NC500 News

[Jim]

Locals fury as motorhome 'dumped' outside doc's surgery on NC500 route

LOCALS have blasted “entitled” tourists who dumped their campervan outside a doctor’s surgery – then cycled off for more than a week. It’s claimed the visitors parked up in a spot that’s rese…

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

 

[Gaston aires]

This just adds fuel to the anti NC500 brigade. I’m surprised that there is actually an anti NC500 facebook page run by a lady called Margaret
Such stupidity by Elizabeth the culprit just gives us all a bad name.
Should be towed away and kept in a pound until a suitable huge fine is pre paid.

 

[Silver-Fox]

It beggars belief

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

French

 

[Cush]

Probably thought the CTA is a camper friendly as the far side of the channel.

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[Tombola]

They are just in the ticket queue for an appointment at the doctors, be about 8 days till they are seen.

No.problem.

 

[Barchetta47]

if I was French I can see no reason to drive so far to see so little. Tragic mistake!!

 

[CazPaul]

If it had been a car in this parking spot it wouldn’t have got up nowhere near this level of anger or publicity.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Don't believe this crap, the Scottish people up in the highlands are very friendly, me and Ann went in 2014 when the van was brand new and before all this 500 thing was a thing, I went again with Aneta in 2023 and never saw a single angry person. This is horrible anti Scottish publicity

Disclaimer: In my opinion.

 

[monzer]

I'd never give The Sun my cookies. What's the jist of it?

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[beachwomble]

I've just finished a month long trip which included the NC500. Generally, laybyes and carparks were fairly clean, a lot cleaner than English ones anyway. I also picked up any rubbish I saw. My concern is a fair proportion of (mainly young) people are doing the NC500 in vehicles with no sanitary facilities, often with just a mattress in the back of the van or estate car. Some carparks had overflowing bins with recyclable rubbish in them. Then there was the VW T5 type with dogs who had to take so much paraphernalia out of the van because they would move inside if it was kept in. Wherever in other countries this type of behaviour would be dealt with by the police, there didn't seem to be any law enforcement along the route.

 

[bigtwin]

I’m surprised that there is actually an anti NC500 facebook page run by a lady called Margaret

I’m aware of three such groups (and have been banned/removed from two of those ) for daring to add some balance.

The one that you refer to is well known for surveying/polling it’s members for their views on the impact of the NC500 and presenting those results as being representative of the views of the population as a whole - they seem to get a fair bit of air time to express their views.

Ian

 

[DandJ]

Wherever in other countries this type of behaviour would be dealt with by the police, there didn't seem to be any law enforcement along the route.

One can imagine the outrage in the press, social media and no doubt on here too if Police were regularly dealing with what are effectively minor parking issues when “they never bovvered to come out to my shed burgalry” or “avnt they got facebook to police? Ha ha “

 

[dunnah01]

Not sure I'd want to park outside a derelict former clinic for an hour let alone 8 days

 

[HornsOfAlligin]

I asked the chap that was selling the NC 500 books at the Newark show about the negative publicity, and unsurprisingly he said it was just media hype and it didn’t reflect reality at all. Obviously, he was also trying to flog a book about the trip, so not exactly un-biased but it was encouraging to hear.

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[Ingwe]

I'd never give The Sun my cookies

I’d give the Sun something but it wouldn’t be my cookies………..

 

[bigtwin]

I asked the chap that was selling the NC 500 books at the Newark show about the negative publicity, and unsurprisingly he said it was just media hype and it didn’t reflect reality at all. Obviously, he was also trying to flog a book about the trip, so not exactly un-biased but it was encouraging to hear.

99.99% of people who report back after visiting the area report no problems whatsoever with locals. Many express that they had contemplated not going due to the anti-feeling expressed on various FB groups but were relieved and delighted to find that the reality is quite different.

Social media has, unfortunately, given the dissenters a wide reaching platform to spout their anti-tourist rhetoric.

If you’re minded to go, then go.

Ian

 

[davejen]

I thought the van HAD DUMPED something at the surgery !!!!
cheers, Dave

 

[Just smiffy]

I thought the video was quite a good review of campers, the locals said they understand that it is very few that break the rules and spoil it for others, it was mentioned that the motorhome renters are the worst….

 

[jumartoo]

Having just watched a YouTube video about the NC500 I would think the midgie army would have chased off quite a few visitors.

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[Andy.Burrows]

Don't believe this crap, the Scottish people up in the highlands are very friendly, me and Ann went in 2014 when the van was brand new and before all this 500 thing was a thing, I went again with Aneta in 2023 and never saw a single angry person. This is horrible anti Scottish publicity

Disclaimer: In my opinion.

Totally agree. My wife, Liz and I, did the NC500 in April this year. The only problem we encountered was the weather and the rubbish roads. The people were friendly and welcoming.

 

[BusyBuilder]

I thought the video was quite a good review of campers, the locals said they understand that it is very few that break the rules and spoil it for others, it was mentioned that the motorhome renters are the worst….

As someone who lives on the NC500, I agree.

 

[simsy56]

We have just completed the NC500, and the locals were extremely friendly, the towns and villages were very clean, campsites we used were good, and services were plentiful. Some of the roads were rough, but, we thoroughly enjoyed it.
A great trip.

Craig

 

[The general]

I wish the nc 500 was never named ! The journey was so good before that title ???

 

[jannyman]

I wish the nc 500 was never named ! The journey was so good before that title ???

It’s been there for years and years. Nothing has changed except sensationalist press headlines encouraged by ‘escapist new agers’. Go for it. Treat the locals and fellow travellers with the sensitivity and the respect they deserve and you’ll be fine.

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[The general]

I travelled it many a time starting in 2016 , i remember them constructing the zip wire east of durness and thought who wants screaming tourists ??i remember the handy scottish tourist board centre at sango sands ?? Now gone i think ? I remember speaking to foreign bikers at durness saying no fuel to mon , the pumps locked up sat midday , they were stuck there . Who actually coined the word NC 500 ?? Tourist board ?

 

[jannyman]

I travelled it many a time starting in 2016 , i remember them constructing the zip wire east of durness and thought who wants screaming tourists ??i remember the handy scottish tourist board centre at sango sands ?? Now gone i think ? I remember speaking to foreign bikers at durness saying no fuel to mon , the pumps locked up sat midday , they were stuck there . Who actually coined the word NC 500 ?? Tourist board ?

Initially proposed by our current monarch I believe? Then the entire enterprise privatised?

 

[Tony50]

What we want is more Community Officers , my daughter in law 's Step father is Moroccan on his way back to Heathrow to fly home to Geneva, Switzerland he stopped for a smoke Slung his fag on ground Community Officer saw him fined him £75 on the spot, he said he didn't know the Law of this country that didn't wash, damn good job, that will teach him.