4x4s a must in rural Scotland

Motorists heading to rural Scotland may want to consider 4x4 hire, after one expert highlighted the dangers posed by the weather and road conditions.

Writing for The Independent, James Ruppert discussed the living situation of a 59-year-old woman called Elizabeth Mann, who is due to return to her rural Scotland home after a time spent living overseas.

He claimed a 4x4 is essential for Ms Mann, as the roads in the more remote areas of the country are not up to scratch compared with conventional urban standards, while the weather tends to be more extreme than in the rest of the UK.

Mr Ruppert recommended a number of different models, but suggested a Suzuki SX4 could be particularly good value, saying: "Off-road, despite not having a greatly increased ground clearance, it is very capable, so when on road, it will handle quite extreme weather conditions. Like most small hatches it will seat four quite comfortably."

His comments come as Scotland's government launched its first ever severe weather readiness campaign, BBC News reports. The project was launched after a survey showed more than half of the country is concerned about how to battle extreme conditions.

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill highlighted how the nation had seen two very tough winters in terms of weather conditions and said communities would be stronger if they knew how to deal with certain situations. Advice due to be handed out includes what should be contained in a car's emergency kit.