Highlands braced for traffic jams

Drivers in the Highlands are being warned of big delays due to a clash of unprecedented events next weekend – including the Olympic torch relay.

Highland Council and Northern Constabulary have put in place an action plan to cope with huge crowds.

Next Saturday will see a slow-moving cavalcade travel north from Glencoe to Inverness, where an Olympic party – headlined by Scots star Emili Sande – is to be hosted.

At the same time tens of thousands of revellers will be heading to the Rock Ness music festival on Loch Ness – and up to 20,000 are expected to attend a mountain bike world competition in Lochaber.

While providing a major financial boost to the region, the events are expected to cause major disruption on the roads.