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Public toilets across the Highlands have had to be closed temporarily more than 50 times since 2023 due to vandalism, with three permanently closing their doors for the same reason.
Data gathered through a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) found that over the course of the last four years 25 public loos were hit by vandals, causing 55 closures.
Damage to three sites – at Alness, Bonar Bridge, and Station Brae, Fort William – led to decisions being taken to close them permanently.
Several toilets have been struck by vandals on multiple occasions with the public loos at Wick and Viewforth in Fort William temporarily closing six times over the course of just three years as a result of attacks.
Wick and East Caithness councillor Jan McEwan (Liberal Democrat) said she finds the level of vandalism “absolutely astonishing”.
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She said: “It is the young ones doing it – it is their town and they are just destroying it – I’m disgusted with them.
“All the good work that goes on – everybody doing their bit and they are just destroying it.”
Public toilets in Dingwall, Kingussie and Tain have also suffered multiple incidents of vandalism, with Kingussie facilities having to temporarily shut at least once a year since 2023.
Dingwall was shut on four different occasions throughout 2024 and 2025 and Tain was closed six times between 2024 and 2026.
Toilets at Whin Park in Inverness and in Tain were also temporally closed due to incidents of fire raising.
The Inverness Courier revealed last year that Highland Council had to shell-out over £100,000 on repairs following vandalism to council-owned buildings, one of the most hit being public toilets.
Cromarty Firth councillor John Edmondson’s (Liberal Democrats) ward includes Alness, where facilities have been shut since 2023.
The Cllr said: “A town our size should have toilets and its disappointing to see that there aren’t any.”
He added, though, that local councillors are “trying to look for solutions”.
Councillor Michael Bird (Independent) whose ward includes Bonar Bridge said it was “a minority that spoil it for the majority”.
Chief inspector Scott Robertson from Police Scotland said vandalism is an “unacceptable and reckless act”.
“We recognise the impact vandalism has on individuals and the wider community,” he said.
“Officers in the Highlands work alongside partner agencies and carry out patrols to discourage such behaviour and will seek to bring offenders to justice.”
The chief inspector said that anyone who has information or concerns should contact Police Scotland on 101.
Highland Council explained that the provision of public toilets is not a statutory requirement for local authorities but that CCTV has been installed in some of the facilities.
A spokesperson added: “Toilets that have been closed due to vandalism will only re-open where budget is available to make repairs and assurance can be provided locally that there is no future risk of repeat damage.
“Vandalism to public toilets is a common issue across many local authority areas and not just Highland.”