It was nearly 20 years ago when the then first minister Alex Salmond announced that the A9 would be fully dualled between Inverness and Perth.

Three years later, in 2011, Mr Salmond went a step further when he said his cabinet believed upgrading the road could be completed by 2025 at a cost of £3billion.

No doubt the announcement was met with great relief across the Highlands with a timetable in place and an end to the daily problems on the road in sight.

But fast forward to the present day and the 2025 deadline has already passed and a total of 11 miles have so far been upgraded.

That is quite the failure and means that 72 miles of the route has still to be dualled.

Does this matter though?

Well yes it does as the A9 remains one of the most dangerous roads in the network.

Statistics published in December last year, found that a person died or was hurt in a collision on the A9 in the Highlands almost every 10 days between 2021 and 2025.

Figures showed there were 170 fatalities and injuries on the trunk road in the north of Scotland from 2021 to November 12 2025.

In 2024, urging ministers to step up the efforts on the upgrade, Mr Salmond told a Holyrood committee that his cabinet regarded it as "challenging but achievable" - and affordable within the government's capital budget.

He told MSPs: "The A9 is a hugely important project to connect the Highlands to central Scotland."

Mr Salmond, who was SNP leader and first minister until 2014, said a commitment was first made in 2007 but no timescale was set.

He told the inquiry that further commitments were made in 2008 and again in 2011, when the 2025 date was set.

But the Scottish government has since said it would not be done until 2035 after being hit by delays.

Contract for A9 dualling is awarded

Kate Forbes warns........

© Herald Scotland