Local authority to formulate five-year plan in a bid to manage mass tourism in north
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A five-year ‘visitor management’ plan is to be drawn up after an influx of visitors to the north this summer created tensions in rural communities across the north.
Highland councillors agreed the move at a meeting of the tourism committee in Inverness on Wednesday.
The local authority is also appealing to landowners to get in touch if they are able to provide “basic stopping facilities” for travellers - known on the continent as Aires.
And council leaders have said they will continue to work with other public and environmental bodies to achieve a better tourism balance.
Tourism committee chairwoman Maxine Smith said: “We welcome tourists in the Highlands, but we need to make sure we have the right infrastructure in place for them.”
As lockdown restrictions eased earlier this year following the initial onset of coronavirus, visitors flooded into the region, Many were in motorhomes and campervans intent on touring the tourism route North Coast 500.
But the influx put small communities in Sutherland and elsewhere under pressure. Residents in the county complained about wild camping and overnight parking in lay bys and at cemeteries and historic buildings such as Ardvreck Castle.
There was also concern about overflowing refuse bins, littering, wild toileting, camp fires and inconsiderate driving on single-track roads.
Problems became so acute in north west Sutherland that a Facebook site ‘The Land Weeps’ was set up with the aim of gathering a dossier of photographs as evidence.
At Wednesday's meeting councillors discussed bans on overnight parking and by-laws prohibiting alcohol consumption in certain areas.
Members welcomed plans in Lochinver, Helmsdale, Bonar Bridge and Cromarty to develop overnight parking sites for motorhomes through the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund.
Cllr Smith said the authority was keen to hear from landowners or householders with “extra large gardens” to provide space for an Airbnb style service for campervans. Anyone with any initial queries about 'Aires' should email tourism officer colin.simpson@highland.gov.uk .
Members agreed that a short-term plan for 2021 will be presented to a future meeting of the Tourism Committee at the earliest opportunity
After the meeting Cllr Smith said: “Members are in agreement that our experiences in Highland communities this summer have clearly demonstrated that we need a visitor management plan for Highland.
“We must be able to respond positively on the front-and-welcoming-foot to the increasing numbers of visitors to Highland.
“A clear direction on where we will allocate our resources on visitor management will aim to help alleviate the pressures on infrastructure at visitor attractions, beauty spots, rural roads and locations and in our villages and towns. The need to plan this over the longer term is also vital.”
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