Durness and Assynt among tourist hotspots highlighted in Highland Council report
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Two tourist hotspots in Sutherland are among four locations being focused on in a new visitor strategy set to be considered on Wednesday.
Highland Council's tourism committee will consider particular difficulties at Durness and Assynt, along with Glenbrittle on Skye and the Road to the Isles between Fort William and Mallaig.
The council’s access rangers say these areas are struggling to cope with the explosion in visitor numbers since the pandemic.
The Highlands attracted 2.9 million overnight visitors in 2019 and 9.6 million day trips. These visitors added £1.6 billion to the local economy.
However, these figures are pre-pandemic, and the growth in the staycation market suggests the real totals will be much higher.
Durness has a population of just 250 but that population swells to up to 1000 every night in the summer.
Highland Council’s seasonal access rangers have compiled a detailed 168-page report for Wednesday's tourism committee meeting. The report sets out common challenges across the four hotspots, and a range of ideas to get to grips with tourism.
Common issues highlighted in the report include traffic congestion and verge parking, informal overnight camping, wild fires, littering, toileting and antisocial behaviour. Specific action points are also noted for each area.
Highland Council says irresponsible tourism is damaging fragile ecosystems and threatening the livelihood of local farmers and crofters.
It has agreed £1.5 million funding for its visitor management strategy, which includes £350,000 for seasonal access rangers, £240,000 for road management, £190,000 for public toilets, £160,000 for parking management and £55,000 for motorhome facilities.
With this money, the report proposes a range of measures across the four hotspots. Some of these actions are strategic, such as hiring permanent destination management officers and seasonal wardens, and bringing stakeholders together into destination management forums.
Other measures are practical, such as improving the road network, especially single-track roads, and resurfacing car parks.
The report also looks at signage and infomation for visitors, with the suggestion of a more coherent ‘narrative’ to explain the rules of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and providing information and advice about each area.
The council is also looking at what other areas are doing. The report for the tourism committee highlights the ‘Love the Glen’ campaign fronted by the National Trust for Scotland in Glencoe.
It has also looked at the stricter approach taken at Loch Lomond, where bylaws have been used to create restricted camping zones with a £500 fine. The report even looks across the Channel to France, where graphic-led information boards provide quick and easy visitor guides.
If Highland councillors approve the tourism plans tomorrow, many of the local priority actions will happen straight away.
