SKYE locals have slammed tourists for causing “total carnage” by grid-locking a lifeline single track road used by emergency services.
One frustrated resident took to social media to share an image of multiple vehicles backed up along the island’s 7-mile winding Glenbrittle Road after some drove onto the soft verge and got stuck.
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The route – which passes tourist hotspots like the Fairy Pools towards Glen Brittle Beach – is also used by hill-walkers who wish to take on the island’s magnificent Black Cullin mountains.
It is an important route used by mountain rescue who need quick access to the 12 most-challenging munros.
But the rural single track that uses passing places to facilitate two-way traffic was brought to a stand-still for around two hours on Thursday afternoon after a camper-van became stuck on the soft grass ledge.
The beauty spot, which leads to one of the island’s biggest campsite, was inaccessible for around three hours until specialist vehicles could arrive to dislodge the trapped van.
The situation was made worse as other vehicles attempted to navigate past the trapped motorhome and ended up getting stuck themselves.
It is understood it took four police officers to stop traffic entering the area with more guiding the traffic back up the road safely.
Instead, motorists were left fuming as they had to wait until offending vehicles were dislodged sparking outrage at how overcrowded the rural area had become.
Sharing a snap of the queues, the local said: “Apparently in the region of 400 vehicles stuck on the Glenbrittle Road due to vehicles going off into the soft verges trying to pass each other.
“Total carnage and the highland council couldn’t care less about it!!”
Angry islanders took to social media to share their thoughts on the tailbacks, worried that blocking vital roads could affect emergency services or mountain rescue getting access to the area.
They also expressed anger at Highland Council for not upgrading the infrastructure to deal with the influx of tourism on the island.
One wrote: “How long before a serious incident impacts any of the emergency services from accessing Glenbrittle.
“Will it take a fallen hillwalker, a cardiac arrest or some other fatality down there for the highland council to act and sort this and the other roads to visitor areas ? Does it take a death to get things done?”
Another said: “It’s shocking the traffic on Skye when we were home in July. We avoided all the hot spots. Still got caught up in the camper van accident in Luib. Grid lock. As you say will it take a fatality before something is done.”
A third commented: “We are discussing whether we can keep going to all these grid locked locations, it’s the same all over the popular tourist spots.
“Drivers getting held up and now we seem to be getting verbal abuse when working in a passing place doing a breakdown.
Total carnage and the Highland Council couldn’t care less about it.
Skye local
“It gets worse every year. They need to put people at the start of these stretches explaining not to bunch up into large groups of more than three and keep back at passing place when the car ahead are stopped.
“Even better just upgrade the roads or fill in a few potholes would be a good start.”
A fourth added: “Cars parked every side possible … what the actual hell is going on.”
Police Scotland said the road was closed for several hours to assist the campervan.
It was reopened at around 7.30pm.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6pm on Thursday, 8 August 2024, we received a report that a camper van had gone off the road and caused an obstruction Glenbrittle Road.
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“The road was closed and re-opened around 7.30pm.”
Highland Council has been approached for comment.
