Highland Council looks at using car parks for paid for one-night motorhome stays
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Members of Highland Council’s Tourism Committee have agreed to consider an approach to ease problems with overnight parking of motorhomes in the region.
This also includes look at using individual car parks they operate for overnight accommodation.
Views will be sought from community councils and the council's own area committees will review the proposals.
Councillor Gordon Adam, chair of the tourism committee, said: “It is proposed that the council identifies key sites of existing off-street parking infrastructure and where suitable allow short stays for a maximum of 24 hours by motorhome and campervans for a low cost charge of £5 to £10.”
The council is also working to improve the availability of fresh water, grey waste and black waste disposal facilities across the region.
Identified key ‘hub’ sites could then be advertised via the industry recognised Campervan and Motorhome Professional Association (CAMPA) sites alongside other partners such as VisitScotland and local destination marketing organisations.
Councillor Adam said: “The significant rise in private motorhome ownership and rental companies in the UK and Europe, coupled with high demand to visit our beautiful Highland region, has identified a need to factor those trends into the Highland Visitor Management Plan.
“In peak season, rural communities and popular coastal areas can reach full capacity in caravan and motorhome sites quickly.
"By opening some appropriate Highland Council car parks for short overnight stopovers, it could help alleviate some of the inappropriate parking currently being reported across Highland communities.
"In the continent this type of stopover is often provided by the public sector to manage volume but also to encourage stops near communities which in turn could offer economic benefit.
“We continue to encourage visitors to the Highland region to plan and book ahead of travel, however we must also recognise the increase in popularity of self-contained travel.”
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