Beauty spot car parks are closed to keep visitors away
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Highland Council is closing car parks at beauty spots – including five in Caithness – in a bid to tighten the lockdown against potential visitors.
The local authority is calling on everyone to heed government advice discouraging travel to help limit the spread of Covid-19.
In total, 15 car parks close to tourist hotspots or attractions under council control across the region will be closed in time for the Easter weekend. Many are on the North Coast 500 route.
The Caithness sites are Duncansby Head, Dunnet Head, Dunnet Bay (Seadrift), Noss Head and Reiss.
All car parks on the list will remain shut afterwards until further notice.
The aim is to discourage people from travelling to such scenic areas while ignoring national guidance.
The local authority says it is not blocking access rights to the countryside, but it is within its rights to close car parks that it owns.
Similar action was taken by Argyll and Bute council earlier.
The closures could be backed up by police action as Police Scotland's divisional commander, Chief Superintendent George Macdonald, warned that officers are willing to take action as a "last resort".
The car parks which will be closed until further notice in Highland are:
- Achmelvich beach car park
- Assynt – Inchnadamph Hotel car park
- Clachtoll beach car park
- Duncansby Head car park
- Dunnet Head car park
- Dunnet Bay – Seadrift car park
- Dunvegan – Coral Beach car park
- Durness – Sango car park
- Durness – Smoo Cave car park
- Little Gruinard beach car park
- Noss Head car park, Wick
- Quirang car park, Skye
- Reiss beach car park, Wick
- Staffin – Kilt Rock car park
- Storr car park, Skye
The council says the list will be kept under review, to determine whether particular car parks can be reopened or whether further closures will be put in place.
The Highland Council convener, Councillor Bill Lobban, said: “We all have an important role to play in slowing the spread of coronavirus and it is good to see people taking this very seriously and adhering to the national guidance.
The beauty spots will still be there when this is all over.
“We are very fortunate in the Highlands to have wide open spaces and natural beauty. While it is important to get time outdoors and maintain our physical and mental health, we must ensure we follow the social distancing guidelines and do not put any additional pressure on the NHS at this time.
“While we would normally welcome tourists and visitors to the Highlands, including local Highland day-visitors, I would appeal to you for now to remain at home and stay safe and we will welcome you back in the future when it is safe to do so.
"The beauty spots will still be there when this is all over.”
Chief Superintendent George Macdonald said: “The legal instructions on not leaving your home without a reasonable excuse apply to everyone and individuals must not make personal exemptions bespoke to their own circumstances.
"With the Easter weekend approaching, I appreciate this will be more frustrating than ever. However, effective social distancing is essential to protect each other, support key workers, take strain from the NHS and save lives
“Wherever our officers encounter people outside, we will engage with them if necessary to establish their circumstances, explain the guidance and encourage them to comply with it if they are doing something that is putting others at risk.
“Only as a very last resort will enforcement action be used where people continue to defy the clear advice being given. Stay home this Easter weekend, protect the NHS and save lives.”
NHS Highland’s director of public health, Dr Ken Oates, supported the medical case for not visiting these areas.
He said: “We are in a situation that has never been experienced before and for the first time we are making a plea for you to stay away.
“National advice is quite clear that we, as a nation, need to stay at home, self-isolate and stop all non-essential travel. Our health and social care staff are also doing everything in their power to protect our patients and our local communities to ensure we are ready for what the next few weeks could bring.
“I would ask everyone to protect those in your communities who are most vulnerable. By complying with these measures you can help save lives. Please stay at home.”
In addition, Highland Council said today that all holiday accommodation should only be available to essential key workers and not tourists. Tourism and holiday home businesses are asked to abide by the legislation to protect the Highland community and local NHS services.
The local authority's environmental health team will respond to any queries with support from trading standards. Any concerns can be raised with environmental health by email at envhealth@highland.gov.uk
