Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson owned up yesterday to leaving her vehicle on double yellow lines in the authority’s own car park.
An anonymous photographer snapped the car in the offending spot on Wednesday.
The snapper pointed out that the council’s SNP opposition leader Maxine Smith was recently caught parking in a disabled spot at Raigmore Hospital and that councillors “might want to be a bit more careful.”
Councillor Davidson had parked on the road leading to the car park at the rear of the council’s Inverness headquarters in Glenurquhart Road.
They said: “You’ll see there’s a raised kerb onto a pavement at the other side of the road and any vehicle needing to enter or exit had no choice but to mount the pavement.
“Who’s going to be held liable if vehicle wheels were damaged – Highland Council or the inconsiderate councillor?”
They added: “It’s a good job emergency vehicles didn’t require access, as they would not have had enough space to pass.”
Mrs Davidson, who has had a particularly hectic schedule in the run-up to balancing the council’s budget, said: “It was a poor piece of parking done in a hurry as I was due at a meeting in three minutes and I didn’t want to keep eight people waiting.
“Parking is very tight if you arrive in the middle of the day and I couldn’t find an alternative space quickly.
“From next week, the new parking scheme goes live and I’ll need to arrive earlier and find a space or run the risk of paying a fine.
“Of course, all of us – including me – should use public transport more and free up parking.”
The council HQ car park is currently a public facility with unregulated access. However, a new “control of use order” was made last October.
It takes effect next month.