LEADER funding improving car parking on Skye

Funding from Highland LEADER is helpingto improve car parking facilities at a popular tourist spot on Skye.

The Fairy Pools Car Park and Facilities Phase 1 Project received a £200,000 grant from LEADER, with contributions also coming from Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Minginish Community Hall Association.

An increase in visitor numbers to the beautiful Fairy Pools had stretched existing facilities causing issues with road congestion and residents being prevented from travelling to and from their homes and businesses. There was also an increasing problem with litter and waste.

The Highland Council set up a working group in 2015, working with stakeholders to progress a project to improve the facilities. Minginish Community Hall Association (MCHA) identified and lined up funding for the project.

The LEADER-funded project is a partnership between Outdoors Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) and MCHA. MCHA have taken over the Fairy Pools car park site from Forestry Commission Scotland under Community Asset Transfer. This first phase of the project was to develop, build and manage a substantially larger car park for the Fairy Pools, with a second stage project following up with toilets and interpretation. 

Speaking on behalf of the local members, Councillor John Finlayson said: “The positive outcomes that have been achieved are due largely to the proactive and collaborative approaches of all involved, which clearly show that if agencies work together in an open and transparent manner and have shared goals that benefit both the immediate local and also the wider Skye communities, successful outcomes will always be achieved.” 

Visit the Outdoor Access Trust Scotland website for more information.

Visit the Highland LEADER website for more information about the programme.

Photo by Robert Lukeman on Unsplash