Eilidh Munro has highlighted plans for a £350 million fund to improve road surfaces as part of the SNP’s wider commitments for the Highlands.
The proposed Better Surfaces fund is aimed at accelerating road upgrades and repairs, responding to ongoing concerns about road conditions across rural areas including Skye.
Speaking after a recent hustings, Munro said road quality and access to healthcare are among the most common issues raised by residents across the constituency.
She welcomed recent work by Highland Council to address potholes and resurface stretches of road, but said further investment is needed to improve conditions at pace across the region.
Eilidh Munro said:
“When I meet people on the doorsteps, the topics that come up are hugely varied.
“Some of the most common here in Skye though centre around rural healthcare access and standard of roads.
“It’s been good to see Highland Council has been carrying out work on some of its roads here in Skye in recent weeks, fixing potholes and resurfacing large stretches.
“However, there is a recognition that further support is needed to improve roads across the Highlands, and beyond, at a faster pace, which is why I’m very pleased that this additional funding has been included in our manifesto.”
Alongside road investment, Munro pointed to commitments around expanding rural healthcare services, including increased use of mobile units for stroke care and ophthalmology.
She also backed plans to deliver more affordable housing for workers and to carry out a national review of maternity services with a focus on rural provision.
The candidate has additionally committed to supporting the preservation of 24 hour urgent care and in patient beds at Portree Hospital, while working with stakeholders to progress the development of a new Belford Hospital in Fort William.
Eilidh Munro said:
“On healthcare, the SNP has been investing record levels of funding, and delivered a new treatment centre in Inverness for example which is helping drive down waiting times.
“For nine months in a row, waiting times have been falling.
“But I believe there’s also a need to push back against the creeping centralisation of healthcare services, a bring as many of these are possible back to the communities they used to be delivered in.
“In the SNP’s manifesto, we have highlighted that this is one of our priorities, through increasing the use of mobile health and dental services across rural and island areas.”
“My husband works in the NHS and so I’m acutely aware of the pressure services continue to be under, and the hard work of staff to look after their patients.
“We need more flexible contracts, key worker housing, and decentralisation to address long-term staffing recruitment and retention issues in our health and social care services.
“If elected on the 7th of May, I will fight hard for these priorities at Holyrood.”
The proposals reflect a broader focus on rural infrastructure and services, with roads, healthcare access and housing continuing to dominate discussion across Highland communities.
