BEAR Scotland says it is fully prepared for the cold months ahead, with a 158-vehicle winter fleet and more than 61,000 tonnes of salt in stock to keep Scotland's trunk road network moving.

Working on behalf of Transport Scotland, the company maintains over 1,987km of trunk roads across the North West and South East networks, as well as sections of the M80 and A92. It has completed its seasonal preparations and is ready to respond to freezing temperatures and severe weather.

The fleet features 57 large 32-tonne eight-wheel salt spreaders – among the biggest in the UK – alongside 24 footway spreaders and eight snow blower attachments able to clear up to 1,300 tonnes of snow per hour.

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This year's line-up also includes newly christened gritters following a public naming competition, with 'Snow Scotland Snow Party', 'Snowlene' and 'Lionel Gritchie' among those joining the roster, the first inspired by a phrase popular with Scotland fans during this year's World Cup.

A 24/7 control room will track forecasts and road conditions, supported by overnight winter patrols that gather real-time road surface temperature data and carry out treatments when needed. Using detailed forecasts from Metdesk, teams will lay pre-wetted salt in advance of sub-zero conditions to help stop ice forming and keep major routes safer.

Specialist landscaping crews will respond to high winds and fallen trees, while 33 pumps and 4,400 sandbags are ready to support flood mitigation.

Andy Thompson, Managing Director at BEAR Scotland, said: "A huge amount of work goes into preparing for winter, and our teams are ready to face whatever the Scottish weather brings.

"From our frontline operatives to those monitoring conditions around the clock, everyone plays an important role in keeping Scotland moving through the colder months.

"We encourage motorists to play their part by checking weather forecasts and road conditions before travelling, ensuring their vehicles are winter-ready and allowing extra time for journeys when conditions are forecasted to be challenging."