Highland Council to seek short-term let control areas for Inverness and rural areas

Proposals covering Inverness and large parts of the Highlands go to Scottish Ministers after 800 consultation responses.

Daily Alba · 2 October 2026 · 2 min read

Illustrative image of whitewashed cottages on a Highland lochside. Illustrative image, not a photograph of the reported event.

Highland Council has agreed to submit proposals for two Short Term Let Control Areas to Scottish Ministers.

Areas covered

One would cover Inverness and surrounding areas. The second, a Highland Rural area, would include Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness South, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Lochaber, Skye and Raasay, and Sutherland.

Consultation

A six-week consultation drew more than 800 responses. The council said 84% of residents and businesses responding supported the Inverness proposal and 72% backed the rural one.

Why it matters

Control areas mean planning permission is generally required to change a whole home into a short-term let. The council says they help protect housing stock while balancing the visitor economy.

Source & attribution: This original report is based on Highland Council, published 28 September 2026. This is not independent on-the-ground reporting.