VISITORS to Skye have been warned by police to book a place to stay for the night in advance or “spend a night in their car”.
The island has seen tourist numbers boom since its world-class landscapes featured in a series of major films, including Steven Spielberg’s BFG.
This has brought new business but also local demands for new infrastructure to cater for holidaymakers, especially in the summer.
A local police sergeant said some visitors had turned up at his station because they could not find anywhere to stay.
Police Scotland’s Bruce Crawford told the West Highland Free Press: “We would never advise people against visiting our beautiful island but I would ask people to use common sense before travelling without booking accommodation in advance if they intend to stay overnight.
“People regularly arrive at the station with nowhere to stay asking for advice and it is simply not possible for police to phone round hotels and B&Bs to try and find them accommodation. “Like everyone else we want visitors to have the best experience possible but I would encourage people, who travel from around the world to see Skye, to plan ahead unless they want to spend a night in their car.”
Exact figures for tourist numbers are hard to find. Portree, Skye’s biggest town, had 150,000 visitors last year, up five per cent and is expecting some 30 cruise visits this summer season. Locals, however, suggest visitor congestion is greatest on narrow roads to famous destinations such as the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing or the Fairy Pools, all of which are widely used to market the whole of Scotland.
A campaign has been launched by some islanders for government funding or a tourist tax to offset infrastructure problems. Business and community leaders fear footpaths are being eroded, litter is building up and local roads are being chocked by holiday traffic. There are complaints of tourists, unable to find toilets, relieving themselves in public Paul Wood, of the West Highland Free Press, explained: “It’s true to say the island is busy and there are pressure points, but the view of an island swamped is way off the mark. It’s the lack of investment that’s the real issue, not the numbers coming. “When the tourist season abates, I’ll still have a bank that only opens twice a week, slow broadband, no mobile signal and unmaintained roads. These issues are long-standing and fairly easy to sort.”
Some business leaders have called for a tourist tax, a levy widely used elsewhere in Europe to pay for both tourist marketing and infrastructure. Roger Booth, who runs a food van near the Quiraing walk, raised the prospect of £1 per tourist per night tax last month. Highland Council has said the law would have to be changed to raise such cash. The opposition SNP leader on the council backs the plan. Similar proposals have been made in Edinburgh. Shirley Spears, the founder of the island’s award-winning restaurant, The Three Chimneys, told the BBC she thought central government should step in to provide help. She said: “I believe there should be a special fund to help bring the infrastructure into line with expectation of our many visitors from many countries around the world.”
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