Skye hotspots get cash windfall
SOME of Skye’s most famous tourist spots are being given support to help them prepare for the tourist season, courtesy of a Scottish Government fund.
Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop revealed last week that two pilot projects on the island are being awarded a total of £400,000 towards the completion of urgent works.
A sum of £100,000 from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund will improve car parking facilities at Neist Point, while £300,000 will open the next phase of the Fairy Pools development, including the creation of visitor and toilet facilities.
These grants are in addition to the £300,000 of public funding announced by the Highland Council on Monday for road and parking improvements at both the Fairy Pools and the Quiraing hiking destination.
Skye MSP Kate Forbes welcomed the ‘superb’ investment, saying it will help improve tourism infrastructure at some of the island’s busiest attractions.
She said: ‘Hot on the heels of the announcement earlier this week about funding for the Fairy Pools and the Quiraing, I am delighted that there will also be additional funding for Neist Point and to develop the Fairy Pools even further.
‘The First Minister’s announcement of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund came after a very busy tourist season on Skye, when many local people raised their concerns with me about the pressures on parking, toilets and roads.’
Last year Ms Forbes led two tourism summits with local businesses, community groups and tourism organisations, which looked at tourism-related problems and solutions.
‘It is important that progress on infrastructure is made in advance of the tourist season, and that is why I am so pleased that we’ve had several announcements this week of additional funding for the key hot spots on Skye,’ she added.
‘These three areas were all subjected to a rapid growth in visitor numbers and it’s important that the infrastructure is ready for the continuing demand this year.’
Plans for a £6 million Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund were announced last autumn to address notable rises in visitor numbers experienced by some of the most popular destinations in the Scottish countryside.
Ms Hyslop said: ‘The tourism boom is great news for rural Scotland, bringing jobs and investment to communities. Yet we are also seeing pressures on services, facilities and transport, which is why we are taking action.
‘These pilots will quickly deliver benefits and help us finalise the way the scheme operates, before it opens up soon to more applications from around the country.
‘I’m determined that we strike the right balance between sustainably growing tourism with carefully managing our iconic and world-leading destinations so visitors can continue to enjoy them for generations to come.’
Administered by VisitScotland, the fund will be open from April for applications from local authorities on behalf of their communities. Infrastructure improvements – including parking, camping, visitor facilities and recycling points – will be supported.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: ‘Scotland’s reputation as a quality destination relies on continued investment and innovation to ensure current provision meets future demand. Scotland’s natural beauty and rural heritage continue to be an irresistible draw for visitors from across world and VisitScotland is committed to working closely with partners to identify appropriate infrastructure requirements to help improve the quality of the visitor experience.’
Skye councillor John Finlayson said that the investment will provide a ‘significant improvement’ to the visitor experience.
‘Skye is an increasingly popular and unique island and it is important we meet the needs of the increasing number of tourists who come here, while at the same time also supporting the day to day lifestyles of our residents,’ he said.