New rules to manage growing traffic problems as fans flock to Fife’s Outlander village

It’s one of the Kingdom’s prettiest villages, according to Councillor Graeme Downie (Labour for West Fife and coastal villages). It’s also the scene for the fictional village of Cranesmuir in the popular TV show Outlander.

However, it has also suffered from parking problems and traffic gridlock as a result of its fame.

Now, a new set of traffic rules approved by South and West Area Committee councillors will attempt to address those problems and get the balance right for local residents.

The new rules will introduce a “seasonal urban clearway” at Sandhaven in Culross, and a designated section between Balgownie House and the Back Causeway Junction where stopping and parking will be restricted or prohibited during specific times. More specifically, they will prohibit and restrict parking in that area between the hours of 9:00m to 6:00pm from March 1 to October 31 each year. They were approved despite two “valid” and “reasonable” public objections.

“The order is far more beneficial than it is disruptive,” Councillor Conner Young (Conservative for West Fife and coastal villages) said. Tourism, he argued, is great for the village but can also present a hazardous problem.

Councillor Sam Steele (SNP for West Fife and coastal villages) said she was aware of a few incidents where private tour companies have blocked Low Causeway road through the village, causing gridlock. It was one of the reasons why councillors believe that the new rules are necessary.

“I agree that the objections are fair and understandable, but I’m happy to put them aside,” Cllr Steele said.

However, the two local objectors argued that the rules will take parking away from local residents and won’t help with speeding issues.

A roads and transportation report said: “The request for this restriction came from the community council to stop the parking in Sandhaven to reduce congestion and improve the free flow of traffic on busy days through the tourist season, especially bus services,”the response from the service stated.

“This request was not to look at the parking provisions needed in the village. Concerns regarding parking due to this would have to be looked at separately from this order.”

Cllr Downie emphasised that the objections are “reasonable”, but he believed the rules are necessary to help with tourist season traffic.

“The village is one of the prettiest we have in fife, it attracts a lot of visitors and it’s very important to the local economy. We want to make sure we have visitors in the area able to do that, but we have to strike the right balance between visitors and local residents.”