Betty MacDonald hasn’t left her home alone since her husband Paddy died last July.
“He did all the driving so I was getting out every day,” she said.
“I don’t drive so I don’t get out at all unless my neighbour, my sister in law, or my daughters come and take me. I’m afraid to walk because I’m not steady on my feet – I used to love going for a walk but I don’t do that nowadays.”
The 72-year-old’s fear is fueled by the condition of the road up to her home at Achnaconeran, which she described as “nothing but potholes”.
Though family check in on her daily, she said she can still feel isolated.
The issues with the road near Invermoriston became even clearer last year when Mr MacDonald died and emergency services struggled to get up to the house.
Leaving the family croft behind
Mrs MacDonald’s daughter, Jennifer Cryans, was living in Edinburgh but recently moved back up to Inverness to be closer to her mum.
Though the croft has been in the family for decades, there has been talk of leaving it behind because of the road.
Mrs Cryans said: “She’s even now thinking about moving closer into Inverness because she just sits there by herself and can’t get out.
“I think it has really hit her, sitting at home on the dark nights by herself not able to go out.”
Mrs MacDonald lives in one of two houses at the top of the Achnaconeran road – the other is occupied by her late husband’s sister Christine Munro and her husband, James, and their son.
Mr Munro agreed the road was “all holes” and said it feels like the council “don’t want to come to it at all.”
Despite having been in contact with Highland Council for more than a year about getting the road fixed, Mrs Cryans said they are “getting nowhere.”
What is being done?
Both Mrs MacDonald and Mrs Cryans said the council had been to look at the road but that it had done no more than “flung tar down” on a small section.
They claim it was “promised” the road would have a more permanent fix by winter, but the closer December comes, the less likely this seems.
Mrs MacDonald said: “They keep saying they’re going to come and fix it but they never do. They did come and put something in the holes but it’s already washing out again with the rain.”
Her daughter is determined to keep pushing to help her mum get what she called an “atrocious” road resurfaced.
Priority lies elsewhere
Highland Council said priority for road repairs falls in line with their usage, but that there are works planned on the road up to Achnaconeran in the “near future”.
A spokesman said: “Regular road safety inspections are carried out on all roads with identified defects being actioned accordingly.
“General road repair work is prioritised based on road hierarchy, usage, and traffic speeds and consequently with limited resources available the priority has to heavily trafficked and higher speed roads.
“Works are however programmed for the near future to address defective areas on the Achnaconeran road.”
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