Highland Council has added a Mercedes-Benz Unimog to its fleet.

During the 'Beast from the East' earlier this year which brought heavy snowfalls and freezing temperatures to the region, the Unimog was fitted with a snow cutter-blower and a demountable gritter body, and was used to clear roads to the CairnGorm Mountain ski centre near Aviemore.

At the end of the ski season, the vehicle was fitted with a front-mounted mower and ditch-cutter attachment, and is now being used to trim roadside verges and overhanging branches.

Supplied by Dealer South Cave Tractors, the Unimog was funded by a partnership between the local authority, the Scottish Government’s economic and community development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and ski resort operator CML.

HIE provided finance which Highland Council used to purchase the truck, as well as a grant to CML so it could buy snow cutting/blowing and gritting attachments

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