A deadly landmark has been reached on the A82, with 50 people losing their lives on the west coast route since 2010.
The horrifying figure has sparked renewed calls for urgent improvements from families, campaigners and politicians determined to ensure others do not suffer the same fate.
Rhys Cousin, 25, his wife Gemma, 26, and their daughters Peyton, 3, and Heidi, 1, from Inverness, died in a collision near the Nevis Range turn-off in February 2020.
Mr Cousin’s sister, JamieLee King, and mother, Samantha Cousin, have been campaigning for improvements to the road ever since.
Mrs King said the death toll is “shocking and hard to hear”.
“It definitely needs fixed,” she told the Press and Journal.
“It is the main road, so it would have to be done in stages, but surely we can get this started.
“My mum has done everything she possibly can to raise awareness that the road is the most dangerous in the Highlands.
“I think it is her mechanism for coping.
“She is fighting to get it fixed. She just wants it done. But at times she feels she’s getting nowhere.”
Mrs King added: “It is absolutely devastating. The family are struggling. Any family would. It’s not just us, it’s other families as well.
“And it’s not just people who die on the road, it’s the people who die inside, the families left behind who suffer.”
In the past five years alone, 27 people have lost their lives on the road – which runs all the way from Glasgow to Inverness via Loch Lomond, Glencoe and Fort William.
Stewart Maclean, of the A82 Partnership, is clear on the need for action.
He said: “You are talking about 50 grieving families over the last decade.
“We have seen major improvements on the M74 and a new Queensferry Crossing, dualling now happening on the A9, and plans in place for the A96 – but nothing for the A82, which is just as much a vital route.
“Now we have an MSP in a senior role, in the form of Kate Forbes, we hope work will be done to improve the route to stop deaths.”
Ms Forbes, an increasingly prominent Scottish Government minister, recently launched a consultation seeking targeted improvements to the road.
She said she was particularly keen to see road safety improved in the West Highlands.
Over the past decade, the A9 has been Scotland’s deadliest trunk road, with 74 people losing their lives, but fatalities have dropped significantly in recent years, with the improvement in safety thought to be linked to the introduction of average speed cameras between Dunblane to Inverness at the end of 2014.
Ms Forbes said of the toll the A82 has taken: “Every death is a tragedy and these figures remind us that Highland roads continue to claim so many lives.
“The A9 continues to be the deadliest road, but the fall in the numbers is something that should be carefully studied so as to learn how we can make it even safer.
“Both the average speed cameras and the dualling will make a big difference.
“The A82 is not far behind and every accident and fatality is a cause for grief.
“I am determined to do all we can to improve safety on the A82.
“As a local Highlander, I drive these roads regularly, as do my friends and family.
“We must do everything we can to make improvements.”
Ms Forbes’ vast constituency includes the majority of the A82 route as it passes through Glencoe, all the way up Loch Ness-side.
She said she will use the survey results to lobby for realistic and evidence-based improvements.
“It is widely accepted the A82 is in need of further investment and upgrade work,” Ms Forbes added.
“In the last few years, some of the worst spots have seen improvement and other stretches, like Tarbet to Inverarnan, are scheduled for significant investment.
“While there are many calls for investment in the A82, I am asking for the different stretches to be prioritised in order of need.
“People like me who drive the road on a regular basis will know some of the best and worst bits, and that is the purpose of this survey.”
