North Coast 500: The £6m pledged to support Scotland's tourist hot-spots and 'hidden gems'

Rural communities in Scotland’s busiest tourist hot-spots will benefit from a £4 million fund to protect people and places from visitor pressures.

A commitment to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund has been made by the Scottish Government in the draft budget for next year.

Car parks, toilets, visitor centres and upgraded path networks are among projects completed using the fund to help areas cope with increasing visitor numbers, particularly in the Highlands and Islands since the pandemic.

Campers and cars on the NC500 near Ullapool, one of the areas which could benefit from a £4m fund to protect communities and infrastructure from pressures caused by high visitor numbers. Picture taken in July 2020. | Getty Images

News that the fund has opened up once more comes after new applications were stopped for 2024.

Parts of the North Coast 500, Aviemore and Glencoe have been highlighted by the government as areas of high tourist activity which could benefit.

Business minister Richard Lochhead said: “We have allocated £4 million in the draft 2025/26 Scottish Budget to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) for projects which enhance transport links and infrastructure in areas that experience high visitor numbers such as Aviemore, Glencoe and parts of the North Coast 500 route

“This will help communities to reap the rewards of their tourism offer, driving growth and sustaining vital jobs.

READ MORE: Skye: Up to one million visitors due as island calls for ‘radical rethink’ on tourism

He said that funding for a number of projects continued throughout 2024/25 including the Glencoe Greenway, which will create a path to take walkers and cyclists from the Glencoe Visitor Centre to the An Torr and Signal Rock car park, removing the need for visitors to cross the A82.

Funding for a new car park at Stac Pollaidh mountain in Assynt will increase the number of spaces from 20 to 80 to help accommodate 50,000 visitors a year. A bigger car park is also being built at Achmelvich Beach, a key draw on the NC500.

The funding comes amid ongoing concerns regarding over-tourism in Scotland and its impact on small communities and the overall visitor experience.

Last month, travel guide Fodors put the NC500 among one of 15 worldwide destinations to avoid given its increasing popularity and its impact on the natural environment and day-to-day life for locals.

As Scotland’s tourism leaders seek ways to distribute the country’s visitors away from the most popular destinations, a further £2m fund was set out in the draft budget for VisitScotland to promote some of the country’s “lesser-known beauty spots and attractions”.

Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: ““The reinstatement of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), something called for by the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA), is very much welcomed by the industry.”

He added: “Most importantly, reinstating this funding, at a time when local authority budgets are tight, will be hugely welcomed by those living in the local communities and visitors alike. It will both allow for further investment in previously planned infrastructure projects and help with the management of tourism pinch points.”

A spokesman for Skye Connect, a Destination Management Organisation (DMO) which seeks to balance visitors with the needs of residents and island businesses, welcomed the return of the RTIF.

The fund supported one of the key projects on the island set up in response to its growing popularity with the creation of a car park and toilets at Glenbrittle to support those visiting the Fairy Pools.

He said: “I think Skye was one of the first beneficiaries of RTIF and it certainly brought huge benefits and we welcome the fact that the fund has been reopened by the Scottish Government. We hope that further projects in Skye can benefit.

“While any funding to promote Scotland tourism industry is welcome it is not just the ‘hidden gems’ that need promoting.

“Established destinations with high visitor numbers need to be funded so they can manage the visitors they get and insure they get the best experience possible.”