The first of 100 new tourist information signs went up at various locations around Skye over the last week.
Devised by Mandy Boswell of Dunvegan and District Community Council, the idea really took off in May during a holiday.
She told the Free Press: “The final catalyst for me was we went to Lewis and Harris with friends and there were one or two very well placed signs that just remind people not to drive on the machair, don’t park in passing places, that kind of thing, but please enjoy yourself. It was very well done.
“On Skye, we can growl and grumble at the tourists all we like but if they’ve never been told and they don’t understand, then how are they supposed to know?
“There are people who don’t know what a verge is, and passing and overtaking mean different things in different countries. If we don’t educate visitors then we are doing them a disservice. They are here at our invitation, at our encouragement, but we are not giving them the information.”
The first few ‘wrap’ signs went up at Dunvegan’s public toilets, Coral Beach, and the Dunvegan Hotel this week, and also at Lochbay and in Sleat.
Ms Boswell added: “Funding is coming from individual community councils who are chipping in an amount per sign, and a donation from the NFU Mutual office – for them it’s a double header because it is road safety and also the care of the croft – keeping dogs under control, for instance.”
She thanked police officers at Portree for providing the artwork on the signs, most of which are still in her front room.
“They all need holes punching in them eight times and back-slashing four times to make them bend around,” Ms Boswell said.
Funding also came from the Highland Council’s ward discretionary fund for Skye and Raasay.
There is also a website – skye.scot – which is active now.
Ms Boswell added: “There is a QR code and the website on the signs. The whole idea is that it will point people to the website which will be multilingual. That goes into much more detail and provides a directory to help visitors. There will be no adverts for accommodation, nothing like that, just information to help tourists.”
Ten signs are to going to Waternish, she said, and a few to the Minginish area.
“There are places with no community councils, the nearest to us is Neist Point and I am hoping that our community council can put a few over there,” she added.
Wrap signs on Barra were “particularly well received” at the CalMac offices in Ardmhor and Castlebay, she added, and the campaign on Skye will hopefully include ferry terminals in the near future.