Visitor Levy Scotland Information page - Highlands & Islands

30/10/2026

Campaigning in full swing.

The more our team get out and meet folk, talk to restaurants, businesses, folk going to medical appointments, workers up on business, NHS staff up for their work.

The more obvious it is becoming this visitor levy is an absolute disaster in the making. Its a tax on us all who live here.

Now isn't it a shame the Highland council isn't making the same effort to engage with the folk of the highlands.

⛔️ comments turned off on hc socials
⛔️ no ability to ask questions on their webinars (the few they have organised)
⛔️ can't share the consultation link
⛔️ No one on the HC Administrative team respond to emails or concerns

The Highland Council NEED to start engaging with the folk who live and work in the Highlands and they need to do it urgently. Or this whole process is a sham and unforgivable.

LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE!

28/10/2026

If your on skye and in this man's constituency. VOTE HIM OUT!

WE DO NOT NEED IGNORANT COUNCILLORS LIKE DREW MILLER.

HE IS NOT OUR VOICE.

He is FOR the levy.

His councillor days are OVER.

28/10/2026

Serious question....

Why are Highland Council not talking about this?

There is already funding for our tourism services.

Where IS it? And why are Highland Council not getting the required funding from the sector, rather than vote through an extra tax on Scottish residents and businesses with this disgusting accommodation tax.

Questions need asked and yes our team will be getting to the bottom of it...

Our public toilets aren't even kept open or clean. Our bins are over flowing....

Buck stops there!

https://www.visitscotland.org/tourism-events-industry/funding-support/rural-tourism-infrastructure-fund

28/10/2026

Press Release.

The answer is NO there is NO way that the Highland Council are running a fair consultation. There is NO way that if the consultation closes on 30 November that it can be legitimately voted on by our councillors with all the evidence and information to hand. ... it took 7 to 8 months after the consultation closed before the diffly report was able to be done last time.

Shamefully the Highland council tried and we have it in writing to ask Fraser Allander if they could just "tweak" the last Economic Impact Assessment and Fraser Allander told them no way!

We must request our councillors pause any vote on the levy until all matters can be considered, to do anything less would be unconscionable.

Highland Council is inviting residents and businesses to another Visitor Levy webinar, but a significant piece of economic evidence remains unfinished.

A Freedom of Information response confirms that the independent assessment commissioned to examine the proposed fixed rate levy will not be completed until November.

Yet the statutory consultation opened in September and closes on 30 November, with councillors expected to consider the scheme on 10 December.

The council has published other supporting assessments, but businesses may have limited time to examine the new findings before the consultation ends.

The question is whether people have sufficient information to assess a proposal that could raise £9 million annually.

Read the full story and give it a share 👇

24/10/2026

Well... well... well...

And the s**t show that is the Highland Council and their conduct of running the visitor levy consultation gets even worse..

THEY KNEW! THEY KNEW FINE WELL THAT AN UPDATED ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT COULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER!

They KNEW! Yet Highland council pushed ahead running a consultation on a fixed rate withholding the Economic Impact Assessment...

What is it that they do not want us to know?...

We already know that this unfair tax will close and destroy businesses. We already know that it targets us who live in Scotland not the tourists.

Shame on you Highland Council.. you have been caught out..

Well done to our team for catching this on our many FOI...

22/10/2026

Our campaign team are hitting the streets! and folk are fully against the visitor levy in its current form!. Feedback is that the levy needs PAUSED to get the legislation changed.

In particular that:

Businesses do not collect it and it's not part of their turnover.
That Scottish citizens do not have to pay to stay in their own country.
Workers should not pay it.
That motor homes need to pay it also, in particular the ones that will not pay to stay in campsites and yet heavily use our failing infrastructure.

This is just some of the feedback our team are getting while folk are filling in the vl consultations

17/10/2026

Well.... well ... well....

You wonder why we can not distribute or share the Highland Council visitor levy consultation form online.... they have used GO vocal.. shown below is Go vocal terms and conditions..

Here let me show you...😱

Is it any wonder meta has banned sharing the link....

You got to ask yourself... are Highland council just incompetent.... or was this a deliberate act to restrict engagement with the public to access this consultation?

16/10/2026

Highland Council are leaving themselves open to a breach of our human rights in regards to business owners.

We have evidence and plenty of it to demonstrate Highland Council know that this "visitor levy" will cause undue hardship and many businesses to have to close.

Charlie Proctor I will message you on this.

Our treatment by our council in regards to our livelihoods and homes will not be swept under the carpet. We will fight this.

We are watching for meetings in December and the outcomes of those meetings.

If Highland Council are at all savvy they will pause it until everything is reasonably and properly evaluated. 👇

We are watching....and we are waiting...

1. The European Framework: Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (A1P1)

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) protects property rights under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. It guarantees the "peaceful enjoyment of possessions." The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) interprets "possessions" broadly to include business assets.
• Goodwill and Clienteles: In Van Marle v. The Netherlands (1986), the ECtHR ruled that a business's goodwill and clientele constitute "possessions." The court recognized that a business owner's economic reputation and client base have intrinsic financial value that states cannot arbitrarily destroy.
• Business Licenses: In Tre Traktörer AB v. Sweden (1989), the court held that the revocation of a restaurant’s liquor license interfered with its property rights, as the license was essential to the running of the business and the maintenance of its economic value.
• Protection Against Arbitrary Seizure: In Yukos v. Russia (2011), the ECtHR found that Russia had violated A1P1 by enforcing disproportionate tax assessments that led to the forced auction and liquidation of the energy company's primary production assets.

16/10/2026

All

Please stand in solidarity against the visitor levy.

Share this logo everywhere.

How strong a message would it send if we adopt this as all our profile pics 💪

15/01/2026

The point on folks unfortunate enough to be live in BID areas that Alan made is very valid in regards to the increases rates.

The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers. Supporting self-catering in Scotland. ASSC Membership. Benefits. Advice. Representation.