Invitation to Pay Car Parks

Pay to Stay Car Parks

It was a few months ago that we heard about the exciting proposal for 'invitation to pay' car parks. The proposals have now been approved by the various area committees and the Economy and Infrastructure Committee.  Hopefully it won't be long before parking bays and ticket machines are installed. There will be 21 'Pay to Stay' car parks. About one-half also allow overnight motorhome parking. All of the locations are in tourist hotspots. 

Please keep these places spotless if you use them. This program will be reviewed at the end of the year so if visitors don't donate, camp instead of park for the night, or leave a terrible mess, then they will be discontinued.  This is a great way for us to contribute to the local economy, and gain great places to park. These are places to park up for the night. They are not camp sites so please don't set up tables and chairs or put up awnings etc.

The idea is that visitors may want to "chip in" to infrastructure costs. The program will be reviewed at the end of the year. 'Invitation to pay' car parks have already been trialled in Nairn and Inverness.

After expenses, 50% of the net revenue will go to local areas via the relevant Local Area Committees on a 'per car park' basis. The 'invitation to pay' car parks can be implemented quickly and don't require any legislative changes. 

Here is a list of the 'invitation to pay' car parks. There is a google map in our FB group.

(Those in orange permit overnight motorhome parking)

Caithness (all 7 will have overnight motorhome parking)

Dunnet Head

Dunnet Seadrift

Noss Head, Wick

Duncansby Head

Reiss Beach

Wick Camps

Wick Riverside

Wester Ross (Ullapool, Gruinard Beach and Gairloch Harbour now have overnight motorhome parking)

Latheron Lane, Ullapool

Gruinard Beach

Gairloch Harbour - also has a CDP for a £5 donation

Kyle of Lochalsh Upper Village

Dornie Hall Car Park

Plockton Village

Sutherland (Golspie Shore and Durness Village Centre will have overnight motorhome parking)

Golspie Shore

Durness Village Centre

Achmelvich Beach

Golspie Fountain Road

Clachtoll Beach

Dornoch Beach

For more information including proposed charges please see the detailed proposals in the November agendas of these 3 local Area Committees: Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross.

I will update this page when I have more information. Under the proposals put forward, cars and motorhomes would be asked to pay between 8am and 8pm, with the rates set at £1 for up to two hours, £2 for up to four hours, £3 for up to 12 hours and for a maximum stay of up to 24 hours the cost would be £5. Motorhome users would be charged the same except they would be invited to pay £10 for an overnight stay.