The High Alpine Road at the Grossglockner Glacier

“Comparisons are odious” wrote John Lydgate in his Debate between the horse, goose, and sheep, circa 1440. While it’s clearly not a new sentiment, and in many cases a valid one, there’s no doubt there are times when comparisons can be a timely wake-up call to matters that can, and should be, dealt with.

After a recent trip to the Austrian Alps, I certainly felt that in comparison to Austria, with its excellent rural bus services, good rail network, welcoming tourist facilities, and well-maintained roads (not a pothole in sight), Scotland definitely comes a very poor second.

No country is perfect, no country gets everything right. But at the level of a country’s basic infrastructure – roads, railways, bus services – then right now Scotland is definitely getting things very wrong.

Take the appalling delays in dualling that ‘killer road’, the A9. Or the endless landslips and closures on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful – problems that have dragged on for decades and seen millions of pounds wasted on consultations and temporary fixes. Then look at how similar problems are dealt with in Austria – the point being that over there they are dealt with. None of it is rocket science, and it’s particularly galling when you think that Scotland once had a world-class reputation for its civil engineering skills.

Is it incompetence, neglect or sheer stupidity that stops our government dealing quickly and efficiently with essential matters of infrastructure? Matters that are vital for the sustainability of our rural communities.

These are fundamental issues that need to be addressed if rural Scotland – or indeed all of Scotland outwith the Central Belt – is to thrive. Even a quick comparison with how the Austrians deal with their challenging terrain and keep their many rural settlements well-connected, could provide answers to Scotland’s problems.  If they can get it right, then there’s no real excuse for us not to.

Austrians take a real pride in their country. They want visitors to see it at its best too. We could learn a lot from them.

Examples of how the Austrians have tackled similar problems to ours are outlined in my article in issue 99 of iScot Magazine.