Find grit bins and free rock salt in your area to…

Find grit bins and free rock salt in your area to clear snow from paths and driveways

Many parts of Scotland are waking up to sleet and snow on Friday as a cold front sweeps across the country.

Most local councils across Scotland provide grit bins for residential use with the aim of providing grit salt that can be used when required to help melt ice and snow on public roads and footpaths. It is worth noting that this grit salt, typically brown in colour, is not permitted to be used on private property.

However, along with thousands of grit bins placed on roads that are not part of the regular gritting trucks routes, some of the 32 Scottish Local Authorities have community sites where residents can obtain small quantities of rock salt for use on their own paths, steps or driveways.

To find your nearest community grit location, check your local council’s website below for the address and take a suitable container which can then be filled with up to 10kg of rock salt for private use on your own property.

Top tips for clearing snow and ice from your street

Residents clearing snow and ice from their street are advised to exercise reasonable care to avoid making conditions worse.

It is an urban myth that you will be sued or held legally responsible for any injuries which occur on a street or pavement you have cleared - you can only be successfully sued if you were negligent.

People walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves.

Some councils have amenity or community rock or grit salt bins for residents to use on their own property (Reach PLC)

Council guidance states that you should:

start early, it is easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice
work during daylight, only work in the dark if it is absolutely essential
wear bright clothing and footwear with good grip
watch out for traffic and exercise care next to roads
don't put snow where it might create a hazard for pedestrians or vehicles
spread salt on surfaces after you have cleared the snow, a little salt goes a long way, ao use sparingly
don't use hot water, this melts the snow but may replace it with black ice increasing the risk of injury
snow clearing can be hard work, do not attempt it unless you are fit and able

Find out which roads and pavements your council grits in icy or snowy weather by entering your postcode on the GOV.UK website here.

Where is my nearest grit bin and community rock salt site?

Most local councils provide information on where their grit bins are located. However, sometimes this is not available in a uniform format and varies between councils. Some have provided interactive maps online of where their grit bins are located while others have no public information available.