Motorist damages car in Highlands in '˜bath' sized pothole

A motorist was pictured sitting in a pothole which is 'big enough to have a bath in' after he smashed his car into it.

Nick Watson damaged his car on a pothole on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy. Picture: Centre Press

Nick Watson, 32, was driving through the Scottish Highlands with friends when he hit a massive pothole in the middle of a country road.

The impact damaged one of his tyres and he left the car to inspect the hole on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute on Wednesday evening.

Nick was left stunned when he discovered the actual size of the pothole and then sat in it to show just how big it is.

Nick Watson damaged his car on a pothole on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute. Picture: Centre Press

Nick, from Newcastle, said he was shocked.

He said: “We were literally coming for a photography trip, and just got to Scotland.

“There was four of us in the car and we hit that pothole.

“The pothole is big enough to have a bath in. I’m 5ft 11in tall and it was big enough for me to sit in.

Nick Watson damaged his car on a pothole on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute. Picture: Centre Press

“It’s over three feet long, about one-and-a-half feet wide and almost four inches deep.

“Now it’s just now going to cost me money to repair that tire but I’m happy it is not the worst kind of damage to happen.

“Hopefully it will manage to get us home safely.”

Nick added: “It’s just my luck, to be honest. I am always unlucky when it comes to these things.”

A recent study concluded Scottish roads are littered with the highest number of potholes in the UK and would stretch to a combined depth of nearly four miles.

It found revealed a total of 154,310 potholes were reported to Scottish councils last year - around 16,000 more than the next worst-hit region, the South-west of England.

Scots are reporting around 423 holes each day, triple the amount reported by those in London.

BEAR Scotland, who maintain the A82, said : “We’re arranging for an urgent repair to a defect on the A82 near Rannoch Moor to be completed this afternoon.

“Cold and wet winter weather conditions experienced in January and February have caused some sections of the road surface to deteriorate rapidly, with the freeze and thaw cycle and flux in temperatures causing the surface to break apart in places.

“We are currently carrying out an ongoing £4M programme of urgent surfacing repairs across over 60 locations on trunk roads in the North West of Scotland over the next three months, and our teams are also carrying out temporary repairs where required to the road surface.

“Should anyone wish to report a specific trunk road defect you can do so via Transport Scotland’s Freephone Customer Care number, 0800 028 1414.”