'I like the challenge of keeping the roads open and flowing for people': What it's like driving a gritter in Scotland

Luke Kidd is a highways operative who grits on the Scottish South-East Trunk Roads network, which covers more than 550 miles of road through central Scotland, including the Lothian and Scottish Borders, the Edinburgh city bypass and a long stretch of the M8 motorway that connects the country’s capital to Glasgow. “I like the challenge of keeping the roads open and flowingfor people visiting their families, for emergency services and for public transport,” he says. The majority of motorists understand we’re doing the gritting for their safety, but there’s the odd exception who beep their horns, flash their lights and distract us,” he explains. “If there are no gritters coming near our houses, we’ll get accommodation by the depot to make sure we can get to work on time.” Higher and exposed areas are the most difficult to keep clear. However, temperatures are set to become milder this month and conditions more settled, with no further snow currently on the horizon, according to the Met Office UK outlook.