Portree Sheriff Court
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Portree Sheriff Court is not currently manned full-time. Please contact 01478 612191 before travelling to attend and if you are unable to obtain an answer on that number, please contact Inverness Sheriff Court on 01463 230782 where a member of staff will assist you
Important arrangements during the Coronavirus outbreak
This court is open for business, but please note the following arrangements at this time.
This court is only open to staff, judiciary, those with permanent office accommodation, media or parties who are directly involved in cases being heard in the building and who have been requested to attend at court.
Where court cases require personal appearance, intimation will have been made to parties in advance of the court date.
There is no public counter and members of the public will not be permitted to enter, unless requested by the court.
If you want to pay your fine or would like information and advice please visit our Pay a Fine page.
Commissary
Guidance was issued on 29 April 2020 stating that all commissary would restart from 1 May 2020 and sent to the relevant hub courts.
Small estate interviews are not taking place within the court buildings at this time, please contact your local Sheriff Court for more information and guidance.
Hub Courts for new, first instance custodies
New, first instance custody cases will continue to be heard in hub courts as first instance cases in each Sheriffdom as follows. Thereafter, if a further substantive hearing is assigned this will be to the court of local jurisdiction.
Glasgow and Strathkelvin
Glasgow Sheriff and JP Court
Lothian and Borders
Lothian and Borders no longer operates the Hub court system. All business, including first instance custody cases, has returned to local courts.
Edinburgh Sheriff and JP Court
Livingston Sheriff and JP Court
Jedburgh Sheriff and JP Court
Selkirk Sheriff and JP Court
Tayside, Central and Fife
Dundee Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Forfar and Perth)
Falkirk Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Stirling and Alloa)
Kirkcaldy Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Dunfermline)
Perth Sheriff and JP Court (from 2 November, for the Perth jurisdiction only)
Grampian, Highland and Islands
Inverness Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Elgin, Fort William, Portree, Tain and Wick. Island custody courts will be dealt with on a case by case basis)
Aberdeen Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Peterhead and Banff)
North Strathclyde
Paisley Sheriff and JP Court
Kilmarnock Sheriff and JP Court
Greenock Sheriff and JP Court (business transferring from Dunoon)
Dumbarton Sheriff Court and JP Court (business transferring from Oban and Campbeltown)
South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway
Ayr Sheriff Court and JP Court
Hamilton Sheriff Court and JP Court
Dumfries Sherrif Court and JP Court (business transferring from Stranraer)
Airdrie Sheriff Court and JP Court (business transferring from Lanark)
Sheriffdom orders during Coronavirus
The following Sheriffdom guidance, information and practice notes apply to this court.
Please also refer to the
Rules and Practice section of the website.
Portree Sheriff Court House dates from 1865 and was designed by the architectural firm Matthews and Lawrie. The jurisdiction of the court covers the Islands of Skye, Raasay and part of Glenelg on the mainland.
Visiting Portree Sheriff Court - Word version
Visiting Portree Sheriff Court - PDF version
Postal address
Sheriff Clerk’s Office,
Sheriff Courthouse,
Somerled Square,
Portree,
Isle of Skye,
IV51 9EH
Main telephone
01478 612191
Sheriff Clerk / Main contact
Stewart Retsis
Court accepts dative petitions, Special Petitions and Requirement of Writings applications only. Inventories and the issuing of confirmation is undertaken at Inverness Sheriff Court
Fax
01478 613203
Email
portree@scotcourts.gov.uk
Jury helpline
01478 612191 (recorded message after 17.00)
Accessibility contact
If you require the support of an interpreter when you contact a court (by phone or attend in person), a telephone interpretation service is available. To access this service ask for telephone interpreting and the language required. This service is NOT available during actual court proceedings.
If you use British Sign Language (BSL) and wish to phone us using a sign language interpreter, you can use the online video relay interpreting service. For more information see the contactSCOTLAND website. www.contactscotland-bsl.org
The court is situated in Somerled Square in the centre of Portree. Use the journey planner for transportation information.
By bus
Buses from all the outlying and local areas stop in Somerled Square in front of the police station. The police station is situated next to the court house.
By rail
There is no train station.
By car
There is a public car park in Somerled Square with a number of disabled parking places. There is another long stay car park at Bayfield (five minutes walk from the court) which is free.
By taxi
The main taxi rank is in Somerled Square in front of Portree Hotel.
The following numbers can be used to call a taxi:
- 01478 612797
- 01478 612826
- 01478 612074
- 01478 613100
- 01478 611844
- 01478 613000
On arrival please report to the Sheriff Clerk's office just inside the entrance to the court house. You will be directed from there to where you need to go in the building. If you are attending for jury duty please report to the Sheriff Clerk's office.
Disabled access is available from the side entrance situated in the police station car park. This is a small office and it is not always permanently staffed. If you are travelling from a distance to attend the office please telephone to confirm that the office will be open. Language line facilities are available.
If you are sitting on a jury, lunch and refreshments will be provided for you if the court sits into the afternoon.
A loop induction service is available in the courtroom for people who have hearing difficulties. Please contact the Sheriff Clerk's office if you require to use this facility.
If you want to pay your fine or would like information and advice please visit our Pay a Fine page.
Mon - Thurs - 09:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00
Fri - 09:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:30
Please note that this office is not always permanently staffed. If you are travelling from a distance to attend the office please telephone to confirm that the office will be open.
2020
November 30
December 25, 28
2021
January 1, 4
April 2, 5
May 3
June 7
August 16
September 13
December 6, 27, 28