NC500

JosieAnn II

JosieAnn II

Winger
Looking to do this in April over about 10 nights in our camper, hoping April won't be too busy.

Looking to plan our route. Anybody done it before, got any hints / tips, best places to visit / stay overnight - prefer sites ideally.

Cheers.
 


JosieAnn II said:
Looking to do this in April over about 10 nights in our camper, hoping April won't be too busy.

Looking to plan our route. Anybody done it before, got any hints / tips, best places to visit / stay overnight - prefer sites ideally.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Yes done it last year, will post our route/stops in a bit as currently enjoying the sun in the canaries.
 
Did it in August, with eldest daughter, a couple of years back.
Ruined now by tons of tourists in massive campers blocking the roads and stealing all the camping sites, lay bys and parking places. Imho you need to be looking now to have any chance of tying down digs especially if you're going in the school holidays. We struggled to find any official camp sites with spaces and even lay bys and parking areas were rammed by tea time. B&B's were similarly booked up and hotels aren't cheap or frequent one you're passed Wick.
Victim of its own well deserved fame I'm afraid, was times when you couldn't move forward or back waiting for vehicles coming across narrow bridges or round hairpins Mind the views are breath taking, almost every corner you turn brings something awe inspiring and the wildlife is amazing..
 
JosieAnn II said:
Looking to do this in April over about 10 nights in our camper, hoping April won't be too busy.

Looking to plan our route. Anybody done it before, got any hints / tips, best places to visit / stay overnight - prefer sites ideally.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
I haven’t done the full thing but have been up to Thurso, Scrabster, Melvich, Sandside area quite a bit.

This may sound obvious but if the weather is bad it can be desolate. I found Thurso to be a bit of a dump but further along the coast there are ( or were) deserted roads and loads of places to stop by the side of the road. I did this before the NC500 became such a big thing but I can imagine it being popular with bikers and if busy could be a nightmare.

Its legal to wild camp in Scotland but I’m not sure of the position regarding camper vans in places other than organised sites.

There used to be loads of totally deserted beaches If you are into any water sports or cold water swimming.

Apologies if my knowledge is slightly out of date, good luck, I hope you get great weather and have a fab time.
 
BMX Bandit said:
Just a midgy riddled convoy of tourists. Bikers lashing about full wallop too. Lovely to look at awful to do. Saying that was summer months when we did it.
Click to expand...
This. The daughter got absolutely menaced one night, bites everywhere on her legs and back. Saw what looked like a flock of birds coming down a hillside one time on the road, was a swarm of midges.
 
Loved Scotland. Go every year at least once. Usually stay in a cottage and walk plus visit beautiful scenic and lonely places.

But we now have to plan differently in order to avoid the anxiety and stress associated with manoeuvring around countless mobile homes and camper vans on narrow single track roads. It’s a freaking nightmare.

My wife in particular, has spent a lifetime visiting the various places for the very reasons, that in many places, no longer exist.

For example : couple of years ago, we went to Skye. Been there loads. Apart from the fact that we both contracted Covid from a single visit to a supermarket in Portree, it was utterly packed and hugely busy. It wasn’t even at the height of the season. So we won’t be going back.

To a large extent the reasons that people used to go are being eroded. One of those erosive factors being the NC500.

I’m not being critical of anyone in particular - except perhaps the people who simple rush around it so they can ‘tick it off’ like they were collecting stamps. But for it’s spoiled many places I used to love.

Never mind eh.
 
JosieAnn II said:
Looking to do this in April over about 10 nights in our camper, hoping April won't be too busy.

Looking to plan our route. Anybody done it before, got any hints / tips, best places to visit / stay overnight - prefer sites ideally.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
April won't be too bad for volume of campers and you shouldn't struggle for sites too but for some of the main ones on the route, better to book ahead. Campers/motorhomes strictly speaking can't wildcamp but most places don't worry about it as long as you're not noisy, blocking roads/paths etc and plenty of places have 'go to' overnight spots. Down on waterfront at Brora is nice to stay over and is a wildcamp spot just at bottom of hill down the road opposite the Co-op. Ullapool campsite is good and near to everything/on the waterfront (hit the chippy at Ullapool, it's awesome). Lots of stunning beaches on the route. Dornoch beach lovely - in the car park is a little food van - does a great lobster roll. Applecross - great bacon roll on the waterfront outside the Applecross Inn. Won't have to worry about midges in April, nae worries at all there.

Watch for camping in public car parks - most of them have 'no sleeping overnight' signs up now and and in the bigger towns it's quite rigidly enforced. 10 nights is plenty - take it easy going round, stunning walks and views everywhere. Lots of talk that locals are fed up with it all, but most are accommodating, friendly and happy to take your money. Local drivers that are most grief, they get arsey if you hold them up as lots of single track roads on the West and North parts of the route.
 
Thanks everyone.

Mid April, no school holidays so my hope is it'll not be too bad. Also hopefully not as many midges then.

Provisionally pinned these overnight stops on the map:

Drive up to Loch Ness before starting and stay around there
Dornock / Brora area
Wick
Thurso, maybe just past
Sango Sands site near Durness Beach
Clashnessie area
Ullapool
Loch Maree
Applecross
Then staying somewhere just south of Inverness before heading home

Although I was looking mainly at sites, also open to a wild camping in our van, which is allowed, it's just a T5 so nothing big. Just a bit concerned about toilet situation, we do have a little portaloo.
Might have the odd night in a B&B.

I'm very much a day person so up early so hopefully roads will be a bit quieter and only have 1-2 hours driving most days so plenty of time to see stuff and do some walking. Love a bit wild swimming too.
 
parttimer said:
April won't be too bad for volume of campers and you shouldn't struggle for sites too but for some of the main ones on the route, better to book ahead. Campers/motorhomes strictly speaking can't wildcamp but most places don't worry about it as long as you're not noisy, blocking roads/paths etc and plenty of places have 'go to' overnight spots. Down on waterfront at Brora is nice to stay over and is a wildcamp spot just at bottom of hill down the road opposite the Co-op. Ullapool campsite is good and near to everything/on the waterfront (hit the chippy at Ullapool, it's awesome). Lots of stunning beaches on the route. Dornoch beach lovely - in the car park is a little food van - does a great lobster roll. Applecross - great bacon roll on the waterfront outside the Applecross Inn. Won't have to worry about midges in April, nae worries at all there.

Watch for camping in public car parks - most of them have 'no sleeping overnight' signs up now and and in the bigger towns it's quite rigidly enforced. 10 nights is plenty - take it easy going round, stunning walks and views everywhere. Lots of talk that locals are fed up with it all, but most are accommodating, friendly and happy to take your money. Local drivers that are most grief, they get arsey if you hold them up as lots of single track roads on the West and North parts of the route.
Click to expand...

If I had a point in my earlier post you just made it for me.

Btw it’s not just the ‘local drivers’. It’s the people who are trying to get around the place on holiday and aren’t driving massive fuck off camper vans on single track roads. But I wouldn’t worry. Most of them have stopped going now. 👍🏻😀
 
JosieAnn II said:
Thanks everyone.

Mid April, no school holidays so my hope is it'll not be too bad. Also hopefully not as many midges then.

Provisionally pinned these overnight stops on the map:

Drive up to Loch Ness before starting and stay around there
Dornock / Brora area
Wick
Thurso, maybe just past
Sango Sands site near Durness Beach
Clashnessie area
Ullapool
Loch Maree
Applecross
Then staying somewhere just south of Inverness before heading home

Although I was looking mainly at sites, also open to a wild camping in our van, which is allowed, it's just a T5 so nothing big. Just a bit concerned about toilet situation, we do have a little portaloo.
Might have the odd night in a B&B.

I'm very much a day person so up early so hopefully roads will be a bit quieter and only have 1-2 hours driving most days so plenty of time to see stuff and do some walking. Love a bit wild swimming too.
Click to expand...
You've got the highlights there on that plan and will love it. Won't have any bother on the roads with a T5 too - take some bog roll as up beyond Ullapool there are fewer places to empty yourself as you head up west to the top and round towards Sango.
BiG said:
If I had a point in my earlier post you just made it for me.

Btw it’s not just the ‘local drivers’. It’s the people who are trying to get around the place on holiday and aren’t driving massive fuck off camper vans on single track roads. But I wouldn’t worry. Most of them have stopped going now. 👍🏻😀
Click to expand...
True - peak season the volume of campers and then you get the motorhomes that are way too big for the roads is crazy. We've seen plenty of those massive American style things really struggling and causing chaos as they try to reverse back to the next passing point. Big van conversion for me but I've always made a point of letting cars pass. It was crazy during Covid, couldn't move for motorhomes mind and at least has quietended down a bit as you say.
 
si73 said:
Did it in August, with eldest daughter, a couple of years back.
Ruined now by tons of tourists in massive campers blocking the roads and stealing all the camping sites, lay bys and parking places. Imho you need to be looking now to have any chance of tying down digs especially if you're going in the school holidays. We struggled to find any official camp sites with spaces and even lay bys and parking areas were rammed by tea time. B&B's were similarly booked up and hotels aren't cheap or frequent one you're passed Wick.
Victim of its own well deserved fame I'm afraid, was times when you couldn't move forward or back waiting for vehicles coming across narrow bridges or round hairpins Mind the views are breath taking, almost every corner you turn brings something awe inspiring and the wildlife is amazing..
Click to expand...
Can't be too hard knocking your own route up
All part of the fun
Love planning road trips around a few must do's
As you say it's knackered now ,too commercial
 
Last edited:
parttimer said:
You've got the highlights there on that plan and will love it. Won't have any bother on the roads with a T5 too - take some bog roll as up beyond Ullapool there are fewer places to empty yourself as you head up west to the top and round towards Sango.

True - peak season the volume of campers and then you get the motorhomes that are way too big for the roads is crazy. We've seen plenty of those massive American style things really struggling and causing chaos as they try to reverse back to the next passing point. Big van conversion for me but I've always made a point of letting cars pass. It was crazy during Covid, couldn't move for motorhomes mind and at least has quietended down a bit as you say.
Click to expand...

My point being that the camper vans, the motor homes and the vans, plus the overnight parking and campsites etc, have driven the folk who drove a small car, stayed in a cottage or inn, walked the local area and occasionally explored the out of the way places, don’t go anymore. I avoid places I revisited for years simply because they’re now on the NC500. And the signs I started to see in the locals windows telling the NC500ers to ‘f*** off home’ tells its own story.

Still; it’s a free country.
 
BiG said:
My point being that the camper vans, the motor homes and the vans, plus the overnight parking and campsites etc, have driven the folk who drove a small car, stayed in a cottage or inn, walked the local area and occasionally explored the out of the way places, don’t go anymore. I avoid places I revisited for years simply because they’re now on the NC500. And the signs I started to see in the locals windows telling the NC500ers to ‘f*** off home’ tells its own story.

Still; it’s a free country.
Click to expand...


Yup ,the locals are bit like those in the Lakes , they want the revenue that comes with the tourism but not the tourists.
 
Don't bother with the A9 it's relatively dull coming down the east coast. Turn south at Tongue or Achnabourin and head towards Lairg, scenery is far better.

I did this back when the NC500 wasn't a thing, planned a huge route around Scotland and got tips off people on Pistonheads. Was a great trip
 
Last edited:
buster said:
Yup ,the locals are bit like those in the Lakes , they want the revenue that comes with the tourism but not the tourists.
Click to expand...

Maybe they want the quiet little cottage in a rural idyll to be a quiet little cottage in a rural idyll. That’s if they don’t run a shop, a burger van or a garage.
 
parttimer said:
Lots of talk that locals are fed up with it all, but most are accommodating, friendly and happy to take your money. Local drivers that are most grief, they get arsey if you hold them up as lots of single track roads on the West and North parts of the route.
Click to expand...
I first went around when I lived in Aberdeen 25+yrs ago. I don't think it was even referred to as the NC500 back then and the last time I went was 2yrs ago. It was like night and day the difference. There was a good 6-8yrs gap once between trips, about 10yrs ago, and the volume of traffic and numbers was frustrating and diminished the experience. It had already reached saturation point maybe then after the local authorities realised they had a cash cow available on the door step.

Some of the cash has been reinvested and something which hasn't been mentioned is the roadworks/road improvements. Quite a lot of contra flow and traffic lights about. Locals, without businesses that are cashing in seem genuinely pissed off with the bad driving which seems a major bone of contention.
 

Back
Top