The public toilet at Uig harbour was closed in August 2025. There is an urgent need to provide toilet facilities for the community, visitors to the community and travellers using the ferry services.
Estimated Price
£250,000
1. What do you want to do?
We want to transfer the ownership of the public toilets at Uig harbour from Highland Council to the Uig Community Trust. The toilets are current closed. We'll need funding for the asset transfer, to install a payment collection system and possibly to upgrade the basic facility.
2. Why is your project important for the community?
The public toilets are a vital part of the infrastructure at Uig harbour for ferry users, visitors to the area and the local community. There are public toilets in the new Calmac ferry terminal, but they are not open at all times and there are not enough of them to meet the needs of all users. Tourist businesses in the pier area are highly reliant on tourist buses, as well as other visitors. Tourist buses have stopped coming to the area since the public toilets have closed, which is damaging to the tourist businesses in the area. In addition, all of the businesses around the pier are facing constant interruption and anger from visitors who are unable to access usable toilets.
There are over 2,000 ferry journeys a year to and from Uig harbour and Calmac are adding a new ferry to the route in 2027. Adequate toilet facilities for the huge volume of vistors to the area is an absolute necessity. Our development planning consultation flagged that the whole community sees a need to provide adequate pubic toilets in the area.
3. What positive impact will your project have?
Reopening the toilet block, under the management of the Uig Community Trust will:-
a. Reignite visitor demand from bus tour operators.
b. Reduce the inconvenience of visitor enquiries for all of the local businesses.
c. Provide public toilet facilties that are adequate to the demand from travellers, visitors and locals.
d. Provide a source of revenue for the local community that will allow us to maintain the toilets and provide ongoing income for Uig Community Trust.
e. What key milestones have you achieved so far and what will your next steps be?
We have agreement from businesses in the community to manage a reopened public toilet facility under the ownership of the Uig Community Trust. We have sourced costs and comparative usage data from the Broadford Community Council who operate paid toilet facilities in their area. Our current community consutation includes questions on the use and renovation of the toilet block. We have agreement in principle from Highland Council to transfer the assest to Uig Community Trust. We are yet to seek consents, quotes or funding.
5. What is your anticipated start date/end date
The provision of adequate public toilet facilities for Uig harbour is an urgent need, but the project will be managed in phases.
Phase 1 - Scope the reopening of the current facility
Works needs to be done in conjunction with Highland Council to establish the cost of work required to reopen the facility as it stands. This work can start as soon as is practical.
Phase 2 - Transfer the asset from Highland Council
The asset transfer process can start immediately and run in parallel with Phase 1
Phase 3 - Paid public toilets with a donation function
The toilets can open in the short term with a QR code donation option to raise funds. This model is in place at the Community Centre in Staffin. It won't be foolproof, but it will allow funds to be generated in the short term and it will also allow bus tour operators to return to the area.
Phase 4 - Redevelopment and turnstile installation
The public toilet facility in Broadford operates with a paid turnstile mechanism, which has cut out non payment. We propose to work towards the same model in Uig, but the ncessary work still requires to be scoped and costed. We anticipate that funding will be sought for this upgrade work, which may include other upgrades to the overall facility.
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