As an influx of cars around Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands leads to calls for greater use of public transport, Maynes Coaches has criticised the handling of coach parking at the site.
National press last month highlighted that the village of Glenfinnan is being overwhelmed by visitors owing to the viaduct having been a filming location for the Harry Potter films. Irresponsible parking outside of the main car parks has seen the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) urge people to arrive by other means.
However, Kevin Mayne, Operations Director for Maynes Coaches, says his drivers have been denied access to the coach park at Glenfinnan Viaduct due to lack of space despite their passengers having prebooked admission to the site’s Monument Experience.
“They’re not controlling the car park in a correct manner,” he says, adding that there is no nearby drop-off point.
“You find out you can’t get in and then cause traffic congestion. Coaches can’t get turned or get out, there are coaches reversing back onto the main road.”
On top of that, coach operators were hit last year by the introduction of a £1 per passenger charge payable from April to October.
Mr Mayne, who concedes that those running tours which have Glenfinnan on their itineraries will reluctantly pay adds: “A tour driver will no longer make it a photo opportunity.
“If you were a driver on tour, would you make it your morning coffee stop, if you’d have to pay £90 to park there when you can go 15 minutes down the road where it’s free to park.”
NTS, which operates a nearby parking area, says: “We have not turned away any Monument Experience bookings, which comes with a reserved parking bay, and we do not offer an option of reserved parking for vouchers paid for in advance to enter the Monument.”
It adds: “We remain committed to encouraging visitors to come without a car to Glenfinnan in a variety of ways. Cars bring an average of 2.5 people and pay £5 to park, so the price per person is higher than for those who have arrived on a coach.
“Until last year, most tour and coach operators did not make any direct financial contribution towards managing the impacts that the visitors they bring have on this small village and on the facilities at Glenfinnan.”
