An Army reservist who crashed off the road was over the drink-drive limit, a court has heard.
Alan Mackay’s car was found down an embankment off the B9176 Struie Road after they were called to reports of an accident.
When they traced the owner at his home address he provided a positive breath test.
Mackay, 33, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit a charge of drink-driving.
Fiscal Depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said that officers were called at around 10.30pm on January 31 of this year to reports of an accident in slippery conditions on the B road near Ardross.
Car found down embankment
She said: “Police arrived and identified the vehicle. It had come off the road and down a small embankment.”
They traced the owner at his address just over an hour later.
He told police that he had just arrived home and was trying to contact his insurer.
A breath test proved positive and further testing revealed Mackay’s breath alcohol level to be 61 microgrammes per 100 mililitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 22.
Solicitor Mhyrin Hill, for Mackay, told the court her client was an Army reservist who had been on training prior to the incident.
Alcohol misuse ‘being addressed’
She said: “He had a significant issue with alcohol misuse, which is now being addressed through his general practitioner and counselling.”
She added that he had not consumed alcohol for a month, adding: “He has shown significant remorse.”
Sheriff Gary Aitken fined Mackay, of Ben Bhraggie Drive, Golspie, £640 and banned him from the roads for 12 months, with the option to take part in a self-funded drink-drive rehabilitation course that would reduce his ban by 12 weeks on completion.