KATE Forbes has welcomed Scottish Government funding for a world-renowned tourist hotspot on the Isle of Skye.
Highland Council will receive £350,000 from the Islands Programme Fund, understood to be earmarked for improvements to the final stretch of single track road to the Fairy Pools – which has struggled to cope with over 200,000 visitors annually.
Improvements are also planned separately for the Claggan Road and Neist Point.
The road to the Fairy Pools, which also serves the township of Glenbrittle, has deteriorated under the volume of vehicles coming to the iconic attraction.
“I am delighted that the Highland Council has received this Scottish Government funding, and I expect it will make a huge difference – especially for residents,” she said.
“I met with communities on Skye on a number of occasions and I am aware that significantly increased numbers of visitors in recent years have greatly exacerbated many of the existing roads issues."
Forbes added: “Over the course of this summer, I have heard from local residents of people being unable to access hospital appointments on time, care assistants being unable to attend to their patients, or take their children to scheduled activities – most of these are caused by single track roads being blocked by congestion – or occasionally by vehicles becoming stuck on verges.
"Put simply, the present setup was never designed to cope with the current volume of traffic.
“This targeted investment from the Scottish Government will help enormously, and I look forward to the successful completion of the project.”
