THE MAIN trunk roads in Badenoch and Strathspey were badly affected by black ice yesterday (Tuesday) causing major problems for motorists heading to work.

There was a spate of accidents in the morning on the A9 Inverness-Perth road which, in recent years, has been kept in pretty good condition by contractor Scotland Transerv, even during the two latest winters of heavy snow.

The A95, looked after by BEAR Scotland - who have not performed so well - was also in a very hazardous state yesterday and, at times, it was more like tackling the Cresta Run than the commute between Aviemore and Grantown.

The freeze-thaw cycle of the past few days does provide a huge challenge to the individual road contractors which can be on a par with heavy snowfalls.

The salt is washed away from the road surface particularly if there is rain and by the melting water before refreezing again, causing treacherous conditions, and the problems this causes are often very localised where the temperature is hovering around freezing point.

This is compounded by those drivers who insist on driving on the speed limit because the roads are black and not white - and a fair portion of these are behind the wheels of big lorries.

The forecast is for the freeze-thaw cycle to continue for a day or two longer - hopefully, the road contractors will rise to the task and drivers will drop their speed.

CAIRNGORM Mountain is to celebrate 50 years of running commercial uplift at the ski resort this Friday - and the same day will mark 10 years since the funicular first ran.

The best possible birthday present would be for another very snowy winter on the hill, and the wish for many, many more to come.