IN just two days, 18 cars have crashed in four separate accidents on the A9 near Allangrange.

Yesterday three people were taken to hospital, though none was thought to be seriously injured.

The first accident happened at 8.30am on the A9 near Allangrange between the Tore roundabout and Kessock Bridge and involved six cars.

An hour later, and only a short way south of that accident, another four cars crashed at North Kessock, south of the first crash.

The accidents closed the road for around two hours.

Traffic Scotland and Police Scotland suspect sun glare may have been the cause of the accidents.

On Monday eight cars were involved in crashes at Allangrange in two crashes. A woman was hurt when six cars collided before 9am, again near Munlochy junction. A further two cars then crashed close to the scene of the first accident, with one vehicle catching fire. The accidents shut the southbound carriageway for several hours.

Inspector Neil Lumsden of the Trunk Road Patrol Group said: “Over the last two days, emergency services have responded to four multi-vehicle collisions on the A9 at Allangrange, between Tore and Inverness.

“A contributory factor in [the] collisions has been the presence of a low lying sun, causing reduced visibility for drivers.

“Fortunately no-one was seriously injured as a result of the collisions, but on both occasions the collisions have happened at the same time of day and resulted in the closure of the main A9 arterial route, causing disruption to commuters and local communities.

“Whilst I would like to thank road users for their patience during the closures, I would also like to remind drivers of the importance of driving to the road conditions and adjusting their speed accordingly.”