A kind-hearted Inverness man has spent over 30 hours gritting the city’s streets during the recent cold snap.
James Glennie (known as Jimbo) covered over 50 side streets with grit, ensuring that the elderly and disabled could get out safely in the sub-freezing temperatures.
Jimbo, from Dalneigh, wanted to give back to the community and said that life isn’t always about the money, but helping others.
The 40-year-old businessman, who runs Jim’s Gardening and Handyman Service, said: “For the past few years I’ve been cutting the big patch of grass in front of my house in Dalneigh, and every year I grit the neighbour’s paths.
“Now that I’ve started my own business, I thought I could just go out and grit other people’s streets to help those more vulnerable.
“The response from the community has been amazing, and we went where people asked us to go.”
Alongside his friend Peter Oliver, the two of them hand-gritted streets from the back of Jimbo’s truck, working from 8am to 11pm on Friday, 8am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 8pm on Sunday.
The pair did the work free of charge, and the community has helped by offering them cups of tea, cakes and biscuits and even some free tattoos!
“Mark Duncan who owns Dankool’s in Seafield Road, has been a massive support all weekend, and he provided us free food from his van – we want to give him a big shout out,” Jimbo said.
“Myself and Peter are getting some free tattoos too! It’s my first one, so I’m going to get the ‘phantom gritter’!”
Jimbo’s work has seen a big response online, with over 150,000 views of the gritting taking place over the weekend.
He was able to access grit from grit bins, however when he asked Highland Council for some he said, they declined to give him any.
The truck loaded with grit.
Jim added: “We did this off our own back and from the kindness of our hearts – we will carry on doing this stuff for the community too.”
Highland Council has been contacted for comment.