The purpose of the STIDP is to identify key priorities for tourism infrastructure in Highland over the medium term. The plan looks at publicly accessible infrastructure, either provided by the public sector or by third parties /commercial stakeholders, unlike the previous 4 rounds, where applications were accepted on an individual basis, future rounds of RTIF will focus on delivering the priorities within the Highland Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan.

The plan identifies two levels of tourism infrastructure-related priorities:

• Tier One –Identifies eight hotspot areas, where multiple sites experience multiple pressures across different types of infrastructure.
• Tier Two - Identifies tourism infrastructure at individual sites out with the main hotspot areas that face similar pressures or have ambitions to attract more visitors to elevate pressures from more popular areas.
• The plan identifies twenty-two projects that the Highland Council and its partners plan to take forward over the next 2-5 years as priorities.

The STIDP includes the following:

Glencoe and Glen Etive £1,450,000

• Glencoe Greenway - A82 Glencoe Active Travel Project £500,000
• Glencoe Village & Ballachulish Public Toilet Upgrades £220,000
• Glencoe Village Car Park £705,000
• Glen Etive Road End Parking £25,000

Glen Nevis £442,221

• Glen Nevis Roadside Parking (Achintee) £61,600
• Glen Nevis Road End Car Park (Steall) &
• Lower Falls Parking and Bridge Replacement £145,621
• Event Car Parking Nevis Forest £177,000
• Expansion of the North Face Car Park £58,000

Road to the Isles (Glenfinnan Mallaig) £326,610

• B8008 Parking and Traffic Management £326,610

Isle of Skye £1,320,000

• Visitor Car Park and Public Transport Improvements £610,000
• Dunvegan Public Toilet Upgrade £110,000
• Bayfield Car Park Expansion and Toilets £600,000

Applecross £132,000

• Motorhome Stopover Site £132,000

North West Highlands (Loch Broom to Durness) £2,873,871

• Parking Improvements across North West Sutherland £368,359
• Smoo Cave Parking and Toilet Upgrade £337,000
• Blairmore Car Park and Toilets, Sandwood Estate £198,000
• North West Sutherland Public Toilet Upgrades £502,000
• Stac Pollaidh Visitor Facilities £642,000
• Achmelvich Visitor Facilities £826,512

Fortrose – Rosemarkie – Chanonry Point £298,000

• Chanonry Point Visitor Parking £298,000

Whaligoe Steps (Tier 2) £90,000

• Whaligoe Steps Car Parking £90,000

Potential total costs of proposed projects £6,932,701. Costs are estimates and may be subject to change.

The Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan can be viewed here.