Skye tourists slapped with £400,000 fines over illegally parked cars at beauty spot
More than £400,000 of fines were issued last year at one of Scotland's most iconic beauty spots in a council crackdown on illegal parking.
Special teams of wardens were drafted into Skye to tackle what the council describe as "problem parking" by both tourists and locals. A total of 7,011 parking penalties were issued in 2024 - more than double the 2,784 served to motorists in 2020.
Poor parking has been a long-standing problem on Skye, with cars and other vehicles often abandoned at the roadside or parked illegally in passing places near attractions such as the Fairy Pools and the Storr. There were 2,797 penalty notices issued in 2021, 3,545 in 2022 and 5,563 in 2023. Already this year more than 2,670 have been issued up to May.
Skye is one of the Highland's and Scotland's most popular destinations attracting thousands of visitors each year from across the world. For most the easiest way to get there is by car. Fines totalling £430,000 were handed out in the most recent financial year - April 2024 to March this year. At a car park at The Storr 948 parking tickets were issued totalling £56,350, while 184 notices totalling £10,250 were given out at the Fairy Pools. Another parking blackspot for motorists was the Quiraing on the north of Skye
A Highland Council spokesperson said:'There are a number of factors that have contributed to the increase of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued on Skye over the last five years which include an increase in the regulated parking areas, an increase in parking restrictions and no waiting restrictions in key locations to prevent routes being obstructed and an increase in the number of Parking Enforcement Officers.
'Areas that generate high PCN numbers are around key visitor locations, and it is likely that a significant proportion of the PCNs issued on Skye are to visitors at these locations "'Parking rule breaking is a concern and the seriousness of this can depend on the area and frequency. In many areas, it can cause safety issues, block traffic, and create challenging situations for pedestrians and drivers."
Fines cost £50 but can rise to £150 if not paid after 70 days. A report to Highland Council Isle of Skye and Raasay committee said an average 70% of parking fines were paid with others having to be written off or pursued through legal or court action. The worst offending area last year was in a car park in Skye's capital Portree where 1,346 tickets were issued totalling £81,850.
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However concerns were expressed yesterday that the parking crackdown could deter tourists from visiting Skye and contributing to the local economy. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The Automobile Association, said; "Local councils need to get the balance right when it comes to parking enforcement. "Clearly, illegal and anti-social parking should be punished, but if there is concern that drivers are picking up fines due to issues, such as unclear signage or non-working payment machines, then that needs investigating. "Tourism, particularly in Skye, is vital to the local economy and aggressive parking management could deter visitors from returning in the future."
Scottish Tourism Alliance chief executive, Marc Crothall, said tourists made a "significant contribution" to island economies like Skye He added:" Total tourism spend in Scotland last year was £10.5bn and this helped to support local shops, pubs, restaurants, and 245,000 jobs across the country. Many of those who visit and stay in rural destinations also donate to good causes too."
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