A GLENCOE hotel has drawn widespread agreement online after introducing parking charges of up to £100.
Kingshouse Hotel has introduced an ANPR payment system in their previously free car park, which has historically been used by hillwalkers and outdoor enthusiasts.
In a Facebook post, the hotel said: "Our car park is often busy, used by both our guests, but also by outdoor enthusiasts who head off hillwalking and exploring for the day.
"This results in little to no spaces left for our guests checking into the hotel and bunkhouse, and to use our dining facilities."
Hotel guests, and restaurant, cafe and bar patrons, will be able to stay free of charge.
Meanwhile, all other users will be billed £20 for any four hours between 8am and 5pm, and £100 for any stays outside of those hours.
The hotel said that all proceeds would be donated to Glencoe Mountain Rescue, with the venue sharing an access road with the organisation's helipad.
One contributor on Reddit said they understood the decision, writing: "I'm afraid I kind of see their point – I have turned up there of an evening, hung about for 10 minutes to get a parking space, walked into the bar and found it almost empty."
Another commented on the difficulty of funding rural infrastructure, writing: "A fair number of scenic hot spots exist in Scotland.
"People travel there by motor vehicle, go up the mountain and back down, but they brought their own food with them, and don't spend anything in the local economy during their visit.
"So who then pays for maintenance of e.g. public paths, public toilets, and public car parks? The council, who doesn't get much, if any, revenue from those day-trip visitors?"
Only a handful of commenters expressed displeasure with the plan.
Several expressed that they would just not pay the fine - possibly not realising that the ANPR system would be paired with a parking boom requiring payment to leave.
Others, who regularly used the car park for walks in the mountains, were upset, with one Facebook user saying: "So sad. We frequented the Kingshouse hotel when it was a well recognised stopping place for walkers on WHW (West Highland Way).
"Recently visited and you have forsaken the whole spirit of the place, cow-towing [sic] to rich tourists. Shame on you."
One Reddit user quickly identified a loophole in the plans, writing: "If you bring someone who doesn’t like hiking along & leave them in the bar, then on the way back pay for their drinks, bundle them into your car & drive off."
Another suggested that they'd be willing to be a "designated drinker" for anyone hoping to use the carpark to stage a climb of the hills.
And, one Facebook user sensed a business opportunity.
They wrote: "Instead of paying £300+ per night, you could hire my campervan for £100 per day and explore the whole area of Glencoe, and more for 3 nights!"
A spokesperson for Kingshouse Hotel said: "Our car park is often very busy, both with hotel guests and outdoor enthusiasts who set off to explore the area for the day.
"As a result, our car park frequently becomes full and is sometimes left in an unsuitable condition, leaving limited space for our staying guests. We strive to maintain a clean and tidy environment to ensure that the wildlife calling Kingshouse Hotel and the surrounding area home remains safe and free to explore.
"To manage this and enhance the experience for our hotel customers, we have decided to introduce an ANPR (automatic number-plate recognition) system. All proceeds from this system will be donated to Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, a fantastic cause that performs vital work in the area.
"The new system will commence on 1st July 2024. We appreciate the understanding of our visitors and look forward to welcoming both new and returning guests to this stunning area."
