Just back from our tour.
We were away 9 nights altogether, including a couple of overnight stops on the way to our first night at our departure point in Nairn, and a couple of nights in Northumberland on the way home.
The actual NC500 drive was spread over 4 days
Nairn-Bettyhill
Bettyhill-Lochinver
Lochinver-Gairloch
Gairloch-Inverness
Sadly my planning was badly affected by our recent house fire so we were largely making it up as we went.
First day we stopped at Wick, JoG (horrid place but one has to do it) and Castle Mey (Prince Charles's B&B). 15 miles from our first stop at Bettyhill we were sent on a 40 mile diversion on a single-track, passing-places road owing to a heath fire closing our intended route.
Second day we spent a bit of time in the local museum at Bettyhill, whose main focus is the Sutherland clearances, our next principal stop was at Durness before a fairly early arrival at Lochinver.
Lochinver-Gairloch was a good drive. We added in the Rubha Mor peninsula.
Gairloch-Inverness included the coastal route to Applecross and Bealach na Ba, the pass of the cattle, which is almost alpine in one small stretch - but easy driving in a small, agile car.
On the way north, we had a night in Dundee so we could visit the V&A there. Nice building but content minimal - apart from the Scottish design gallery, there is a videogames exhibition on just now that I couldn't really engage with at all. Dundee has brushed up quite well with the waterfront redevelopment.
From the Dundee to Inverness and Inverness to Edinburgh on the way back we went via the Cairngorms both ways. Some of the nicest roads on the whole trip, and a lot more fun than the A9 even if it takes longer.
All told, we did just over 1800 miles at about 46mpg. Not bad at all, as it included some fairly enthusiastic driving where possible.
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Not bad? Sounds remarkably good to me.
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>> Not bad? Sounds remarkably good to me.
Yes, not bad at all! But then the average speeds are low in general. The worst fills were one after 130 miles of mainly the Cairngorms, which was both fast and hilly (c. 41mpg) and another after 160 miles including Bealach na Ba at 42. I kept the tank fairly full, petrol availability being an unknown, but it was actually fairly good. Home to Leyburn in North Yorkshire, about 220 miles of mainly M1/M18/A1 with a following wind and the roof up, was the best at 55.
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Only do it during the BST months. While the Cairngorms can be pretty in winter, the rest of it can be "guy dreich" from November to March and in the middle of that period, very limited daylight hours too.
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>> Only do it during the BST months. While the Cairngorms can be pretty in winter,
>> the rest of it can be "guy dreich" from November to March and in the
>> middle of that period, very limited daylight hours too.
The NC500-located accommodation books up early. Everywhere we stayed except Nairn (technically off route) was full.
Then there are midges. I expected to miss them by being early, but there they were at Inverewe Garden at Poolewe on 19th May! I got off lightly, they prefer my wife!
Early May is probably as good a time as any. The daylight hours were plenty long enough. Sunset today is nearly an hour later at Lochinver than it is in Tring.
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Hahaha Zero - I'll pinch that !
Sounds like a damned good trip ! Hope the weather meant "roof down"
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I have a sister in law we call Hyacinth. Drives a new Touareg on the school run if you see what I mean? If you go to their house they nearly always find a way of serving you cous cous ( or whatever the foul stuff is called )
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Don't have a Touareg, just a Golf but quite like couscous, especially the Moroccan sort. There again I'm the guy who doesn't much like Jaffa cakes
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You like couscous, but don't like Jaffa cakes?
I'm not sure I understand. Is that really possible? ;-)
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On my planet it is. You earthlings are a mystery to us.
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Still want to do it myself - just waiting until I have a car worthy of it!
Over on Pistonheads there is a long thread on it and one of the contributors is a guy called Steve Carter who lives up there and is, amongst other things, photographer and music writer.
(He actually wrote the music that is used on the BBC Brexit podcasts)
His website is www.stevecarter.com/ and he is on twitter as @highlandrampage
Stunning photography and not only lives in the area but really loves and cares for it nand so is a fabulous source of information on best times to travel etc.
Incidentally last week I was up in Inverness for work - drove a Renault Kangoo van which needs to stick to van speed limits the whole way. Not going over 50 mph, or 60mph in the dual carriageways, without cruise control, was a real challenge. One of these very strange rules why a Kangoo is kept to those speeds!
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Nearly all roof down, except motorways which get a bit unpleasant.
It was down all the way from Edinburgh down the A697 to Longframlington even though there were some heavy showers - we just kept going and stayed 99% dry.
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These routes seem to be the latest tourist fad. We live midway on the Great West Way or some such construct. Basically its the A4/M4 corridor but I guess thats not such a catchy name ;-).
Years ago I did the drive from Aberdeen (where I lived) to Inverness. up to JOG, and across the top and down the West coast a bit. It wasn't labelled as the North Coast 500 then.
The trouble was that as I recall there was a fair bit of slog up that east coast from Inverness and the bit across the top is a tad dull in places too. Its not the classic Highland scenery that you might expect until you hit the Western section. Quite a lot of monotonous farmland and moor in between as I recall.
Today with publicity surrounding the route and the aid of TripAdvisor and online booking etc its a lot easier to pick out places of interest and good accommodation. A nice convertible rather than my rattly Morris 1100 helps of course!
Not that its wholly unattractive but anyone driving up from the far South might wonder why they've bypassed a lot of splendidly scenic Scottish areas for the comparatively less attractive far North East.
Maybe its one for the completists, because its there?
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It is a marketing thing - there was a radio discussion about a couple of years ago. Well done the Scots for tapping into a rich seam
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The M25 200 is the next big thing.
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>> The M25 200 is the next big thing.
Its the M25 117 actually. And its old hat, it started many years ago, the aim was less than an hour.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 24 May 19 at 17:55
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You;d need at least an afternoon these days !
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>> I’ve gone metric.
I wish the M25 could make up its mind, the location markers are in KM, the direction gantries in Miles. Not sure what the exit countdown markers are any more.
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Roughly 25 years ago myself and the gaffer went from Edinburgh-Braemar-Inverness(via Grantown)-Tongue-Plockton-Home
Took my old Prelude which was a sweet little motor for the roads. 810 miles I note plotting it on google maps.
Some stunning scenery and deserted golden beaches along the north/west coasts.
Route - tinyurl.com/yywwknn6
Did an almost identical route a couple of years later adding in a day trip to Orkney and a detour into Skye after staying at Plockton, that time in my Nissan Laurel.
Wouldn't dream of trying it with 3 children in the back...
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>> It is a marketing thing
Of course it is. And we did it anti-clockwise because we didn't want to spend so much time on the east coast. I chose it because I haven't been north of Inverness very much, other than the Black Isle, and I agree that for the most part it isn't the best of Scottish scenery, but it has its moments. Important to remember that it is a coastal route too, so many of the hills you see will be in the distance
I don't think most of the locals are too keen on the NC500, although I imagine those who profit from it like the NC500ers better that the motorhomers, many of whom contribute as little as possible to the region's economy and don't think "use passing places to facilitate overtaking" applies to them. One of the B&B's we stayed at is booked almost 100% for May-September - it has three rooms at £125 per night each, a pretty steady retirement pastime.
Will I go again to the far north? Unlikely, but we like Scotland so we'll almost certainly visit the Black Isle and the regions to the south. Maybe Skye again too.
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 24 May 19 at 18:10
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Good luck M, lots to explore.
I'd suggest Arran as a closer and quieter alternative to Skye with good driving roads and relative peace. The MX 5 would love it. You can take the ferry from the mainland to get on and leave after a day or two by the ferry on the other side to give access to the beauties of the Kintyre peninsula. You then have options to drive to the very attractive Southern Highlands (Trossachs, Loch Lomond, Tayside etc) or drive up the southern bit of West coast. My brother in law ferry hopped in his Octavia VRS via Arran, Oban and up the Inner Hebrides last year and loved it.
Its years since I've been to the Black Isle and you can take in Deeside or Speyside on the same trip. This minimises use of the awful A9. No fun in the Mazda.
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Or take a pedal bike and do the five ferries challenge.
I did that couple years ago. Got to go at a pace to meet the next ferry.
Start at Ardrossan and finish at Wemyss Bay which is a cracking old style railway station.
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The moment something is widely suggested as a recommended place / route / tour / activity then it is right off my list.
I try to avoid the masses.
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>> The moment something is widely suggested as a recommended place / route / tour /
>> activity then it is right off my list.
>>
>> I try to avoid the masses.
The guarantee you wont be there is why they mass.
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There's an article about it in today's Guardian:
tinyurl.com/yy9tosyd
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>> There's an article about it in today's Guardian:
>> tinyurl.com/yy9tosyd
Too many people want the same thing, so you have hordes seeking out isolated places. Have you seen the pictures of the queues to and from the summit of Everest? Part of the reason for us going on the NC500 this year was that the crowding will only increase.
Actually it's still pretty quiet in northern Scotland, or was from 14-20 May anyway. It's true that too many won't move over on single track roads. If somebody catches me, I pull over at the first opportunity even if I was doing 60 (it happened). Too many won't, even if they are doing 20.
When booking, I didn't come across any hotels/B&Bs that insisted on 2 nights minimum.
Motorhomes (or their drivers) are a blight and it will be much worse in the height of summer. Most seem to wild camp and park up in viewpoints etc. for their meals, presumably bought from Tesco. We were actually tutted at by one lot when we had the temerity to use the picnic bench next to their motorhome at one viewpoint car park.
I'm sure we will continue to visit the Highlands, but there are better roads inland, with fewer people on them (for now).
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The guy I referred to elsewhere has posted many times about tourists parking up in passing places and getting the picnics out!
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>> There's an article about it in today's Guardian:
>> tinyurl.com/yy9tosyd
Presently on Isle of Harris for week. Recognise in that article lot of stuff we either saw ourselves or heard from others when we were here last year. That was our first visit since 2010 and the growth in Campervan use on the Hebrides has been phenomenal. Convoys, inability to use passing places (lack of anticipation and not able to reverse) and dumping of toilet waste in streams and down rabbit holes are apparently common place. Didn't actually see anyone emptying their toilet cassette but got well pi**ed off reversing over blind bits of road 'cos others wouldn't.
Big incentive has been Scottish Government's 'Road Equivalent Tariff' which puts fares on par with driving cost. Motor caravan cost is similar to car. Booking two months ahead we couldn't get on Saturday morning service to Harris or the lunchtime return a week later. Seven pm crossing last night was rammed too - daughter who booked after us couldn't get on and had to cross Ullapool>Stornoway instead.
It's just a bit inconvenient for tourists but islanders complain they struggle for space on or off the place in peak season.
Steps are under way to imrove facilities. Harris Estate has created pay as you go parking spots wih payment by Pay Pal and there's a small site with electric hook ups on the road to Huisnis. A bigger ferry is due in 2020 and more chemical toilet disposal points are planned but demand will probably expand to meet available supply.
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Brompt, so jealous!!
Though when we did our tent trip I think Barra was my favourite out the OH.
Vatersay beach, the airport. Though Luskentyre beach is stunning.
Where you staying?
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>> Where you staying?
We're in a cottage at Aird Aseag just outside Tarbert.
Would have preferred to be on S Harris round Losgantir for day but we're off up to Lewis this morning as our son is flying in to Stornoway. He was supposed to arrive yesterday afternoon but his flight was repeatedly delayed and eventually cancelled.
By time we got that news I'd driven most of way to Stornoway.
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>> The moment something is widely suggested as a recommended place / route / tour activity then it is right off my list.
>>
>> >> I try to avoid the masses.
>
> The guarantee you wont be there is why they mass.
>
I don't really care why people do or don't mass. But I much prefer landscape, scenery and the like with as few people as possible. None is good.
I cannot imagine that anybody wants such places to be crowded or enjoys it so, though obviously most people tolerate it better than I do.
If you think my presence is so significant, then maybe I should start advertising my intended visit in order to clear it out a bit before I get there.
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North Coast 500 in an MX-5 - Ambo
