BY KIRSTY WATT
A Portree restaurant boss feels “abandoned” by Highland Council as a skip, fencing and building waste continue to illegally occupy parking bays, and block customer views, a year on.
Stuart Jackson, who runs the Lower Deck restaurant at Portree Harbour, told the Free Press his business has suffered “a significant downturn in income” since the continued unlicensed use of parking bays opposite his restaurant by nearby building contractors.
Mr Jackson told the Free Press: “Last summer, it got to the extent we were thinking ‘why are we bothering here if we can’t make enough money and attract people because it’s a tip in front of the restaurant?’ Every single day customers, and potential customers, commented and questioned the scene outside the restaurant. None of those comments were in any way complimentary and, in my opinion, the area in question may have been responsible for customers deciding not to use our business.”
Between April and September 2025, Mr Jackson says he experienced a 15 per cent loss in income compared to the same period in 2024.
The skip and building supplies, along with a portacabin and portaloo, all surrounded by large Heras fencing initially consuming four parking bays, arrived outside his restaurant last January with no warning or explanation.
When the contractors were still there in March, Mr Jackson embarked on a ten-month trail of fruitless emails with the council as he tried to determine how long they would be using the area for.
Mr Jackson said: “The councillors were aware but perhaps did not fully grasp the importance I placed on the situation. At one point, the Highland Council road operations manager for Skye and Raasay, MacKenzie Sutherland, took about nine weeks to reply to my email.
“I asked him the same questions time and time again and he didn’t answer them because they were asking for detail – what permission, permit or licence did the contractors have; what is the length of the licence and what stipulations are attached?”
In one email, dated 24th August 2025, Mr Sutherland wrote: “I can confirm (recently) that the contractor does, in fact, have permission to occupy the area in question – this was granted by the roads officer, although I was not initially aware of it.”
Mr Sutherland then contradicted himself a month later, writing: “The decision or original agreement to allow occupancy of 2 harbour bays involved Shane Manning – parking officer, not as I thought, the roads officer.”
After receiving advice from the Portree and Braes Community Council, Mr Jackson made a Freedom of Information request; it wasn’t until two weeks ago, when the results of this FOI were returned, did the restaurant boss discover the contractors had never had a licence to use the area at all.
“Why have they been allowed to be there for over a year now without anyone batting an eyelid? I don’t have anything against the contractors, they are there to do a job, but they have no recorded permission [to use the area].
“Their building equipment has definitely had an effect on our business. The council seem to have withdrawn all moral responsibility to help the very people they are supposed to help. When things like this happen, it feels like they are really kicking you when you [already] are down. Wherever I turned with the council, nobody wanted to help me.”
Mr Jackson was informed by HC Roads Department this week that the building contractors have been asked to remove their equipment, however while the portacabin and portaloo have gone, the skip, fencing and other building detritus remain.
Mr Jackson was also informed that the contractors will not be charged for their use of the parking bays. Highland Council have been contacted for comment.