'Staggering' numbers set for Skye landmark Old Man of Storr after Tripadvisor world ranking
The Isle of Skye is one of Scotland’s busiest tourist destinations
The Isle of Skye’s most popular attraction is braced for “staggering” visitor numbers after Tripadvisor named the site in its top 10 per cent of places to visit in the world.
The Old Man of Storr is already the most visited site on the island, with up to 300,000 people projected to visit in 2024 - up 9 per cent on the year before. And the Tripadvisor ranking is expected to pull more people to the famous rock formations of the Trotternish Ridge.
Councillor John Finlayson, chairman of the Skye and Raasay Committee, described the Tripadvisor ranking as “very, very pleasing” and “encouraging”.
It comes as Ionad an Stòir, a council-owned and run centre at the landmark, officially opened on Monday to sell locally-produced gifts, guided walks and even wedding ceremonies. At a committee meeeting this week, Councillor Drew Millar, SNP ward member for Eilean a' Cheò, described the centre as “outstanding”. But he said on the visitor numbers: “I think it is more scary than anything else. We are in the top ten (per cent) worldwide and that means an awful lot more people are going to come and see us.
“We need to get our infrastructure enhanced, which I think is the best way of putting it. The numbers are staggering.
“I was up there recently, the weather was awful and the car park was about full about 10am. We need to be forward planning as we are going to see more and more people there.”
Pressures are being felt across Skye this summer given the rise in visitor numbers and vehicles, particularly motorhomes. Issues have been reported at the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle where the deteriorating road and high volume of traffic have led to long traffic jams and a dispute over who should pay for maintenance to the route.
The opening of the centre at the Storr has been widely welcomed, with half the surplus revenue raised to go back into the community and the other half to Highland Council funds. It is expected to generate a surplus of £300,000 and has created five new jobs with local contractors and suppliers built into the project.
The total number of visitors to The Storr in 2023 was 274,000, with 178,000 people visiting between January and July this year.
The annual projection for 2024 visitor numbers is between 285,000 and 300,000, which is about 9 per cent higher on the year before, according to a council report.
At Storr, the centre’s multi-purpose space will be used for music shows, exhibitions and Gaelic events. Car parking charges and registrar weddings are expected to bring in additional revenue for the council.
A report said: “Whilst the Storr is not a suitable venue for full-scale weddings, the site is already used for outdoor ceremonies in conjunction with The Highland Council registrars.
“Skye is a popular wedding destination due to the scenery. However, Skye can experience unpredictable weather conditions, which puts outdoor weddings at risk.
“For this reason, the multi-purpose space within Ionad an Stòir [Storr Centre] can be used for wedding ceremonies and is another example of an income generation opportunity that develops existing council services.”
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