No public toilets in Skye's main town at start of holiday season leave businesses overwhelmed
Portree, with extensive car parks for coach tours, serves as a principal stopping point for hundreds of thousands of people visiting the island each year.
Businesses on the Isle of Skye are overwhelmed with visitors needing to spend a penny as the main town’s public toilets remain closed at the start of the holiday season.
Public toilets in Portree have been out of order since December 10, when they were shut for maintenance work. A second block on the town’s pier is also unavailable.
Skye is the second most visited place in Scotland outside Edinburgh, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Last year, tourist numbers were projected to reach one million. Portree, with extensive car parks for coach tours, serves as a principal stopping point for those visiting the island.
Highland Council said essential works on the toilet block have been delayed.
A spokesperson for the local authority said public toilets are not a statutory function of the council but that it recognised the impact on locals and visitors alike.
Local businesses, however, said that given the taxes they pay, such facilities should be both available and reliable.
Robbie Weir owns the Highland Cow Shop, which also has a cafe, on Wentworth Street, the main street in the town.
Speaking to The Scotsman, he said: “It’s very frustrating.
“There are no public toilets in Portree, apart from at the community centre but that’s a bit out the way.
“We have one toilet. We don’t want to turn people away. You’re the bad one if you say people can’t use them.
“The council is saving a lot of money with businesses replacing this service at the moment.
“My water rates are extortionate as it is.”
Business owners like Mr Weir have asked why with the income the council receives through the dozens of cruise ships that dock in Portree harbour and large-scale car parks to accommodate coach tours, that more public toilet blocks are not available should one go out of order.
Krzysztof Dudkowski, who works at Relish, a popular deli and cafe on the same street, said the hold up is giving Portree and the island “a bad image.”
“There are no public toilets whatsoever and yet we have huge paid car parks, which the council is receiving money from, but we have no provision for working public toilets. It’s been months now. It’s absolute nonsense.”
Mr Dudkowski said most businesses serving customers in Portree have limited space when it comes to providing bathroom facilities.
“Occasionally we get huge cruise ships coming in to Portree harbour,” he said.
“Where are all these people going to go? People come in and buy coffee, tea, to takeaway which is good but they also need the toilet and we just can’t cope with the demand.
“Sometimes it’s elderly people or children and we really feel for those people.
“Business are paying taxes for the council and yet these essential facilities just aren’t being provided.”
The comments come as holiday season is already underway with many visiting the island over the Easter break.
Council officials said the public toilet block in Portree has no power after a water leak caused damage to the electric meter.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “Regrettably, there were delays experienced with the electrical company contracted to do the work, however the meter operator is scheduled to attend site on April 20, with the power expected to be back on the same day.
“Once this has been done we will reopen the facility. It should be noted that public toilets are not a statutory function of the council, but we appreciate the impact this closure is having and have continued our efforts to speed up the process of re-opening.”
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