles can manage, ordinary cars and lorries find many such rural roads inaccessible because of compacted snow and ice. Delivery services have been severely restricted. The little post vans are ill-equipped for such conditions. There has been no refuse collection for weeks. Yet Cultybraggan Farm is only a mile from the large village of Comrie and the access road is mainly flat.
Yet in common with most other places such a minor public road (which leads on up Glen Artney) received no attention from Perth & Kinross Council that I am aware of until very recently. Much more severe problems have been experienced by those served by the road the runs up Glen Lednock in the same region of Perthshire.
Magnus Linklater writing in The TImes articulates - in commendably clear and unequivocal manner - the problems he encountered in the hills of Perthshire.
But why should this be so?
Take for example the region of Comrie. There are a number of agricultural contractors and farmers in the area, all of whom have substantial 4-wheel-drive tractors and a variety of plant. Most of them would have space to store grit and possibly rock salt. If they were provided with contracts to deal with local minor roads, they could provide themselves with a snowplough as an attachment to a high HP tractor. Likewise, a suitable attachment to a tractor would spread grit and salt over short local distance. The great advantage would be that the roads would be cleared of snow at an early stage, rather than waiting until it is compacted and much hard to deal with.
Such an arrangement did happen in the Comrie area, but only after weeks of delay with much disruption of the rural economy quite apart from personal hardship (3).
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2009). The prolonged freeze during the last fortnight of 2009
See HOMEPAGE, filed 31Dec09, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
2. Linklater, Magnus (2010). Like Miss Smilla, I now have a feeling for snow
See HOMEPAGE, filed 01Jan10, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
3. Watson, Joe (2010). Lack of grit and determination.
Press & Journal, 9th January 2010 Click Here to View
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