Transport Scotland’s operating company, BEAR Scotland, is ready to keep trunk roads across the South East and North West of Scotland safe through low temperatures and winter weather.
BEAR Scotland is responsible for the maintenance and management of over 2,000 km of trunk roads across the North West and South East of Scotland.
Across these regions, a fleet of more than 110 winter service vehicles – including salt spreaders, patrol vehicles, and footway tractors – are ready to keep Scotland’s key routes safe and moving during the colder months ahead.
Over 64,000 tonnes of salt has been distributed to depots across the country, ready to load into BEAR’s frontline spreaders, some of the UK’s largest including ‘Gritallica’ and ‘Scoopy Doo’. These vehicles will be out on the roads to combat freezing conditions throughout winter.
More than 200 trained operatives will be working throughout the season to help keep Scotland’s trunk roads open and safer for all road users. Many will be carrying out precautionary treatments, spreading pre-wetted salt on routes forecast to have freezing conditions, while others conduct reactive treatments and patrols, monitoring live road conditions and responding as required.
Central to BEAR Scotland’s winter operations is its 24/7 network hub control rooms, which monitors detailed weather forecasts and real-time road temperature data to ensure treatments are carried out at the right time and in the right place.
Each of BEAR’s operating units also has access to Metdesk’s specialist forecasting services and a network of over 90 roadside weather stations, ensuring accuracy and responsiveness.
During the 2024–2025 winter season, BEAR Scotland carried out more than 8,200 individual winter actions, including salt treatments and patrols, using approximately 58,000 tonnes of de-icing materials across its networks to prevent ice formation and ensure safer travel.
BEAR Scotland is also equipped to respond to severe weather impacts, including flooding, high winds and landslips. Teams across Scotland are supported by pumps, sandbags, and specialist landscaping crews trained to clear fallen trees and debris quickly and safely from the trunk road network.
Iain Murray, BEAR Scotland’s Managing Director, said: “Our teams across Scotland are fully prepared for the winter ahead. From our frontline operatives to our control room staff, every individual plays a vital role in keeping our trunk roads safer and operational throughout the colder months.
“Our main priority is always to ensure roads remain as safe as possible for motorists to travel on, and our dedicated winter service teams will be working tirelessly to achieve that. We would also remind drivers to play their part, by preparing their vehicles for winter conditions, checking weather forecasts before setting off, and allowing extra time for journeys.”
Members of the public can live track gritters on Scotland’s trunk road network using Transport Scotland’s online ‘trunk road gritter tracker’, which displays current vehicle locations and recently treated routes.
Real time traffic information is available from Traffic Scotland at www.trafficscotland.org or on X – @trafficscotland.
Regular updates are posted on www.bearscot.com and X – @NWTrunkRoads, @SETrunkRoads, @BEAR_M80 and @BEAR_Scotland.
Winter Portal 
Planned Works 
Report a Defect