22nd May 2026
The Highland Council has installed automatic bollards on Fort William High Street as part of the Fort William Pedestrian Improvement Scheme. The High Street pedestrian zone will commence from Monday 25 May 2026.
The scheme will deliver safety and accessibility improvements for residents, visitors and businesses. These enhancements will create a more accessible environment, particularly benefiting people with mobility or visual impairments.
The argument over bollards in town centres is really part of a much bigger debate about what small towns are now for. Are they primarily places for cars to pass through quickly, or places where people stop, walk, shop, sit, eat and spend time?
In both Wick and Fort William, councils appear to have decided that unrestricted vehicle access was causing more harm than good — especially where pedestrian zones were already being ignored. In Wick, the stated aim is to stop drivers using the High Street as a “whizz-through thoroughfare” while still allowing deliveries, disabled access and emergency vehicles.
However, whether this helps or hurts businesses depends heavily on what kind of town centre economy survives in the Highlands today.
There are strong arguments that bollards can damage struggling businesses:
Some shoppers, especially older customers, still want easy door-to-door access.
Tradespeople and quick-stop customers may simply choose retail parks or supermarkets instead.
If parking becomes confusing or stressful, casual footfall can decline.
Rural and Highland towns are more car-dependent than large cities.
Businesses already facing online competition may see any extra inconvenience as another blow.
This is particularly sensitive in smaller towns where there may already be empty shops and fragile footfall. A perception that “the council is anti-car” can quickly become politically toxic.
But there is another side to the argument.
Many town centres that retained heavy traffic became unpleasant places to linger. Fast-moving vehicles, illegal parking and shortcut traffic discourage outdoor cafés, events, tourists and family footfall. Councils across the UK increasingly believe pedestrian-friendly areas create a more attractive environment that encourages people to stay longer and spend more overall. Wick’s wider £2 million revamp explicitly aims to make the town centre “more appealing” with seating, lighting, planters and safer crossings.
The key issue may not actually be the bollards themselves — but whether there is a coherent plan around them.
Bollards alone do not save a high street. If shops are empty, parking elsewhere is poor, business rates are high, and online shopping dominates, then restricting vehicles can simply feel like another obstacle. But if pedestrianisation is combined with:
attractive public spaces,
events,
cafés,
tourism,
markets,
better signage,
nearby parking,
and visible investment,
then some towns do recover footfall.
You can see this split in public reactions elsewhere in the UK. Some residents praise quieter, safer streets and café culture, while others see bollards as expensive symbols of councils ignoring motorists.
The Highland dimension makes this harder than in cities like York or Manchester. In the Highlands:
public transport is weaker,
weather is harsher,
populations are older,
and many shoppers travel long distances by car.
That means councils have less margin for error.
For Wick and Fort William the real test will probably come over the next few years:
Do vacancy rates improve or worsen?
Do cafés and tourist businesses benefit?
Do locals avoid the centres?
Does footfall rise?
Are delivery systems practical?
Is disabled access genuinely workable?
If people still have easy parking nearby and pleasant streets once they arrive, the schemes may gradually become accepted. But if motorists feel “driven out” without anything attractive replacing that convenience, resentment could grow quickly.
There is also a political risk for councils. Many residents already feel town centres are being reshaped around policy fashions such as “active travel” while ignoring the realities of rural life. Wick’s bollard system itself is funded through Scottish Government active travel funding. That inevitably feeds wider debates about whether planners are designing Highland towns for actual residents or for an urban planning ideal imported from larger cities.
Bollards can help a town centre if they are part of a broader revival strategy, but in already fragile Highland towns they could equally accelerate decline if access becomes frustrating and businesses lose convenience without gaining extra footfall.
Fort William
Automatic systems are:
Fully automated bollards operating without manual intervention, using in-road vehicle detection loops to identify vehicle position and control movement, aligned with the current Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
Access restrictions in place: no waiting at any time; no vehicle access Monday–Friday (11am–3pm) and Saturday (10am–5pm), with access at other times limited to disabled users and essential business loading.
Enforceable restrictions, with unauthorised access subject to enforcement penalty by Police Scotland.
Standard traffic signal controls to manage vehicle movement.
Optional audible warning system to enhance pedestrian and driver awareness.
Fail-safe monitoring systems preventing bollard operation in the event of traffic signal failure.
Appropriate safety signage to support clear communication of restrictions.
Integration with CCTV systems, emergency service access controls, and PIN keypad override for authorised use.
Lochaber Area Committee Chair, Cllr Kate Willis, said: “The Pedestrian Improvement Scheme will enhance the appearance and functionality of the High Street to meet modern day use, also helping to create a more attractive and welcoming town centre.
“The scheme supports active travel, with an existing HI-BIKE hub, and its popularity as a cycling route, the High Street will now offer a safer shared space for cyclists and pedestrians, encouraging more sustainable travel choices.
“Our thanks go to the Lochaber Roads team for their careful coordination of the installation, and for working closely with partners including emergency services and local businesses to ensure the new automatic bollard system is well understood and operates safely and effectively.
“The improvements are also expected to benefit the local economy. Fort William High Street forms part of the start and finish of the West Highland Way, one of Scotland’s most popular long-distance walking routes, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Enhancing the area’s safety, accessibility and appearance will strengthen its appeal to residents and visitors.”
The project has been partly supported by Community Regeneration Funding, which brings together Scottish Government funding streams, including the Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme, aimed at supporting economic regeneration and sustainable development across Highland.