12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Gritter naming competition launched by South Lanarkshire Council
School pupils are being asked to name eight new vehicles to patrol the roads alongside Salt Disnae and Gritter Thunberg.
Creative South Lanarkshire primary pupils are being asked to name the council's winter gritters – to follow in the tracks of existing favourite vehicles including Lewis Caploughdi and Salt Disnae.
The local authority has eight new gritters after refreshing its fleet for winter 2025 and is now seeking the help of youngsters in Primaries Four to Seven to share their inspired suggestions in what has become a favourite tradition across Scotland.
Entrants have until the end of the month to crystallise their naming ideas to be emblazoned on the side of the vehicles, and officials awaiting a flurry of ideas have highlighted: 'Creativity is best, so entrants are warned that Gritty McGritface will not make the grade.'
Previous competitions to name the council's gritters have proved popular with both entrants and local residents, who now see council vehicles including Gritter Thunberg, Oh Plougher of Scotland and Spready Mercury treating the area's roads in winter.
South Lanarkshire's new vehicles will be used for the first time later this year, displaying the winning inspired names, with competition organisers saying: 'All names must have a wintry aspect but imaginations can take flight in combining that with, for instance, a favourite celebrity or catchphrase.'
Eight winners will have their picture taken alongside their named gritter, with residents then able to follow the vehicles in action on the online gritter tracker.
Entries will be collected by schools and sent in to South Lanarkshire Council's headquarters in Hamilton for the closing date of Friday, May 30 – and creative young entrants are being told: 'Get thinking – there's snow time to waste!'
Naming and tracking Scotland's creatively-named winter gritters online has become a popular national pastime, with some of those maintaining the country's roads including Tunnock's-inspired Caramelt Wafer, Irn-Bru themed Grits You Through and favourites Taylor Drift, Sir Andy Flurry and Yes Sir, Ice Can Boogie.
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