Work has begun this week on a big expansion of the Stac Pollaidh car park, and in 2025 toilets will also be built at the site for the first time.
© Dan Bailey
The extension of the car park and creation of toilet facilities comes in response to consistent heavy use at a site that currently only has space for around 20 vehicles. Anyone visiting in summer either to walk or climb on Stac Pollaidh is likely to have witnessed (and perhaps contributed to) the overspill issue, with excess numbers of cars ending up parked on verges and passing places on the busy single track road. There's increasing evidence too of local habitat degradation, as well as litter and quite disgusting toilet fouling issues.
The two-phase project, designed to increase capacity at a venue that now seens an estimated 50,000 annual visitors, is being managed by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS), an environmental charity promoting sustainable public access throughout Scotland.
© Duncan Bryden
Phase one will see the current 20-space car park expanded to 78 spaces. While parking will be limited during construction, the car park is expected to be fully operational again by the end of December 2024. The second part of the project, which includes the building of off-grid toilet facilities and a processing plant, is currently out for tender, and OATS expects work to start early in 2025.
"Stac Pollaidh is widely recognised as one of the most popular hills to climb in Scotland with spectacular views down Loch Lurgainn and over to the Coigach peaks, [and] the Assynt hills. [It's] a very special place for many hillwalkers and the local community. This is why the full consultation process with the local community, landowners, the Highland Council and NatureScot undertaken by OATS has been so significant" said an OATS spokesperson.
"Following planning permission, lease and funding agreements and ecological assessment processes that were longer than expected, it was agreed to delay construction until September 2024 to avoid further disruption on the access road during the busiest months for outdoor tourism in the Highlands.
"The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland apologises for any potential disruption to the local community, businesses and emergency services caused on the access road to the car park as a direct result of construction."
Comments
Handy for the construction team when they plonk a mast on top.
Handy for vankers as well.
With the massive increase in tourism around Scotland, toilets need to be built in many more locations. Investing in infrastructure to accommodate vans/campers etc seems like a very sensible thing to do. France has loads of areas for this and it works well.
Bigger carparks, sadly, are probably necessary at such honeypot locations. At least Stac Pollaidh is a worthy attraction unlike the Fairy Pools instagram farce on Skye. Of course it's no good if it gets filled up with overnighting vans, but setting aside some allowed overnight space with, perhaps, a height barrier to some of the car park might be sensible.
That was my first thought as well. 78 parking spaces taken up by 30 vans with their awnings, chairs and bbqs.
At least they won't be s**ting in the trees around the car park though. Small mercies....