Tourists turn on Fairy Pools as calls made for urgent upgrade to Glenbrittle road

Tourists are turning on one of Scotland’s most famous tourist attractions because of the condition of the main route in.

In a matter of months, TripAdvisor reviews of the Fairy Pools on Skye have gone from five-star ratings to advising people not to bother.

The iconic pools at Glenbrittle are one of the top destinations for international travellers.

But visitors say the road to the destination is so bad now, there’s no point in going.

Last week, The Press and Journal revealed that a high volume of cars in the area is leading to four-to-five-hour waits on the road to get to the car park.

Scottish Independent Tour Operator Association (Sitoa) said the problem now needs to be “addressed on a national stage” – with Highland Council urged to do something before the situation gets even worse.

‘The most horrendous single-track road’

In August, reviews of the site have gone from five stars to no stars because of the road taking people to the Fairy Pools.

One user Annie, from Cologne, wrote: “The most horrendous single-track road with massive potholes at either side.

“There were motorhomes stuck, cars with punctures. The road is NOT suitable for anything other than a small car.

“Don’t risk it.”

HLL from Nottingham wrote: “Whilst this place is absolutely stunning, do not visit if you are not a competent and confident driver.

“This attraction is on a single-track, very narrow road. The road is ruined on either edge with huge potholes.

“There are so many cars trying to get up and down this single road and in the time we were visiting we saw four vehicles ruined on this road from poor driving/pothole damage.”

Helen from Birmingham wrote: “What a stressful experience and didn’t even make it to the Fairy Pools!

“The roads are awful and actually quite dangerous at some points due to huge potholes. When we finally got up there the car park was full.”

Fairy Pools ‘not worth the visit’

Jane33 from Kent told others that a trip to the Fairy Pools was “not really worth the visit”.

She said: “The car journey there was horrendous, the road is single track with hundreds of HUGE potholes and drops on either side of the road.

“There were lots of cars, buses, motorhomes and car and caravans all trying to pass on the road.”

She said the roads were “very scary”, and warned anyone visiting would “need to pay for parking too”.

Meanwhile Tash C from Glasgow said: “Worth a visit. The real challenge… getting there.

“We were stuck in a traffic jam for 50 minutes due to single-track road surrounded by potholes and large pools of water.

“Caravans mostly caused the issue but we eventually got through. Lots of parking upon arrival so it’s just getting there. £6 for parking.”

Fairy Pools roads ‘cacophony of hell’

Sandy Bloomer, chairman of the Sitoa industry body, said that Skye’s positive reputation as a destination is being tarnished.

He believes that is due to people believing 15 years on that the upturn in tourism is a one-off.

He said: “15 years ago we were thinking that the Scottish tourism boom was not going to be long-lived.

“The fact is, the numbers of tourists are only ever going to increase.

“For many, visiting the Fairy Pools is a cacophony of hell.”

He continued: “The problems at The Fairy Pools have been created by lack of investment in infrastructure which has allowed the road to deteriorate to the point that it is causing serious congestion, damage to vehicles and damage to the environment en route to one of Scotland’s most popular and best-loved places.

“Sitoa calls on Highland Council to urgently address the condition of the road through Glenbrittle.”

A spokesperson for Highland Council said: “Council officers are working on potential visitor management solutions and exploring funding streams to help alleviate some of these pressures which are currently being experienced in the Skye area.

“In the meantime, we ask that all visitors please follow key guidance and advice on visiting the Highlands which can be found online at www.highland.gov.uk/tourism.”

Update: Highland Council has now revealed plans to upgrade the road. Read more here.