Six people were injured in three separate accidents that happened in quick succession yesterday afternoon blocking major Highland routes, each for more than an hour.
In what appeared the most serious collision, shortly before 4pm, three women and a young girl were injured in a two-car collision.
It happened close to the B876 Wick-Castletown junction with the B870 at Hastigrow near Bower.
Fire crews travelled from Wick and Thurso to release the four casualties.
The accident involved a hatchback and a silver-grey saloon that ended up on its side.
The four females were taken by road ambulance to Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
The extent of their injuries was not thought to be serious.
Earlier, a motorcyclist crashed at Dochgarroch on the A82 Inverness-Fort William road.
He was taken by air ambulance to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment.
His condition was not known although a police spokeswoman said he had been “conscious and breathing” at the scene.
That stretch of the A82 was closed for a second time a few hours later to allow crash investigators more time to examine the scene of the accident.
Emergency crews were also called to the aftermath of another crash in Wester Ross shortly after 3.30pm.
one person was released by firefighters from the wreckage of a single vehicle accident, seven miles south of Ullapool on the A835 road to Garve.
Their condition is not known.
It is understood the person, thought to be the driver of the vehicle, was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment to their injuries.