Tourism investment on North Coast 500 approved by Highland councillors
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A new round of investment to improve facilities for tourist on the North Coast 500 and elsewhere in the Highlands was approved this week.
It will see £1.5 million spent on a range of measures designed to support tourism and protect the environment.
Meanwhile, Highland Council's tourism committee, which met on Wednesday, also noted a strategic plan that looks to improvements that need to be made in the next two to five years.
The Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan (STIDP) aims to complement the Visitor Management Plan, which includes smaller scale and shorter-term objectives.
Those shorter-term measures will see investment in hotspots including Durness and Assynt in Sutherland, where remote communities have felt the brunt of a rapid increase in visitor numbers. Glenbrittle in Skye and the Road to the Isles in Lochaber will also be the focus of targeted spending.
The decision to approve the visitor plan will see significant investment in road and parking improvements and new signage to improve behaviour. It also pays for seasonal wardens and destination managers, who will work with stakeholders in new local forums.
Councillor Margaret Paterson said the main focus should be education. She said many visitors were “behaving worse than animals”.
Colin Howell, head of roads and infrastructure, said some of that education relies on national messaging. Mr Howell told members that VisitScotland’s new campaigns centre around a ‘tread lightly’ message.
Councillor Allan Henderson emphasised the need for a joined-up approach. “The beauty of this plan is the fairly remote areas realise they’re not alone,” he said. “The ‘ban them all’ brigade now realise we do have to work together to make better experiences for visitors and locals.”
The north-west Highlands is also among the hotspots that are the focus of the STIDP, which outlines eight areas experiencing particular pressures.
It aims to secure funding for and to deliver improved parking and traffic management, an increase in traffic-free paths and cycle networks, public transport links, park and ride infrastructure, EV charging points and public toilet and motorhome waste facilities.
Cllr Gordon Adam, chairman of the committee, said: “The Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan is a detailed piece of work that sets out key priorities, identifies eight hotspots but also covers the whole of the Highlands in considering how best to plan ahead for the future.
"Tourism is fundamental to economic recovery and we recognise that to remain an attractive destination and to ensure a welcoming experience, the council must do all we can to improve areas such as public parking, toilets, waste and litter facilities.
“We are acutely aware of the significant increase in motorhome and campervan ownership in the UK and that the carrying capacity in the Highlands in peak season doesn’t always meet the demands in some popular locations.
"People travelling to the Highlands are advised to plan and book ahead of travel, understand the limitations and impact on rural communities and make sure to tread lightly on the land and take only wonderful memories and leave only footprints.”
