A survey of Skye businesses has revealed overwhelming support for Visitor Levy revenue generated on the island to be administered locally and spent locally.

The MySkyetime App (iOS & Android) has been developed over the last two years in collaboration with Edinburgh University and software developers, Cairn Consulting with funding from HIE and the Scottish Government with additional support from project partners, The Highland Council and SGRPID (Scottish Government Rural Payments Department).

The App has two core functions. The first uses a network of traffic and people sensors at key sites across the island. There are currently sensors at the Old Man of Storr, Quiraing and Coral Beach which provide live information via a traffic light system to alert visitors to congestion along with suggestions for quieter times to visit.

The second function provides detailed information on local sites, places to eat, and activities. Members of SkyeConnect are given priority on the App with more information available to APP users.

SkyeConnect has always seen the need to encourage visitors to see more of Skye than the top five ‘hotspots’. It had been hoped that more live sensors would be in position for the launch of the APP but issues with landowner wayleaves and the availability of SSE Engineers to provide power to the sites has created delays. One of the funding conditions for the project was that the APP had to be live by the end of February 2023.

SkyeConnect Project Manager says the APP is a work in progress and will evolve and develop over time.

“This is very much a Beta version of the APP we hoped to develop. It is frustrating that we have not been able to provide all the live real-time data that we had originally planned but we believe the existing functionality will be of benefit to visitors. We also hope businesses across Skye will see the benefit of becoming members and having a detailed listing on the MySkyeTime App. We know from Edinburgh University research that Apps of this nature have had huge benefits in other popular tourism destinations such as Barcelona, Amsterdam and Yellowstone Park.”