Plan ahead if driving home for Christmas

New research has identified Scotland’s most congested roads this festive season – with routes to the north-east and Highland taking top spots.

The research, from John Clark Motor Group, comes as motorists are likely to encounter busier than usual traffic as they head out on last-minute shopping trips, or travel across the country to visit relatives and friends over the Christmas break.

The John Clark research analysed data from the Traffic Scotland Twitter account, and found the roads in Scotland which are most congested for December include the A9 which runs from Stirling north to Thurso, the M8 – the busiest motorway in the country – and the A90 which runs from Edinburgh to Fraserburgh.

Some 13.5 million leisure journeys by car were expected between Wednesday and Christmas Eve across the UK, up 20% on the equivalent period last year, said the RAC.

Congestion is likely to peak today as drivers embarking on getaway trips compete for road space with commuters and business traffic.

Head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, Ashleigh Robson, said: “As always, we expect the transport network to be busy at this time of year, so I’d urge festive travellers to plan their journey before they set off.

“Leave more time to get to your destination, follow any travel advice from Police Scotland and drive to the conditions.”

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of road policing, said: “I would encourage drivers to plan their journey in advance.

“Please drive to the road conditions and adhere to any travel warnings so you can reach your destination safely. It is also important to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy and ready for driving in winter conditions.

“Ensure that you have enough fuel for your journey and make sure your lights are clean and working properly.”

John Clark’s analysis found that the A9 was the road in Scotland with the most December congestion the most common reason being lane closures followed by road conditions.

The next most congested road was Scotland’s busiest motorway, the M8 connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The third most congested road was found to be the A90.

SLOW PROGRESS: Drivers are urged to check weather forecasts before setting off.