An American holidaymaker whose driving drew police attention on the A96 was more than four times the drink-drive limit.
Monica Hunolt, 40, had been partying in Nairn when her lift home fell through and she decided to drive back to Inverness.
The tourist, from North Carolina, felt she had “no alternative” but to drive, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan said a police officer’s attention had been drawn to Hunolt’s grey Vauxhall on the A96 at Nairn because of its “poor lane discipline”.
Visiting Scotland on ‘extended holiday’
She added that it was “speeding up and slowing down without any apparent reason”.
The car was traced to the Eastfield Retail Park in Inverness and Hunolt was breathalysed.
When the roadside test proved positive she was taken to Burnett Road Police Station where subsequent testing revealed the level of alcohol in her breath to be 93 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit being 22 microgrammes.
Hunolt admitted a single charge of drink-driving on December 4 last year.
Solicitor Mike Chapman told the court his client is a US citizen visiting Scotland on an “extended holiday.”
He said: “She had been invited by a friend that she made in Inverness to travel to Nairn to party, or at least have drinks with, the friend of the other person.
Drink-driver’s lift fell through
“Her understanding was that, while she drove through, the other person would drive back. That arrangement fell through.
“She felt she had no alternative but to drive back to her accommodation.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer handed down a fine of £840 and banned Hunolt, of Salem Springs, Winston-Salem, from the roads for two years.
He said: “You will know as well as anyone that your reading is exceptionally high. You are more than four times the legal limit in this country.
“You are exceptionally fortunate that your driving didn’t lead to any incident.”
