Black Isle danger junction back in focus

Highland residents are broadening a communityled campaign to tackle speeding drivers on the Black Isle.

Having celebrated significant success with a previous effort at Culbokie, their focus is now the notorious Crask junction, in a dip a mile north-east of the villageontheB9169CulbokieCromarty road.

It was the scene of a fatal crash some years ago and rated locally as “the most dangerous junction in the area”.

Ferintosh Community Council chairman Bruce Morrison said: “We need to highlight the dangers of the junction as much as possible. The best solution would be to have the blind summit to the east of it removed. All the partners – the police, Highland Council, community councillors – agree the summit should go.”

The community is confident the money can be found to address the blind summit. Local councillors have pledged the necessary funds to carry out a feasibility study for what is widely acknowledged as “a serious issue.”

Residents in high visibility jackets will roll out the next phase of the awareness campaign over four days from this Friday.

The campaigners willpatrol the area an hour each day, from 8.30am on Friday this week and 8am the following Friday, from 11am on December 5 and from 8am on December 17.

“Crask Speedwatch” signs will be clearly visible. Traffic will not be stopped but monitored, as with the Culbokie campaign.

That effort, involving two- hour sessions each week over a three-month period, has been hailed a remarkable success.

The police andHighland Council recorded and assessed the speeds of all vehicles, round the clock over a week both before the volunteer effort and after the initiative – and noted a reduction in speeding.

The Crask junction is regarded as dangerous