Parking fines fall in Inverness but soar on Skye – as more measures put in place to deal with tourism boom

Car parks in Skye have generated the most income for Highland Council over the last five years.

Six sites in Skye made up the 10 highest-grossing car parks in the north last year.

By comparison, the number of fines has decreased in Inverness over the five-year period.

In total, 11,523 fines have been issued in Inverness, Fort William and Skye since 2017.

As more and more visitors head to Skye for a staycation, extra measures have been put in place to control parking at prime sites like the Old Mann of Storr and The Quiraing, as well as Portree itself.

Larger car parks have been created which are monitored during peak times.

From 2017 to 2022, parking fines across Skye rose from £6,420 to £128,580 – a jump of more than £120,000.

The total number of fines on Skye increased as well with 3,321 fines issued in 2022 compared to 163 five years before.

But while the figures – obtained through a freedom of information request – may seem “stark” those on the island have broadly welcomed the introduction of parking charges, arguing they “enhance the resilience and sustainability of tourism on Skye”.

‘Visitors more than happy to pay’

A spokesman for Skye Connect, an organisation representing businesses and tourism on Skye, say the money raised from parking charges goes back to help ranger services and environmental restoration on the island.

He said: “We are currently working with Edinburgh University and other partners to have real time traffic data linked to live signage and an app to help redirect traffic from congested locations to quieter visitor attractions.

“All of these initiatives are designed to improve the visitor experience and reduce the impact on local communities.

“We find that when visitors are told how the parking charges are used they are generally more than happy to pay.”

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Which car parks brought in the most fines?

In Portree’s Bayfield Car Park, 867 fines were issued to motorists costing nearly £33,000.

That one site generated more fines than the top seven car parks in Inverness (478) and the top two in Fort William (344) combined.

In 2020, Portree and Braes Community Trust purchased some derelict land to expand the car park to 187 spaces.

People can park all week from 8am to 8pm for a charge, with a maximum stay of 12 hours costing £4 and Skye Parking permits costing £10.

The second and third highest-grossing are also located in Portree – the Green Car Park, which has 40 spaces, and Somerled Square Car Park, which has 34 – generating £20,760 and £18,030 respectively.

Both car parks operate between 8am and 6pm throughout the week with a maximum stay of two hours.

Of the top 10 highest-grossing car parks six are on Skye, with four in Portree generating £94,560 from 2428 fines.

The other four in the top 10 consist of two each in Fort William and Inverness.

The highest-grossing car park in Inverness is the Rainings Stairs Car Park, with 78 spaces behind the Botanic House. A total of 241 fines, costing £9,510, were issued.

While there has been a significant increase in total fines over the past five years on Skye, numbers have gone down in Inverness.

In 2017, Highland Council issued 7,869 fines in Inverness costing £361,380 compared to 5682 fines and £246,810 in 2022.

It means that while Inverness still generates more from parking fines, fines are decreasing compared to the Isle of Skye.

In Fort William, Middle Street Car Park – with 106 spaces – near the town centre was the highest-earning with £9,270 from 217 fines.