A SCOTS contestant on The Chase has revealed the time that the Isle of Skye was so “biblically” busy that the island had to turn tourists away due to a lack of accommodation.
The Isle of Skye, located in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, is one of the country’s most frequently visited locations with over 650,000 visitors a year.
The island is famous for its beautiful and breathtaking landscapes which include the iconic Quiraing, The Old Man of Storr and the Fairy Pools.
Last night, contestant Maria, from the Isle, appeared on ITV game show, The Chase, hosted by Bradley Walsh, and recalled a time that the island quite literally had “no rooms left at the inn”.
Contestant Maria revealed her hometown to Walsh in the opening round, to which he enthusiastically replies: “I love it. You’re the only person I’ve ever met from the Isle of Skye.”
Maria responds: “It’s a lovely island. I do B&B up there. People come from all over the world.”
An intrigued Walsh then asks: “And how far off the mainland is the Isle of Skye? You’re not going to believe this; I’ve always wanted to go but I’ve never been.”
Maria then explains that the island is famously linked to the mainland by a bridge, before revealing: “The population there in the summer swells to like three times what it should be.
“One year it was quite biblical and there was actually, literally, no rooms left at the inn.”
A shocked Walsh listens on intently as Maria continues: “The police had to stand on the bridge and say to the tourists, if they didn’t have pre-booked accommodation, then it was unadvisable for them to come over, because there would be nowhere for them to stay.”
Walsh then adds: “If your name’s not on the list, you’re not coming in.”
“Exactly,” replies Maria.
This clip from yesterday’s show was uploaded to social media last night with the caption: “Is the Isle of Skye the toughest club in the world?”
The post has since received over 5,000 likes and dozens of comments from users sharing their own thoughts on the famous Scottish isle.
One user quoted the lyrics from Andy Stewart’s famous tune: “Just came doon fae the Isle of Skye, am no very big and am awful shy.”
Another commented: “I like how Bradley always asks questions and carries on the conversation instead of limiting what they say like what usually happens on quiz shows.”
A third said: “Skye is absolutely breathtaking. Would recommend going via the Glenelg car-ferry. Takes about a minute to cross.”
Another replied: “It is beautiful, my wee grandad was from there.”
Whilst Skye only has a population of around 10,000 people, a report revealed that in 2019, visitors to the island added a whopping £211m to its economy.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, islanders had complained about an excessive number of tourists causing overcrowding in popular locations such as Glen Brittle, the Quiraing, and the Old Man of Storr.
