TOURISTS and second home owners have been told to stay away from the Highlands and Islands because of fears they could spread the coronavirus.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and MP Angus MacNeil have issued strongly worded messages to non-residents to stay away because of the strain an outbreak could put on services.

The plea follows The National’s exposure of a landlord offering Skye lets as “isolation solutions” for city-dwellers for £3100 per month.

The revelation provoked angry condemnation and Forbes has now stepped in to tell people not to use the Highlands and Islands as a destination for self-isolation.

“People live here who are trying to follow Government guidance and the continuing flow of campervans and other traffic which appears to be escaping the cities is not helping,” said Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. “If you live elsewhere please don’t use the Highlands as your means of self-isolation.”

MacNeil then tweeted a picture of camp beds set up in Castlebay Village Hall in Barra which he said had been prepared by medics as an overspill facility in the case of a Covid-19 outbreak.

“This is not far from third-world basic,” he said. “No ventilators, not much oxygen either, no testing.

Islands such as this could be badly hit. The message is don’t come on holiday please. That applies to all Scottish islands.”

He pointed out that Scotland and the UK as a whole did not have what it needs.

“Scotland has 360 ventilators I was told. The maths ratio of possible demand to availability is not good.”

MacNeil told The National that not only could incomers spread the virus but they would also be putting themselves at risk because of the lack of services.

“They are more at risk here than if they stay in their own communities,” he said. “There is very little chance of anything for them in the island areas where there are no ventilators and oxygen and facilities are already stretched. The best thing they could do is stay near the hospitals. Many people are being sensible but there are a few that are not.

“The big message for people is that going to a rural area is a very bad idea. This is pandemic time not holiday time.”

Oban councillor Julie McKenzie also issued a plea to non-residents and second home owners, asking them not to travel to island communities.

“While tourism assists many island communities to thrive, now is the time for people to respect the fragility of island life and apply some common sense,” she said.

“The islands in my council ward are home to many elderly and vulnerable residents and right now the people who live on the islands are doing their level best to protect themselves and their families and care for their neighbours.

“Having spoken to many concerned islanders over the last few days it is obvious to me that very genuine fear is being caused by day trippers and people travelling from elsewhere to access their second homes.

“The First Minister has made it clear that people should only be undertaking essential travel and I am making a plea to anyone considering travelling from elsewhere to an island not to do so. Please stay at home in your primary residence. The islands will still be there for you to visit on the other side of this pandemic, and if you do so now it could be at the expense of islanders’ health and safety.”

She pointed out that ferries were already operating a vastly reduced timetable for essential travel only and measures had been put in place to protect staff and passengers. Island shops and businesses would also not be able to cope with an influx of visitors.

“Everyone is under pressure and feeling anxious at this unprecedented time – please do not exacerbate this for islanders by travelling,” said McKenzie.

On Skye, Glendale Post Office owner Nancy Bell said she was concerned about the island residents, many of whom are elderly and fall into the “at risk” bracket. She said if the virus did get passed round it would “decimate” the local population.

“I am very concerned for our customers here,” she said. “Over half the population is in the critical category as a lot of people come here to retire. A lot of them are elderly and infirm already and if someone comes here and it does get around then it could decimate the local population.

“We are doing the best we can to keep everybody safe and we need others to do their best also.”

She said people coming to the islands to self-isolate would also be putting themselves in danger.

“We certainly don’t have the health care provision here to cope,” she said. “There are no intensive care beds on the west coast full stop. If people self-isolate here there is no support structure. They will be outside their own support system.”

She said most people, including those who earn income by cleaning holiday cottages, supported the message for people to stay away.

“They have said they would rather people were encouraged not to come up and the advice is that travel should be essential only.”

Tabatha Savage, of Top Shop in Broadford, said: “I do worry about the health services as we are more isolated than other places.”