West Highlands Travel & Community Round-up

At a glance

The West Highlands are beginning to move out of peak visitor season, so some reduction in campervan-related pressure is expected. Fewer reports of congestion or parking problems should therefore not automatically be interpreted as those underlying issues having disappeared.

This week’s most useful signals are operational rather than signs of increasing visitor/community conflict. Road restrictions continue on important routes into Skye and Wester Ross, while a proposed new managed campervan and camping facility at Kishorn offers a more positive example of responding to visitor demand with appropriate infrastructure.

As autumn develops, the type of friction is also likely to change. Seasonal campsite closures, reduced opening hours, toilets and water becoming unavailable, changing ferry timetables, shorter daylight hours and weather-related access will become increasingly important.

Official updates

A835 access towards Wester Ross

Long-running works at Check Rail Corner on the A835 south of Garve are expected to continue with temporary traffic management into March 2027.

The A835 is an important route towards Ullapool and Wester Ross. For most visitors this is an additional journey-time consideration rather than a reason to avoid the route, but its duration makes it useful information for anyone planning onward travel, ferry connections or time-sensitive arrivals.

CamperLocations response: keep this as a longer-running Travel Update rather than treating it as a short-term roadworks notice.

A87 evening disruption on Skye

Resurfacing work on the A87 between Kyle of Lochalsh and Uig is continuing, with work taking place mainly during evening and overnight periods.

Some sections involve temporary traffic lights or convoy working, while overnight closures and timed access can affect journeys around Broadford, Portree and the route towards Uig.

This matters particularly for travellers arriving late, catching ferries or trying to reach booked accommodation or campsites in the evening.

CamperLocations response: keep the relevant Travel Update current and make closure or access times easy to understand rather than simply reporting that roadworks are taking place.

Proposed campervan and camping provision at Kishorn

A planning application is under consideration for a new touring caravan, motorhome and camping site near Kishorn.

The proposal includes serviced pitches, informal camping areas, amenity facilities, parking, utilities and drainage.

This is not yet an available visitor facility and should not be presented as one, but it is worth following.

CamperLocations response: monitor the development and, if approved, consider early contact with the operator so accurate information can be available before or when the facility opens.

What travellers are experiencing

The reduction in peak-season visitor numbers should gradually ease some of the pressure around parking, popular attractions and overnight capacity.

However, autumn introduces a different information problem.

A campsite, toilet, water point, café or visitor facility that was available during summer may operate reduced hours or close completely. Ferry and public transport timetables can change, daylight becomes more important when planning journeys, and poor weather can make otherwise straightforward routes more difficult.

For campervan and motorhome visitors, accurate seasonal information therefore becomes increasingly important.

The useful questions begin to change from:

“Will there be space when I arrive?”

towards:

“Will this actually be open when I arrive?”

CamperLocations response: begin checking seasonal closing dates, winter opening arrangements and reduced services across stays and facilities, prioritising locations where there are few nearby alternatives.

What local communities are seeing

There is no strong evidence this week of a significant increase in negative community sentiment towards campervan or motorhome visitors.

That is encouraging, but it should also be viewed in the context of declining visitor numbers as the main tourism season ends. Lower demand naturally reduces pressure on roads, parking, bins, toilets and popular overnight locations.

The underlying summer issues around inappropriate overnight parking, road behaviour and pressure on infrastructure therefore remain relevant even when fewer incidents are being reported.

There are also constructive examples worth following.

The proposed development at Kishorn represents one possible response to campervan demand: providing appropriate managed infrastructure rather than relying solely on restrictions after problems occur.

This reflects a pattern seen elsewhere across the West Highlands. Where legitimate places to stay, dispose of waste and park larger vehicles are easy to identify, visitors have less need to improvise and communities experience less associated pressure.

Looking ahead

The seasonal transition gives us a useful opportunity to distinguish between different kinds of friction.

Summer exposes capacity problems: congestion, full parking, pressure on toilets and bins, and shortages of legitimate overnight space.

Autumn and winter expose resilience and information problems: seasonal closures, reduced opening hours, unavailable facilities, changing transport services, weather disruption and outdated online information.

CamperLocations will continue watching both sides of that relationship.

As the season changes, our focus will increasingly be on whether the information visitors rely on still reflects what is actually available on the ground.