After a slow start, business in the Highlands is finally starting to pick up
After a limited relaxation of lockdown rules earlier this month, Highland tourism businesses reported a slow start.
The opening of self-contained tourist accommodation from July 3, and an end to the advisory five-mile travel limit, did not bring the stampede of tourists that many longed for, but others feared.
However, during a week of mixed weather and midge attacks, businesses has slowly picked up, even ahead of a far more substantial easing of restrictions on Wednesday, July 15.
Then, hotels will be able to open up, along with cultural sites, visitor attractions and indoor areas of bars and restaurants. The tourists who are already in the north are looking forward to having more substantial options for dining and entertainment.
There has been a steady stream, if not a deluge, of camper vans and cars with roof boxes and bikes on board for the last week, and families have been making the best of sometimes difficult conditions.
Brian, cooking sausages on a portable gas barbecue by the side of the usually popular North Coast 500 route, met up with his daughter in two cars to go wild camping.
He said: "I climbed a hill today but I got pretty wet. I was hoping to get a pint in a beer garden somewhere but I haven't found anywhere open.
“The toilets and showers are locked up at the public campsites and the message seems to be, 'don't be thinking you can come up here and have a hot shower'. We are used to holidays with no facilities but it is particularly tough when the weather is bad.”
Due to the particularly challenging conditions in the Highlands, very few hotels, restaurants or cafes have taken advantage of the lifted restrictions on outdoor hospitality that came in last week.
So the holidaymakers who have been flocking to self catering cottages and using their campervans have few options for entertainment.
Service stations and roadside food outlets report a rapid increase in business. The owner of one business said: “Things are moving again. We are 50 per cent of where we were a year ago - up from 10 per cent two weeks ago.
“The majority of the customers coming in are English. They are generally not aware they are supposed to wear masks in Scotland - I suppose you can’t expect them to know, as they don’t follow the Scottish media. They say ‘you don't have to wear them in the UK’.
“Some of the ones from abroad don’t even know who Nicola Sturgeon is. I don’t think they are bothered about the quarantine threat - they probably don’t know about it.”
At Tarvie’s roadside cafe and gift shop near Rogie Falls, the car park was busy with campervans and workmen as people queued for burgers and bacon rolls and to take advantage of the toilets and picnic tables.
Gemma said: “It's getting busy very quickly. We are seeing a lot of Scottish and English people and a fair few cars with European number plates.
"We have actually had a lot of Spanish people in this week. They could be working in the UK for all I know. But they may be holidaying in the UK and not know that the quarantine rules are different up here.”
She said around three quarters of people were wearing masks in the shop, with some unaware that they have become mandatory north of the border.
“If they are not wearing one, I don’t say anything,” she said. “I don’t know if people have a medical issue so it’s not really my place to challenge them if they are not wearing a mask.”
