The Skye Storr Project accelerates at pace
Isle of Skye and Raasay Area Committee met today (Monday 31 October 2022) and commended the achievements and progress made to date by the Storr Project and agreed an amendment to parking charges at the Old Man of Storr from April 2023 and a £60,000 investment from disaggregated Ward funds towards the delivery of on-site management and income generation at the Storr.
The Storr is an iconic and internationally recognised site, with annual visitor numbers increasing year on year, it’s essential that the facilities are suitable for purpose and enhance the visitors’ experience.
To ensure that the Storr is self-sustaining for the future and to continue to develop, improve and enhance the facilities with ambition to become a key visitor attraction for Scotland, Members considered the proposed updated parking charges fees and unanimously agreed the new payment scale which is estimated to increase the annual revenue by between £50k - £90k and will start from April 2023. The new charges are outlined in the report here.
Isle of Skye and Raasay Area Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “Today’s report marks significant progress, it demonstrates community led innovation whilst being considerate of the environment, unique heritage and our Gaelic culture whilst actively supporting the local circular economy. Members are delighted to see the project accelerate and look forward to further reports and updates being presented to future area committees.
“Developing place-based projects like the Storr not only opens opportunity for income generation but importantly will support the overall management of the Storr site to ensure it has a sustainable future. These further improvements deliver against the strategic aspirations and objectives set out in the place-based investment framework for the area known as Skye & Raasay Future (SARF). Similarly, the ongoing development of the Storr is an excellent example in supporting the key Council’s aims in the Future Highlands – Health and Prosperity Strategic Partnership Plan.”
Building on improvements made to parking, path networks, toilet and motorhome facilities, this next stage of development is geared towards the sustainable management and maintenance of the Old Man of Storr site, as well as encouraging local business opportunities and income generation for the Council.
Members noted the following:
- Achievements and progress made as detailed in the report.
- Established governance via a Project Board.
- Continual local Member involvement.
- Creation and appointment of 2 full time equivalent (FTE) posts at the Storr for improved visitor experience and improved site management.
- Installation of welfare facilities for the on-site staff
- Ongoing development of digital solution including logo, website, and social media, with prominent Gaelic
- Successful funding application of £440k to the Islands Infrastructure Fund for the installation of a retail unit and electric vehicle (EV) chargers on site.
The new charges for the Storr parking facilities from April 20223 are as follows:
Length of Stay Charge: Up to 6 hours £5.00 and up to 12 hours £7.00
There are no changes to the £10 monthly charge for the local parking season ticket for Skye car parks.