A veteran cyclist with 60 years’ experience of riding around Caithness says he has never known the county’s roads to be in such an “appalling and dangerous” state.

Alasdair Washington is life president of Thurso-based Caithness Cycling Club which, for the first time, has decided to cancel some of its events because of the road conditions.

Some badly affected routes are now impossible to cycle on, according to Mr Washington (84).

He often cycles around Grantown-on-Spey – which, like Caithness, is part of the Highland Council area – and says the roads there are “infinitely” better.

“As a motorist, some of the very bad potholes on Caithness roads are appalling and dangerous," he said. "But as a cyclist, much worse than an individual pothole are some stretches – sometimes 30 yards to over 100 yards long – that are driveable with care but just impossible to cycle on, and the only option is to ride carefully near to the centre of the road.

"This is very bad for an experienced cyclist but much too intimidating for novice riders. And this is at a time when folk are being encouraged to get on their bikes.

“One particularly bad section is south of Glengolly on the B870, heading north, but there are many others.

“In Caithness Cycling Club we've had to cancel a number of events due to road surfaces, including part of our Caithness Festival of Cycling at the end of this month, as it is not possible to run the popular Loch Calder time trial.

“Another area where I cycle a lot is around Grantown-on-Spey and here the roads are infinitely better than Caithness despite having much more wintry conditions.”

Mr Washington grew up in north Cheshire and moved to Thurso at the age of 24 to work at Dounreay as a physicist. He was one of Caithness Cycling Club's founding members in 1963.

Asked whether the road conditions are the worst he has seen over that time, he replied: “No question about it. Absolutely no question.

“I don't understand why. Whether it's just an accumulated lack of funding on the roads, I'm not sure. But it's got to be something like that.

"When you compare it with around Grantown-on-Spey, there's only one short stretch of road where I have to ride down down the middle and everywhere else is just fine.

“As I've said, there are stretches of road [in Caithness] that are bad but they're motorable – you just go carefully. But often those sections are not cycleable at all. There is a difference. And I'm a motorist too – nearly every cyclist I know is a motorist.

Gallery1

1 / 2

2 / 2

“They've got a lot worse this year. If you go down to 20 mph in the car, unless there's a huge pothole that you hit, you can drive them – and I do. But there are some sections, like the one south of Glengolly, where you just can't cycle on them at all.

"It's a long stretch of rough road. That was part of the route of our Loch Calder time trial."

Iain Gregory, of the campaign group Caithness Roads Recovery, said: "As a keen cyclist for over 50 years, I am horrified, if not at all surprised, that local cycling events have had to be cancelled on safety grounds.

"I am not quite sure how this ties in with the recent statement by Scotland's transport minister, Graeme Dey, who said, 'We’re committed here in Scotland to building an active nation, where people choose to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys.' Come to Caithness, Mr Dey, and we will take you for an 'everyday journey' on a bike.

"According to Transport Scotland, 'We're committed to our Active Travel vision of enabling walking and cycling to be the most popular mode of travel for short, everyday journeys. We want to make Scotland's towns and cities friendlier, safer and more accessible.'

"We have made Transport Scotland fully aware of the disastrous state of Caithness roads, which are anything but 'friendly, safe and accessible'. Forget the soundbites and provide the funding our county is entitled to."

Mr Gregory added: "There is going to be a fatal accident in Caithness, and probably more than one, unless we get the urgent investment we so badly need. And it may well involve a cyclist or biker. We have made this crystal clear to Highland Council and the Scottish Government – repeatedly."

The Caithness Festival of Cycling, sponsored by Sinclair Bay Subsea, starts with the Mack Mowat Memorial "25” on Saturday, June 26, followed on the Sunday morning by the Caithness 10-mile time trial. However, the road conditions mean the Loch Calder 12-mile hilly time trial cannot go ahead and instead there will be a two-mile hillclimb on Scrabster Hill.

Caithness Cycling Club has around 30 members. Club meetings take place every Tuesday evening from April to September. Mr Washington is currently the Scottish veteran 100-mile champion on age standard and best all-rounder.

Related story:

• Washington ready to get back to race scene after 70 years as a cyclist

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.