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Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye


Postby hubris » Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:49 pm

Folks on this forum were very helpful to me in planning a 3 day outing beginning at Sligachan and down to Loch Coruisk.

So I'm back with a followup up question: where can I park a car for those 3 days? Is anyone familiar with Sligachan and can I leave a car somewhere unattended for 3 days?
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby Caberfeidh » Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:03 pm

Sligachan gets very busy and I don't think the hotelier will be pleased if cars are left blocking paying customers, because of course it is not just you, it would be many if word got around so that this became commonplace. The Lawers Hotel at Loch Tay is a prime example; they now charge a fiver for parking. Also an apparently abandoned car left for days could spark a wrongful but well-intentioned Mountain Rescue Call-Out, leading to embarrassment and a serious loss of hill-cred. There is a long-stay car park in Portree with a bus service to Sligachan, or taxi if you are wisely early in the morning. A closer car park is the ferry car park at Sconser, but again your vehicle would block a space for customers. There is the car park in the woods on the road to Glen Brittle, I don't know if they charge for that now.

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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby WalkWithWallace » Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:27 pm

There's a lay-by at the Sligachan on the Dunvegan road, I'd leave it there. Leave a notice on the window "No assistance required". 8)
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby jmarkb » Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:41 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:There's a lay-by at the Sligachan on the Dunvegan road, I'd leave it there.


Just in case that is full, there is another layby about 400m further on along the Dunvegan road at the start of the Bealach a' Mhaim path. There is also a car park just across the bridge on the Broadford road (not sure if this allows overnight parking - doesn't appear so and there is a height barrier to deter motorhomes).
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby Moriarty » Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:04 pm

jmarkb wrote:There is also a car park just across the bridge on the Broadford road (not sure if this allows overnight parking - doesn't appear so and there is a height barrier to deter motorhomes).


I'd generally take "No overnight parking" signs to mean "No overnight camping in motorhomes". Interestingly I've seen a change to this specific signage in a few places.

In the absence of signage explaining which authority is restricting overnight parking, what is defined as overnight parking and what penalties are being enforced for breach of conditions then I view those signs as merely decorative.
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby jmarkb » Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:38 pm

Oops, I mistyped that - there do not appear to be any "No overnight parking" signs.
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby Sunset tripper » Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:02 pm

Moriarty wrote:
jmarkb wrote:There is also a car park just across the bridge on the Broadford road (not sure if this allows overnight parking - doesn't appear so and there is a height barrier to deter motorhomes).


I'd generally take "No overnight parking" signs to mean "No overnight camping in motorhomes". Interestingly I've seen a change to this specific signage in a few places.

In the absence of signage explaining which authority is restricting overnight parking, what is defined as overnight parking and what penalties are being enforced for breach of conditions then I view those signs as merely decorative.

Indeed - these signs should never really have been erected
The legality of the yellow no overnight parking signs in highland laybys was questioned several years ago. They were removed from the A9 and eventually the Highland council agreed to remove the others though some still remain.
The highland council in the end admitted they were only advisory to try and keep campervans and the associated waste out of laybys and into campsites.
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby hubris » Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:54 pm

Is this a layby? (It's not a term I'm familiar with).

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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby jmarkb » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:12 pm

hubris wrote:Is this a layby?


Yes, that's a layby! They may have either a gravel or tarmac surface, and may or may not be immediately adjacent to the road (the one in your photo isn't).
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby hubris » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:14 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:There's a lay-by at the Sligachan on the Dunvegan road, I'd leave it there. Leave a notice on the window "No assistance required". 8)


Is that purely a joke, or would such a notice be genuinely helpful? (Other than for you folks to identify me as the sap with the silly paper stuck to the window).
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby jmarkb » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:57 pm

It is not a bad idea to leave a note in the car with details of your planned route, expected return time and contact numbers for you and possibly someone you have informed of your plans. This should prevent unnecessary calls to the police by well-meaning folk who may have noticed that the car has been there for some time. Some might argue that leaving such a note increases the risk of the car being broken into, but the risk is very small either way - if you can, make it obvious there is nothing valuable inside. (Don't put the note on the outside of the car - in typical Skye weather it will be a soggy mush in the space of an hour or so..!).
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby Scraggygoat » Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:55 pm

A car parked up on the Slig road for three days is highly unlikely to attract attention. I’ve left mine there for three days in the middle of winter when playing on the snowy cullin and it was one of only two cars parked and no one paid any notice.

I wouldn’t bother with a note on display (or in the glove box), but no harm having one if you want to do so.

First thing police Scotland will do when alerted to a potential missing occupant will be to try and phone the registered keeper identified on DVLA records. So if you have a partner or house mates let them know your plans, potentially write them down as, they might get in a flap when the police call and enquire / suggest you might be missing. Second line of action may be to break in, in the hope details that may lead to the missing persons whereabouts may be contained within.

In reality three days in summer isn’t going to be suspicious for that locality.

A note in the car is unlikely to save you should an incident befall you on days one or two, it might just for day three. But it might help the team find your remains before they get very smelly.
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Jun 22, 2022 8:13 am

hubris wrote:Is that purely a joke, or would such a notice be genuinely helpful? (Other than for you folks to identify me as the sap with the silly paper stuck to the window).


No joke, I've had concerned locals approach me when I got back to my car I'd left overnight as they thought something had happened. However I personally don't like putting dates and times in the window, in case a thief is lurking, hence the "No assistance required" instead. 8)
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby Coulags » Wed Jun 22, 2022 8:59 pm

WalkWithWallace wrote:
hubris wrote:Is that purely a joke, or would such a notice be genuinely helpful? (Other than for you folks to identify me as the sap with the silly paper stuck to the window).


No joke, I've had concerned locals approach me when I got back to my car I'd left overnight as they thought something had happened. However I personally don't like putting dates and times in the window, in case a thief is lurking, hence the "No assistance required" instead. 8)



What if something did happen to you on the hill and the prospective concerned locals were no longer alerted to this ?
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Re: Parking at Sligachan - Isle of Skye

Postby hubris » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:17 pm

Thanks to all who helped out. We had a wonderful time (though we got a bit soggy at points) and no issues with parking at the lay by.
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