Tesco submits plans to open supermarket and petrol station on Isle of Skye

Plans have been submitted to build the first Tesco supermarket on the Isle of Skye.

The chain is looking to open a supermarket and petrol station in Portree, which would offer a delivery service to residents across the island.

Around 100 jobs would also be created if the plans are given the go-ahead.

Portree, the island’s largest town, is currently home to two Co-Op food stores.

An application submitted by West Ranga Skye Limited and Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association states that the proposed store will see a multi-million-pound investment into the local area.

Alastair Dickie, director of West Ranga Skye Ltd, said: “We are pleased to have been working with Highland Council through the pre-application process.

“We are now excited to submit a detailed planning application for the Tesco development and hope to bring a much-anticipated new store and petrol station to the Isle of Skye.”

If approved, it is hoped work will begin on the Tesco site in summer 2027, with a view to opening by the end of 2028.

Matthew Price, acquisitions director at Tesco, added: “We are excited about the potential to open the first Tesco store and petrol station in the Isle of Skye, as we currently only serve the local community through our online grocery home shopping business.

“We look forward to the opportunity to provide great value and choice for residents and visitors in the Isle of Skye and surrounding islands and villages, in a central and well-accessible location.”

Councillor John Finlayson added: “Clearly with over a million tourists visiting Skye and Raasay each year and local, residents also looking for increased choice in terms of what they can buy, as was evidenced in the survey that took place in 2025, the addition of a new store which will provide more variety will be welcomed by many people and will also support the concerns previously expressed about the stocking pressures sometimes placed on existing retailers on the island.”