N 500 Scotland

[Campervan jan]

Good evening I have read & read can someone help me I will be in Inverness on Sunday and have 7 days do I go to isle sky and up west coast and take my time as the more I read the east coast is not as picturesque can anyone who has been help me decide ‍

 

[Appollo51]

Hi Jan Sky is great and the west coast I'm doing the nc500 in may/June.

 

[TheAleMan]

West coast & Skye all day long, but 7 days is not really along time to do it at ease.

 

[Appollo51]

Totally agree need at least 3 or 4 weeks .not a trip to rush

 

[bilM]

The locals don't want you. As reported in the P&J April 8th 2019.

Residents living along the scenic NC500 route yesterday hit out at tourists driving dangerously and blocking roads.

They complained about motorists pulling over on the main carriageway to take pictures of Highland cows and getting stuck behind slow convoys of dozens of motor homes.

Furious locals spoke out after video footage of a near miss involving two cars on the route appeared online.

The driver who captured the footage stated on social media that the “silly season” had now started with the roads getting busier due to the holiday season.

One woman taking her husband from Sutherland to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness also said that an hour-and-a-half had been added to her driving time each way.

Highland councillor, Kirsteen Currie, said: “The problem with the NC500 is that no-one wants to talk about the problems associated with the North Coast 500.

“It is like we have set up a Disneyland where people can come and look as us in our nice wee rural lives, as they whizz by in their camper van or sports car.

“But this is real life, and it can be very frustrating. It is not sustainable.

“I often hear stories of health visitors and other staff in the NHS who are trying to get out to do home visits, and journeys that would be 20 minutes in the winter, take more than an hour when the NC500 is in full swing.

“Or there’s police officers who have to give up other work to come and help a motor home reverse.

“People used to come and stay for three or four nights. People now come for one night as they try to race around the area the size of a small European country in two days.

“It is not sustainable, and we need to talk about it seriously. ”

Frustrated driver, Lilly Mather from Tongue, said she had an extra 90 minutes added on to her journey to and from her local hospital.

Mrs Mather said: “I have been taking my husband for chemotherapy in Raigmore. I went down in the last week in March and it took me just over two hours.

“I went down last Friday and it took me three-and-a-half hours each way – I was stuck behind a convoy of 20 motor homes. It was nothing short of a nightmare.”

Singer Karen Lupton-Garcia said she was shocked when tourist stopped right in front of her between Mid Clyth and Occumster on the A99 to take a picture of Highland cows in a field.

She said: “They almost caused a serious accident. They were completely oblivious.”

However, councillor Raymond Bremner, who lives on the east coast at Thrumster, Wick said: “The NC500 has brought a big economic boost for the Highlands in all sorts of ways.

“We have been looking for a way to bring many more visitors to the north and west of the Highlands for years.

“We have suffered from a lot of tourists thinking that there’s nothing worth visiting north of Inverness.

“The NC500 has bust that myth.

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[wiljoy]

Resident's on route are very very anti motorhome. Scotland created this beast by just naming a popular route used by many for years. It's becone to popular and the roads can't cope so they want us to stay away now.
In a few years when they've lost tourists they'll want us back.

 

[Grianan]

West Coast. Dare I say leave Skye?
Visit Plockton, Loch Carron, Applecross, Shieldaig, Torridon, Diabaig, then if you have time head north to Badachro, Gairloch, Ullapool and keep north past Ardvrek castle to the coast again ...

 

[Grianan]

Resident's on route are very very anti motorhome. Scotland created this beast by just naming a popular route used by many for years. It's becone to popular and the roads can't cope so they want us to stay away now.
In a few years when they've lost tourists they'll want us back.

I’m not sure they don’t want the tourists but they DO want the infrastructure to support them and for tourists to behave in a responsible and considerate way.
I’m not sure why that’s such a big ask?
Many locals make at least part of their living from tourism ...

 

[Gellyneck]

Maybe the problem is folk not knowing how to drive appropriately \ considerately on the existing infrastructure?

 

[lorger]

We've just completed the full route and loved it all, people say the east is boring but I disagree. Ok it might not be as dramatic as the west but it still have lovely Towns, Beaches, Stunning views and lovely harbours.

You have for example the beach at Dornock, Brora you then have the Whaligoe steps and Duncansby Stones or whatever their real names is .

We felt we couldn't have been welcomed any better by the locals than we where, some Motorhomers are stucking their vans up and not spending any money with the locals. We stopped at small cafe's, Hotels, Distillery's, farm shops and always welcomed. One night we stopped at a golf course car park with their permission so we joined them for some drinks, later that night we where treated to free doughnuts when a local knocked on the door and handed them to us.

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[Gellyneck]

One night we stopped at a golf course car park with their permission so we joined them for some drinks, later that night we where treated to free doughnuts when a local knocked on the door and handed them to us.

Was it the one outside Wick, Gerry? If so, the beach on the other side of the dunes is fabulous!

 

[lorger]

Was it the one outside Wick, Gerry? If so, the beach on the other side of the dunes is fabulous!
View attachment 296501

No it’s was actually on the West coast at Gairloch, it’s was just a 9 hole course but must have one of the best views from its clubhouse you can get.

 

[Lenny HB]

Watched the Clarkson and Co., on the GT last night, they only did a bit of the NC500 but they found another good road across country that looked stunning.

 

[namwaldog]

We have just had a week up on the west coast from Oban up to Laxford Bridge. We didn't set out with the NC500 in mind, merely to cover some of the roads that we haven't yet done, but obviously drove some of the NC500.
We saw very little in the way of "bad behaviour" and did see a lot of courtesy from both locals and visitors.
Headed south today, off the NC500, from Laxford Bridge to Lairg along the A838.
37 odd miles at a very leisurely pace( about 1 1/4 hrs) and was overtaken twice and met 4 vehicles coming the other way in that time. Really grand scenery along several lochs - Stunning.

Barry

 

[MO2HOM]

We did the NC500, Black Isle and Skye in March. Even though we had planned a 3 week trip, we shortened it to two. This was due to the weather and not staying as long as we thought we would in different locations. Despite being thrown all weather conditions it was a fantastic trip. Very glad we added Skye to our route. One comment we made numerously, was how glad we were doing this route when the roads were quiet. I can’t imagine how hard it would be in the coming months.

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