[Angela NicIlleathain – Preseantair] Feasgar math, tha e coltach gu bheil an trioblaid le gainnead àiteachan-fuirich anns a’ Ghearasdan a’ fàs nas miosa leis gu bheil barrachd dhaoine a-nis a’ cur dhachaighean agus flataichean a-mach air màl goirid gu luchd-turais air an làrach-lìn Airbnb. Thàinig an rabhadh bho Chomhairle Choimhearsnachd a’ bhaile agus chan ann às a’ Ghearasdan a-mhàin a tha an suidheachadh seo a’ togail a cheann. Seo Andreas Wolff.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Mar a tha iomadach àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, tha An Gearasdan air leth trang le luchd-turais aig an àm seo dhen a’ bhliadhna. Bidh cuid dhiubh sin a’ fuireach ann an àiteachan a fhuair iad air an làrach Airbnb. Faodaidh duine sam bith rumannan no taighean a leigeil a-mach an sin. Ach is coltach gun tàinig trioblaid eile na chois.
[Ailig MacFhearchar] A co-worker who’s been here for about ten years, he and his wife recently lost a flat they’ve been renting for the past five or six years as it was turned into an Airbnb. Because there’s nothing else available in town, they’re now living in a caravan. It was either that or leave the area. We are aware of other people who are under the same sort of, you know, pressures.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha an làrach a’ toirt cothrom do dhaoine barrachd airgid a dhèanadh na dh’fhaodadh iad dèanadh is tha iad a’ leigeil a-mach na h-àiteachan aca fad ùine nas fhaide. Ged a tha self-catering aig Raghnall Camshron, cha bhi esan ag ùisneachadh Airbnb. Na bheachd ’s e an trioblaid nas fharsainge a th’ ann.
[Raghnall Camshron] Bha mi ann an Canada o chionn greis agus fhuair sinn taighean snog’, spaideil ùr air Airbnb agus fhuair mi gu bheil an aon trioblaid ann an Canada ’s a tha anns A’ Ghearasdan ’s a tha ann an Alba agus air feadh an t-Saoghail. ’S e ceist doirbh a th’ ann agus chan urrainn dhomh ga fhreagairt.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Is coltach gu bheil buaidh nas làidire air a’ Ghearasdain na tha air àiteachan eile leis gu bheil e gu sònraichte trang.
[Calum Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Rinn iad trì millean not às an sgìre seo an-uiridh. Is mar sin tha e ag innse dhut dè na tha iad a’ dèanamh agus aig an aon àm, tha na taighean-òsta is mar sin, tha iadsan ceart cho trang cuideachd.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Thathar an-dràsta ag ullachadh an làrach a tha seo air a’ Bhlàr Mhòr faisg air a’ Ghearastain gus còrr is dà cheud taigh a thogail ann an seo. Thathar an dùil gun tèid an togail thairis air an ath dhà bhliadhna agus tuilleadh thathar rim faire ann an sgìrean eile dhan a’ Ghearastan. Ach a dh’ aindeoin sin, tha beachd ann nach eil sin gu leòr gus faochadh a thoirt air an t-suidheachadh.
[Ailig MacFhearchar] I think it’s a combination of issues here. Certainly it has slowly grown so we are seeing more and more properties turning into Airbnb but it's also largely a factor that Fort William is a very, very vibrant place at the moment. It is very successful, the town in many ways is transforming itself. There's more industry, more businesses coming into it. There’s more houses being built, a new hospital planned, so therefore the pressure on what accommodation is available is far greater than it has been in the past.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Mar sin, chan eil càil a choltais ann gur e suidheachadh a tha seo a thèid a rèiteach ann an aithghearrachd. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là. An Gearasdan.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] Good evening, it would appear that the problem with a lack of housing in Fort William is getting worse as more people are now putting houses and flats out to short-term let to tourists on the website Airbnb. The warning came from the town’s community council and it’s not just in Fort William that this issue is raising its head. Here’s Andreas Wolff.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] Like many places in the Highlands, Fort William is especially busy with tourists at this time of year. Many of them there staying in places they got on the website Airbnb. Anyone can let out rooms or houses there. But it would appear that another problem is afoot.
[Alex Farquhar] A co-worker who’s been here for about ten years, he and his wife recently lost a flat they’ve been renting for the past five or six years as it was turned into an Airbnb. Because there’s nothing else available in town, they’re now living in a caravan. It was either that or leave the area. We are aware of other people who are under the same sort of, you know, pressures.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] The website gives people the opportunity to make more money than they would make if they were to let out their places for a longer period of time. Although Ronald Cameron has self-catering, he won’t use Airbnb. In his opinion, it’s a widespread issue.
[Ronald Cameron] I was in Canada a while ago and we got nice, new, smart houses on Airbnb and I realised that there is the same problem in Canada that we have Fort William and in Scotland and all over the world. It’s a difficult question and I can’t answer it.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] It would appear that there is a stronger impact on Fort William than other areas as it is especially busy.
[Calum Smith] They made three million pounds here last year. And so that tells you what they are doing and at the same time, the hotels and similar, they are just as busy too.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] This ground is being prepared just now on Blairmore near Fort William to build more than two hundred houses here. There is an expectation that this build will last over the next two years and more are on the horizon in other parts of Fort William. But in spite of this, there is an opinion that’s not enough to solve the situation.
[Alex Farquhar] I think it’s a combination of issues here. Certainly it has slowly grown so we are seeing more and more properties turning into Airbnb but it's also largely a factor that Fort William is a very, very vibrant place at the moment. It is very successful, the town in many ways is transforming itself. There's more industry, more businesses coming into it. There’s more houses being built, a new hospital planned, so therefore the pressure on what accommodation is available is far greater than it has been in the past.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] As such, it doesn’t remotely appear that this situation can be resolved soon. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là. Fort William.
[Angela NicIlleathain – Preseantair] Feasgar math, tha e coltach gu bheil an trioblaid le gainnead àiteachan-fuirich anns a’ Ghearasdan a’ fàs nas miosa leis gu bheil barrachd dhaoine a-nis a’ cur dhachaighean agus flataichean a-mach air màl goirid gu luchd-turais air an làrach-lìn Airbnb. Thàinig an rabhadh bho Chomhairle Choimhearsnachd a’ bhaile agus chan ann às a’ Ghearasdan a-mhàin a tha an suidheachadh seo a’ togail a cheann. Seo Andreas Wolff.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Mar a tha iomadach àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, tha An Gearasdan air leth trang le luchd-turais aig an àm seo dhen a’ bhliadhna. Bidh cuid dhiubh sin a’ fuireach ann an àiteachan a fhuair iad air an làrach Airbnb. Faodaidh duine sam bith rumannan no taighean a leigeil a-mach an sin. Ach is coltach gun tàinig trioblaid eile na chois.
[Ailig MacFhearchar] A co-worker who’s been here for about ten years, he and his wife recently lost a flat they’ve been renting for the past five or six years as it was turned into an Airbnb. Because there’s nothing else available in town, they’re now living in a caravan. It was either that or leave the area. We are aware of other people who are under the same sort of, you know, pressures.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha an làrach a’ toirt cothrom do dhaoine barrachd airgid a dhèanadh na dh’fhaodadh iad dèanadh is tha iad a’ leigeil a-mach na h-àiteachan aca fad ùine nas fhaide. Ged a tha self-catering aig Raghnall Camshron, cha bhi esan ag ùisneachadh Airbnb. Na bheachd ’s e an trioblaid nas fharsainge a th’ ann.
[Raghnall Camshron] Bha mi ann an Canada o chionn greis agus fhuair sinn taighean snog’, spaideil ùr air Airbnb agus fhuair mi gu bheil an aon trioblaid ann an Canada ’s a tha anns A’ Ghearasdan ’s a tha ann an Alba agus air feadh an t-Saoghail. ’S e ceist doirbh a th’ ann agus chan urrainn dhomh ga fhreagairt.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Is coltach gu bheil buaidh nas làidire air a’ Ghearasdain na tha air àiteachan eile leis gu bheil e gu sònraichte trang.
[Calum Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Rinn iad trì millean not às an sgìre seo an-uiridh. Is mar sin tha e ag innse dhut dè na tha iad a’ dèanamh agus aig an aon àm, tha na taighean-òsta is mar sin, tha iadsan ceart cho trang cuideachd.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Thathar an-dràsta ag ullachadh an làrach a tha seo air a’ Bhlàr Mhòr faisg air a’ Ghearastain gus còrr is dà cheud taigh a thogail ann an seo. Thathar an dùil gun tèid an togail thairis air an ath dhà bhliadhna agus tuilleadh thathar rim faire ann an sgìrean eile dhan a’ Ghearastan. Ach a dh’ aindeoin sin, tha beachd ann nach eil sin gu leòr gus faochadh a thoirt air an t-suidheachadh.
[Ailig MacFhearchar] I think it’s a combination of issues here. Certainly it has slowly grown so we are seeing more and more properties turning into Airbnb but it's also largely a factor that Fort William is a very, very vibrant place at the moment. It is very successful, the town in many ways is transforming itself. There's more industry, more businesses coming into it. There’s more houses being built, a new hospital planned, so therefore the pressure on what accommodation is available is far greater than it has been in the past.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Mar sin, chan eil càil a choltais ann gur e suidheachadh a tha seo a thèid a rèiteach ann an aithghearrachd. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là. An Gearasdan.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] Good evening, it would appear that the problem with a lack of housing in Fort William is getting worse as more people are now putting houses and flats out to short-term let to tourists on the website Airbnb. The warning came from the town’s community council and it’s not just in Fort William that this issue is raising its head. Here’s Andreas Wolff.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] Like many places in the Highlands, Fort William is especially busy with tourists at this time of year. Many of them there staying in places they got on the website Airbnb. Anyone can let out rooms or houses there. But it would appear that another problem is afoot.
[Alex Farquhar] A co-worker who’s been here for about ten years, he and his wife recently lost a flat they’ve been renting for the past five or six years as it was turned into an Airbnb. Because there’s nothing else available in town, they’re now living in a caravan. It was either that or leave the area. We are aware of other people who are under the same sort of, you know, pressures.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] The website gives people the opportunity to make more money than they would make if they were to let out their places for a longer period of time. Although Ronald Cameron has self-catering, he won’t use Airbnb. In his opinion, it’s a widespread issue.
[Ronald Cameron] I was in Canada a while ago and we got nice, new, smart houses on Airbnb and I realised that there is the same problem in Canada that we have Fort William and in Scotland and all over the world. It’s a difficult question and I can’t answer it.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] It would appear that there is a stronger impact on Fort William than other areas as it is especially busy.
[Calum Smith] They made three million pounds here last year. And so that tells you what they are doing and at the same time, the hotels and similar, they are just as busy too.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] This ground is being prepared just now on Blairmore near Fort William to build more than two hundred houses here. There is an expectation that this build will last over the next two years and more are on the horizon in other parts of Fort William. But in spite of this, there is an opinion that’s not enough to solve the situation.
[Alex Farquhar] I think it’s a combination of issues here. Certainly it has slowly grown so we are seeing more and more properties turning into Airbnb but it's also largely a factor that Fort William is a very, very vibrant place at the moment. It is very successful, the town in many ways is transforming itself. There's more industry, more businesses coming into it. There’s more houses being built, a new hospital planned, so therefore the pressure on what accommodation is available is far greater than it has been in the past.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] As such, it doesn’t remotely appear that this situation can be resolved soon. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là. Fort William.