A Glencoe hotel will start charging tourists £100 to use its carpark overnight – unless they are paying guests.
Kingshouse Hotel will introduce an ANPR (automatic number-plate recognition) system after customers said they were struggling to find space to park.
Glencoe is a major visitor attraction in Scotland, with more than 2 million vehicles driving through the glen on the A82 Inverness to Glasgow road every year.
The Kingshouse Hotel is in the heart of Glencoe, and welcomes people from all over the world, by car, foot and bike.
Walkers on the West Highland Way often use the hotel as a stopover on the 96-mile walk from Milngavie to Fort William High Street.
Kingshouse implements parking charge to “enhance” customer experience
Now, Kingshouse Hotel – which is run by the Crieff Hydro ‘family of hotels’ – says it has been left with no choice but to implement an ANPR system for the benefit of paying customers.
The system will come in to force on July 1, charging £20 for any four hours between 8am and 5pm, and £100 for any time between 5pm and 8am.
All proceeds will be donated to the local mountain rescue team.
A spokeswoman said: “Our car park is often very busy, both with hotel guests and outdoor enthusiasts who set off to explore the area for the day.
“As a result, our car park frequently becomes full and is sometimes left in an unsuitable condition, leaving limited space for our staying guests.
“We strive to maintain a clean and tidy environment to ensure that the wildlife calling Kingshouse Hotel and the surrounding area home remains safe and free to explore.
“To manage this and enhance the experience for our hotel customers, we have decided to introduce an ANPR system.
“All proceeds from this system will be donated to Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, a fantastic cause that performs vital work in the area.”
For bar, restaurant and staying guests, parking is free for the duration of their stay.
Is there a bigger problem with parking in Glencoe?
Thousands of people each year stop at parking areas along the road to admire the view, or head into the hills for walking or climbing.
Emily Bryce, the operations manager for both the Glencoe National Nature Reserve and the Glenfinnan Monument at the National Trust for Scotland, said the charity has been looking very closely at parking in the area.
She said: “The National Trust for Scotland, as the custodian of Glencoe National Nature Reserve, manages some of the most popular parking areas in Glencoe, but others are the responsibility of Transport Scotland and neighbouring landowners.
“At busy times, there are not always enough official parking spaces to meet the demand, and we ask drivers not to park on the roadside or verges if parking areas are full. This is hazardous, illegal and causes long-lasting landscape damage.
“If you love Glencoe, don’t park irresponsibly, drive on and come back another time if you can.”
NTS looking for ‘car-free’ Glencoe alternatives
Ms Bryce added that the NTS has been looking for “car-free alternatives” for Glencoe.
She said: “We are currently working with Sustrans on the Glencoe Greenway, a new 3mile shared-use path that will enable visitors to walk or wheel in from the west.
“This should be completed this autumn. Transport Scotland has also commissioned a feasibility study into extending this traffic-free path the full length of the glen and improving the provision of bus stops to enable greater public transport provision.”
Highland Council said there were “early tariff proposals” for Glencoe village visitor car park being developed with the Glencoe Village Community.
A minimum fee of £3 at all locations across the Highlands was introduced in April.