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24 hours a day, 7 days a week: The life of a roadside rescuer

Roadside recovery vehicles are a common sight on most Scottish roads in winter and an even more common sight in the Scottish Highlands.

In Highland Road Rescue we follow a day in the life of the Stevensons. A family run business established by David and Nancy Stevenson in 1973 and now run by their children Jamie and Jean with the help of their respective partners.

These siblings grew up around recovery vehicles, and their pride and dedication to the rescue business and the vehicles is more than apparent, with Jamie even using his favourite recovery truck to drive his wife to the church on their wedding day.

Why mindfulness on roads matters

When accidents happen people come to the rescue that will put their own lives at risk.

The business spans the length and breadth of the Scottish Highlands from Bridge of Orchy in the South, to Invermoriston in the North and sees them working long hours, often braving snow, ice and floods in order to skilfully recover cars, trucks, lorries and even 18 tonne snow ploughs from the side of the Scottish roads and embankments. It’s a dangerous job.

Veteran recovery driver Micky has spent so much time in his truck, he’s clocked up over one million kilometres and over the forty years in the business has rescued thousands of motorists from the side of the road. Despite being in his seventies, he has no plans to retire, for him, it is the perfect profession and enjoys the freedom it gives him.

He loves the Highlands and knows it like the back of his hand, so much so that he doesn’t even have a passport. "What do I want a passport for ... when I’ve got all this? I can’t see me lying on a beach in Lanzarote, lying in the sun. It’s not for me, you can do what you like with your passport."