Tourists? Park yourselves here

iT is a picturesque island where a tourism boom has driven the transport network to the brink.

But the jams blighting roads to skye’s beauty spots could soon become a thing of the past under ‘park and ride’ plans.

in summer, the island’s 10,000-strong population swelled sixfold as tourists from all over the world descended.

cars, coaches and campervans created bottlenecks, while parking at unofficial sites marred the views. Police urged travellers to book accommodation before arrival or risk a night under the stars.

The park and ride proposal came after congestion hit a peak this year. skye’s Nationalist msP Kate Forbes says a network of visitor centres where buses can pick up tourists would ease the pressure. she added: ‘it isn’t difficult to discover where the pinch-points are, as visitors increasingly look to Tripadvisor to set their agenda.

‘i support this idea – to tackle problems of congestion, lack of toilets and conservation of our fantastic environment.

‘This could work alongside an expanded park and ride scheme, which could reduce the number of cars and coaches on our single track roads.’ many of skye’s attractions, such as the Fairy Pools, near Glen Brittle, and Old man of storr can only be reached by single lanes, which become choked with traffic.

The project, co-authored by geologist Donald Fisher, also calls for skye to be designated a Geopark, like shetland and the North-West Highlands, to safeguard its unique landscape.

shirley spear, a director of business hub skyeconnect and owner of awardwinning The Three chimneys restaurant, said: ‘This is a wonderful idea to follow. There is an enormously important need to preserve skye’s iconic landscape for future generations.’