Petition Against NC 500 Campers

[mikeroch]

I live next to one of the two single-lane sections of the NC500 just north of Lochinver in Sutherland, the other being on Applecross a little to the south. The road network in the far north reflects the local population density and historic traffic flow, and has served us well. I'm sure that everyone has experienced a 'pulsing' effect in traffic flow on major roads when the weight of vehicles exceeds a certain level, such an effect builds slowly but eventually decays reverting to normal flow once traffic density eases. Now imagine imposing a sudden increase in traffic many times the norm onto a road designed only for light traffic ... the outcome is inevitable.

Camper van hire companies have proliferated on the back of NC500, with many hiring out large vans to absolute novices. Being inexperienced and largely unprepared for the extingencies of van travel in a sensitive environment, add an almost complete absence of public toilets and disposal points and you'll soon find cassette contents dumped inappropriately and drivers afraid to manoeuvre in tight spots locked rigid with fear of damaging their hired van.

For many years adventurous motorhome travellers have quietly driven and enjoyed these roads, parking up overnight in wild places and moving on next day leaving no trace. Proper 'Wild Camping' by experienced hikers camped deep in the landscape In little tents or in bothies similarly ... no harm done. The real harm is being caused not by motorhomes, even those carrying clueless beginners, but by insensitive and sometimes obnoxious tent campers often travelling in a convoy of vehicles camping up 'festival fashion' right by the roadside and leaving their detritus behind before blitzing off in a cloud of dust next day. Don't overlook the fact that such groups also rotate around the route in opposing directions, which adds enormously to the excitement. Watching, as I do with great pleasure, two such groups trying to resolve how to pass each other on the B869 with just one small passing bay is really entertaining!

The few hundred souls that live on the 25 mile Lochinver to Kylesku B869 loop are hugely affected however, many who have lived their whole lives quietly and happily there have reluctantly sold up and moved away because a 20 minute drive to the village involves a hazardous 3 hour game of dodgems during The Season. A visit to the Doctor becomes a major undertaking requiring military planning.

Doctor, ambulance, bin lorry, courier vans, postman, police, coastguard and increasingly vehicle recovery trucks intent on picking up crashed or bogged NC500 drivers, all have to go about their business in the midst of the mayhem. It's great for the village shops and the accommodation providers, far less so for everyone else.

Visitors have always been welcome up here, but in the past they did so in a steady fashion, however sadly with the vastly increased traffic flow, the infrastructure cannot cope. We are rather hoping that once Covid fades and air travel resumes that the lunatic fringe will revert to their natural habitat in The Med. Problem is, you cannot un-shoot an arrow or un-ring a bell. The NC500 is here to stay

Well, enough of this, I have to get down the village and buy a newspaper, it's about a mile ... so let me see, check-list: watch, wallet, spectacles, testicles, emergency rations, sleeping bag, mobile phone. Yes I think that does it. I'm just going outside ... I might be some time.

 

[peter palance]

I felt that I wanted to cover his points.
If I started going into other issues the letter would have been even longer.
Brevity was at risk, and I decided not to mention these issues.
But hopefully someone else will highlight this to Mr Stone.

please dont through any, it '' mite'' go to his head, i reserve the right to be hypothetical, if they can use plethora, i can use plenary,or hypothetical,in any way i choose. go a head, hit it with your rythum stick, do not sing his prays. ok.pj.

 

[Tookey]

I live next to one of the two single-lane sections of the NC500 just north of Lochinver in Sutherland, the other being on Applecross a little to the south. The road network in the far north reflects the local population density and historic traffic flow, and has served us well. I'm sure that everyone has experienced a 'pulsing' effect in traffic flow on major roads when the weight of vehicles exceeds a certain level, such an effect builds slowly but eventually decays reverting to normal flow once traffic density eases. Now imagine imposing a sudden increase in traffic many times the norm onto a road designed only for light traffic ... the outcome is inevitable.

Camper van hire companies have proliferated on the back of NC500, with many hiring out large vans to absolute novices. Being inexperienced and largely unprepared for the extingencies of van travel in a sensitive environment, add an almost complete absence of public toilets and disposal points and you'll soon find cassette contents dumped inappropriately and drivers afraid to manoeuvre in tight spots locked rigid with fear of damaging their hired van.

For many years adventurous motorhome travellers have quietly driven and enjoyed these roads, parking up overnight in wild places and moving on next day leaving no trace. Proper 'Wild Camping' by experienced hikers camped deep in the landscape In little tents or in bothies similarly ... no harm done. The real harm is being caused not by motorhomes, even those carrying clueless beginners, but by insensitive and sometimes obnoxious tent campers often travelling in a convoy of vehicles camping up 'festival fashion' right by the roadside and leaving their detritus behind before blitzing off in a cloud of dust next day. Don't overlook the fact that such groups also rotate around the route in opposing directions, which adds enormously to the excitement. Watching, as I do with great pleasure, two such groups trying to resolve how to pass each other on the B869 with just one small passing bay is really entertaining!

The few hundred souls that live on the 25 mile Lochinver to Kylesku B869 loop are hugely affected however, many who have lived their whole lives quietly and happily there have reluctantly sold up and moved away because a 20 minute drive to the village involves a hazardous 3 hour game of dodgems during The Season. A visit to the Doctor becomes a major undertaking requiring military planning.

Doctor, ambulance, bin lorry, courier vans, postman, police, coastguard and increasingly vehicle recovery trucks intent on picking up crashed or bogged NC500 drivers, all have to go about their business in the midst of the mayhem. It's great for the village shops and the accommodation providers, far less so for everyone else.

Visitors have always been welcome up here, but in the past they did so in a steady fashion, however sadly with the vastly increased traffic flow, the infrastructure cannot cope. We are rather hoping that once Covid fades and air travel resumes that the lunatic fringe will revert to their natural habitat in The Med. Problem is, you cannot un-shoot an arrow or un-ring a bell. The NC500 is here to stay

Well, enough of this, I have to get down the village and buy a newspaper, it's about a mile ... so let me see, check-list: watch, wallet, spectacles, testicles, emergency rations, sleeping bag, mobile phone. Yes I think that does it. I'm just going outside ... I might be some time.

As a local please could you share what is the general consensus of your neighbours on the NC; (the roads are public so obviously they cant close the NC but what would they like to do)

1. Ban it completely to campers

2. Close the route for a couple of years and put in place more passing places and suitable amenities for tents and vehicles at the cost to the tax payer (investment hopefully) and reopen

3. Usually only too busy for 6 weeks a year and this year is an exception due to covid. Everyone in East Anglia is stuck behind a tractor during harvest time and they don't moan, their economy is farming part of ours is tourism. It is what it is

 

[peter palance]

I live next to one of the two single-lane sections of the NC500 just north of Lochinver in Sutherland, the other being on Applecross a little to the south. The road network in the far north reflects the local population density and historic traffic flow, and has served us well. I'm sure that everyone has experienced a 'pulsing' effect in traffic flow on major roads when the weight of vehicles exceeds a certain level, such an effect builds slowly but eventually decays reverting to normal flow once traffic density eases. Now imagine imposing a sudden increase in traffic many times the norm onto a road designed only for light traffic ... the outcome is inevitable.

Camper van hire companies have proliferated on the back of NC500, with many hiring out large vans to absolute novices. Being inexperienced and largely unprepared for the extingencies of van travel in a sensitive environment, add an almost complete absence of public toilets and disposal points and you'll soon find cassette contents dumped inappropriately and drivers afraid to manoeuvre in tight spots locked rigid with fear of damaging their hired van.

For many years adventurous motorhome travellers have quietly driven and enjoyed these roads, parking up overnight in wild places and moving on next day leaving no trace. Proper 'Wild Camping' by experienced hikers camped deep in the landscape In little tents or in bothies similarly ... no harm done. The real harm is being caused not by motorhomes, even those carrying clueless beginners, but by insensitive and sometimes obnoxious tent campers often travelling in a convoy of vehicles camping up 'festival fashion' right by the roadside and leaving their detritus behind before blitzing off in a cloud of dust next day. Don't overlook the fact that such groups also rotate around the route in opposing directions, which adds enormously to the excitement. Watching, as I do with great pleasure, two such groups trying to resolve how to pass each other on the B869 with just one small passing bay is really entertaining!

The few hundred souls that live on the 25 mile Lochinver to Kylesku B869 loop are hugely affected however, many who have lived their whole lives quietly and happily there have reluctantly sold up and moved away because a 20 minute drive to the village involves a hazardous 3 hour game of dodgems during The Season. A visit to the Doctor becomes a major undertaking requiring military planning.

Doctor, ambulance, bin lorry, courier vans, postman, police, coastguard and increasingly vehicle recovery trucks intent on picking up crashed or bogged NC500 drivers, all have to go about their business in the midst of the mayhem. It's great for the village shops and the accommodation providers, far less so for everyone else.

Visitors have always been welcome up here, but in the past they did so in a steady fashion, however sadly with the vastly increased traffic flow, the infrastructure cannot cope. We are rather hoping that once Covid fades and air travel resumes that the lunatic fringe will revert to their natural habitat in The Med. Problem is, you cannot un-shoot an arrow or un-ring a bell. The NC500 is here to stay

Well, enough of this, I have to get down the village and buy a newspaper, it's about a mile ... so let me see, check-list: watch, wallet, spectacles, testicles, emergency rations, sleeping bag, mobile phone. Yes I think that does it. I'm just going outside ... I might be some time.

so you have the balls for it, ''mite'' i say hang on to them, you may need them one day, even if its just to'' cheque'' your list, ok pj. just testing?

 

[davep10000]

Mike,
I remember the main Kylesku to Rhiconich single track road very well before the eu funding to get it upgraded to the excellent road it is now.
Imagine that as it was, with all the traffic now.
I regularly help out with the sheep at my friends croft farm in Achlyness (They are still waiting for mains electric!) and their comments echo yours about the drivers of the motorhomes not having a clue how to negotiate single track roads (and often in convoy making it even worse).
I loved your Lochinver road, but now I wouldnt use it in peak season, which is a shame. I suppose the clachtoll beach area always was popular though.

My sympathies to the locals who have to use the road on a daily basis.

Education of drivers is probably the answer, its not the size of the motorhomes as such. (My friend also drives a 40' artic fish wagon on the single track road from laxford bridge to Lairg - its the only route - the biggest hazard used to be the deer).

D.

 

[Pandaman2020]

Anyone here, filmed this morning driving into Sheildiag merrily throwing litter out of a window.
Captured on a locals dashcam.
View attachment 85909

report him? It is an offence same as fly tipping

 

[sparrks]

FWIW, I posted the maths to a shower of anti-4x4 cyclists over on a cycling forum many years ago. The pressure on the road (in psi) and hence the likelihood of damage, is given by the mass of vehicle and occupants (in pounds) divided by the total contact area (in square inches) between the tyres and the road. Although bicycles are very light, an average road bicycle has a miniscule contact area and so the pressure exerted on the road by a typical 'roadie' cyclist is considerably greater than that exerted by a full-sized 4x4! FWIW, as a rough approximation, the tyre pressure also gives a rough estimate of pressure on the road. So a typical 'roadie' (~100 to 120 psi) will exert more pressure on the road than any motorhome I know of, and even MTBs typically run with tyres inflated to over 50 psi...

Get a load of 4x4's to go around a Velodrome and see how long it lasts....

PS what size is a 'miniscule' contact area?

2 groups of vehicles go down a muddy lane - 1 group 4 lots of 4x4, the 2nd group 4 x mountain bikes which group rips the ground apart the most?

 

[GeoffL]

Get a load of 4x4's to go around a Velodrome and see how long it lasts....

PS what size is a 'miniscule' contact area?

2 groups of vehicles go down a muddy lane - 1 group 4 lots of 4x4, the 2nd group 4 x mountain bikes which group rips the ground apart the most?

Nice attempt at straw men. You are trying to compare apples and oranges as the structure of velodromes are very different to roads. Velodromes are intended to support only lightweight vehicles while roads are intended to support vehicle up to 44 tonnes GVW.

To work out maximum contact areas, try doing the maths yourself. Divide the gross mass of the vehicle by the pressure of the tyres. Since the tyre structure adds stiffness, the actual contact area will be less than the calculated value -- but it's a good approximation. Thus, for 80kg (~176lb) of bike and rider on tyres inflated to 120psi, the total contact area for both wheels will be no more than 176/120 ~ 1.5 sq in.

BTW. we are not talking about muddy lanes here; we're talking about metalled roads that are supposed to be maintained in good condition.

 

[sparrks]

Nice attempt at straw men. You are trying to compare apples and oranges as the structure of velodromes are very different to roads. Velodromes are intended to support only lightweight vehicles while roads are intended to support vehicle up to 44 tonnes GVW.

To work out maximum contact areas, try doing the maths yourself. Divide the gross mass of the vehicle by the pressure of the tyres. Since the tyre structure adds stiffness, the actual contact area will be less than the calculated value -- but it's a good approximation. Thus, for 80kg (~176lb) of bike and rider on tyres inflated to 120psi, the total contact area for both wheels will be no more than 176/120 ~ 1.5 sq in.

BTW. we are not talking about muddy lanes here; we're talking about metalled roads that are supposed to be maintained in good condition.

My van is 3.3 tonnes, on full steering lock the tyres damage the road surface whilst turning - both my mountain bike and road bike leaves no marks.
On both heavy acceleration and braking the heavier vehicle is the one that causes the damage to the road.
Drive down most motorways, thinking of the M6 in particular you will find stretches where there are 'tram' lines caused by heavy vehicles - care to provide evidence of such lines caused by bicycles?

 

[GeoffL]

Note linear wear marks on both cycleways. On roads that have a lot of cycle traffic, the edges near the kerb can become riddled with potholes -- you know, the bit that most cars don't drive on -- yet motorists still get the blame! Also, don't forget that on lane 1 of the M6 it's a constant stream of very heavy vehicles 24/7 whereas most cycle traffic is orders of magnitude less. Edited to add that a quick bit of 'net research suggests that HGV tyres are typically inflated at 100 psi or over compared with the 30 to 35 psi typical of 4x4s.

BTW, the phenomenon you describe by moving your steering lock to lock while stationary is called scrubbing and that happens because the bit of tyre that is causing (and getting) damage isn't rolling over the road. When you try the same thing with a bicycle, you're not usually putting all your weight on the machine (i.e. chances are most of your weight will be on the foot that's preventing you from toppling over) and so, once again, you're comparing apples with oranges. Next time, try doing a track stand and vigourously moving the handlebars full lock side to side -- you'll see the same effect as you note with the motorhome.

 

[Red Dwarf]

The NC500 has changed life here in the north, no question about that. All who live here have their tales of particularly silly incidents with tourists.
Two incidents that come to mind of single tack shenanigans...
A couple cycling side by side listening to music through headphones, both being oblivious to my presence behind them.
A motor home met head on that needed to reverse fifteen feet back to a passing place, the driver totally unable to make the manoeuvre.
Nothing too out of the ordinary with these examples, except for the fact I was driving an ambulance........

 

[Sid]

I'd be very happy to pay a reasonable fee to take on fresh water and dispose of trash, grey and black waste at official 'leisure vehicle service points'. It can't be beyond the wit of man to build service points and, as they won't be stopovers, they won't be subjected to any anti-caravan planning legislation. I suspect that, given the convenience they would present, most would prefer to use proper service points than skulk around the nearest public loos etc. I know that I'd be happy to pay £5-£10 a time to pump and dump.


I agree. However, with a reasonable network of service points available there'll be a much stronger case with which to take those miscreants to task IMO.

That would be just like the ones on Harris, £3 to empty the potty and a fiver to camp by the beach. Just excellent, cos let's face one doesn't or rather can't wild camp in a 3.5 T van or even a VW. It's free loading or slightly more romantically off grid, dry camping or boon docking. I have been wild camping in Knoydart and you definately wouldn't get a m/h up there. So now I have to make do with a bit of free loading or off grid camping.

 

[Fisherman]

I live next to one of the two single-lane sections of the NC500 just north of Lochinver in Sutherland, the other being on Applecross a little to the south. The road network in the far north reflects the local population density and historic traffic flow, and has served us well. I'm sure that everyone has experienced a 'pulsing' effect in traffic flow on major roads when the weight of vehicles exceeds a certain level, such an effect builds slowly but eventually decays reverting to normal flow once traffic density eases. Now imagine imposing a sudden increase in traffic many times the norm onto a road designed only for light traffic ... the outcome is inevitable.

Camper van hire companies have proliferated on the back of NC500, with many hiring out large vans to absolute novices. Being inexperienced and largely unprepared for the extingencies of van travel in a sensitive environment, add an almost complete absence of public toilets and disposal points and you'll soon find cassette contents dumped inappropriately and drivers afraid to manoeuvre in tight spots locked rigid with fear of damaging their hired van.

For many years adventurous motorhome travellers have quietly driven and enjoyed these roads, parking up overnight in wild places and moving on next day leaving no trace. Proper 'Wild Camping' by experienced hikers camped deep in the landscape In little tents or in bothies similarly ... no harm done. The real harm is being caused not by motorhomes, even those carrying clueless beginners, but by insensitive and sometimes obnoxious tent campers often travelling in a convoy of vehicles camping up 'festival fashion' right by the roadside and leaving their detritus behind before blitzing off in a cloud of dust next day. Don't overlook the fact that such groups also rotate around the route in opposing directions, which adds enormously to the excitement. Watching, as I do with great pleasure, two such groups trying to resolve how to pass each other on the B869 with just one small passing bay is really entertaining!

The few hundred souls that live on the 25 mile Lochinver to Kylesku B869 loop are hugely affected however, many who have lived their whole lives quietly and happily there have reluctantly sold up and moved away because a 20 minute drive to the village involves a hazardous 3 hour game of dodgems during The Season. A visit to the Doctor becomes a major undertaking requiring military planning.

Doctor, ambulance, bin lorry, courier vans, postman, police, coastguard and increasingly vehicle recovery trucks intent on picking up crashed or bogged NC500 drivers, all have to go about their business in the midst of the mayhem. It's great for the village shops and the accommodation providers, far less so for everyone else.

Visitors have always been welcome up here, but in the past they did so in a steady fashion, however sadly with the vastly increased traffic flow, the infrastructure cannot cope. We are rather hoping that once Covid fades and air travel resumes that the lunatic fringe will revert to their natural habitat in The Med. Problem is, you cannot un-shoot an arrow or un-ring a bell. The NC500 is here to stay

Well, enough of this, I have to get down the village and buy a newspaper, it's about a mile ... so let me see, check-list: watch, wallet, spectacles, testicles, emergency rations, sleeping bag, mobile phone. Yes I think that does it. I'm just going outside ... I might be some time.

Mike I see you have only posted 13 times, what a shame because that post pretty well summed up perfectly what’s going on within the madness that’s known as the NC 500. It’s only a pity that those who dreamt up this idea had not thought of the full consequences of this route. They seemed to think that the NC 500 would only be the remit of hotel and b&b dwellers who would fill the coffers of of these establishments on Scotland’s most remote land mass. No real thought was given to those of us who enjoy the freedom that our mobile home from homes offer, or those who prefer to pitch tents. And this year has as you say witnessed a rise in people who have no respect for the environments they visit, with selfish behaviour, that same behaviour that created the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs camping controls during the summer months.

But let’s not lay all of the blame on one side.
Those in power have been caught with their pants down here.
They have failed miserably to put into place simple cost effective measures that would have both helped alleviate many of the issues, and created income for local councils and economies. Also basing the needs for local infrastructure solely on the needs of the local population beggars belief. Any such planning must surely take into consideration the full needs placed upon that infrastructure. To ignore this seemingly obvious requirement has primarily been responsible for many of the problems now being created by such poorly funded inadequate infrastructure.

 

[Wully]

A lot of the people who do the north coast 500 think they’ll find this.

 

[peter palance]

A lot of the people who do the north coast 500 think they’ll find this.

thank you wully, very nice,what can one really say, yes true enjoyment,please do it again, diolch. thank you very much, ok.pj. hope your keeping well.

 

[2cv]

A lot of the people who do the north coast 500 think they’ll find this.

Thanks for that Wully, absolutely brilliant.

 

[kensowerby]

Many years ago I took a load from Borden to Fort William, long before the m6 and fancy roads, took all of 3 weeks, every stop required bed plates to drive onto so that we didn't sink, 80 ton load and 103ft long,
I now drive a 3500 motorhome, if it was possible I would be quite happy to let this supposedly educated idiot lay down in the road and let me driver over him, left leg for the camper van, right leg for the big load, then with practical experience he would be able to tell which did the most damage.
I realy get very worried at times at some of the statements that these (clever people ) come up with, I think we would get more sense out of the loony bin.

 

[GeoffL]

Many years ago I took a load from Borden to Fort William, long before the m6 and fancy roads, took all of 3 weeks, every stop required bed plates to drive onto so that we didn't sink, 80 ton load and 103ft long,
I now drive a 3500 motorhome, if it was possible I would be quite happy to let this supposedly educated idiot lay down in the road and let me driver over him, left leg for the camper van, right leg for the big load, then with practical experience he would be able to tell which did the most damage.
I realy get very worried at times at some of the statements that these (clever people ) come up with, I think we would get more sense out of the loony bin.

Presumably, I'm the "supposedly educated idiot".

It is astonshing that some (truly ignorant) people can't believe the laws of physics. I suspect that it never occured to the genteman driving his 100 tons of rig and load that the reason he needed to drive onto bed plates to park up each night was that the pressure his tyres exerted on the ground (which I'll guess was a typical gravel truck stop of the day) was well over 100 psi. I suspect the reason why experienced off-road drivers reduce their tyre pressure, sometimes down to just a few psi, before driving on snow or soft sand never occurred to that gentleman; and I also suspect that he hasn't considered what would happen if he attempted to cross the same surface mounted on a bicycle fitted with narrow tyres inflated to 120 psi.

Back in post #11, @SquirrellCook wrote, "Don't confuse the gross weight of a vehicle with the pressure that is applied to the ground by the tyres. I'm often told I'm too fat for the ground conditions by those that don't understand." The point being that Jamie Stone MP had opined that 'very heavy motorhomes' were destroying the road around the NC500 and that, "Having a few hundred bicycles is not doing the damage -- Instead, it's the heavy vehicles that crush our narrow single track roads [...]". Others posting to this thread suggested the damage was more likely due heavy logging and delivery lorries than motorhomes. (BTW, Jamie Stone never mentioned lorries, but he does mention nurses who get stuck behind, "a campervan, motorhome or huge car hosting a tent"!) FWIW, I merely pointed out that even a road-specific bicycle exerts more pressure (PRESSURE not weight) on the road than any motorhome I know of and hence Jamie Stone's claim was BS.

 

[Debroos]

A lot of the people who do the north coast 500 think they’ll find this.

Reminded me of a tale my father told of when he was a wee farm lad in the 20's in Dumfriesshire (and very poor at the time). A car with German tourists in stopped to take a photo of him and his siblings on a country lane...it was only after he had got much older that he realised that the tourists were photographing the picturesque ragged peasants!

 

[mikeroch]

As a local please could you share what is the general consensus of your neighbours on the NC; (the roads are public so obviously they cant close the NC but what would they like to do)

1. Ban it completely to campers

2. Close the route for a couple of years and put in place more passing places and suitable amenities for tents and vehicles at the cost to the tax payer (investment hopefully) and reopen

3. Usually only too busy for 6 weeks a year and this year is an exception due to covid. Everyone in East Anglia is stuck behind a tractor during harvest time and they don't moan, their economy is farming part of ours is tourism. It is what it is

There is a grudging acceptance that the benefits to the area are worth having but with that comes real reservations that, at its worst and most frantic, the impact of numbers seriously damages and degrades exactly what makes the area attractive in the first place. I suspect that any bolshiness directed at camper vans in particular is to do with their bulk on tiny roads and their self-contained nature having no real need to spend on any local facilities beyond a bit of shopping and fuel. If the 'campers' to which you refer means 'tent campers' then I can see a need to reign them in, but Scottish access rules permit one overnight of Wild Camping as a right ... with the caveat that campers should "respect the countryside", sadly appealing to some folks' Better Natures is a non-starter. Loch Lomond area has slapped on bylaws to control all camping, sadly I can see this practice spreading.

1. Probably not, the Genie is out of the bottle.
2. I think that the single-lane roads with passing places should be written out of the route and, as you suggest, 'Aires' with sewage disposal / water taps / dumpsters created (possibly paid-for, say £5 a night?) created by Highland Council (HC) ... I understand that just such a possibility is being discussed, but I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for HC to spring into action.
3. Accepted that it's a holiday-season 'spike' with this year Covid creating a spike on the spike, that said, even pre-Covid, 26,000 vehicles over and above normal traffic travelled the route. I can only comment on my own back-yard experience.... the B869 brings over-pressure on the road into very sharp focus, that section needs to be culled from the route, doing so would ease matters significantly while still taking travellers through some outstanding landscape. Two-lane roads cope with NC500 traffic much better and can pretty much handle anything that's thrown at them... sometimes it's thrown very fast! Boy racer convoys giving it some serious welly have been clocked at over 120mph on some of the tempting clear and empty sections. This brings joy to the heart of the Cops who periodically have a field-day with their speed guns, business is brisk. That style of driving is more akin to 'Cannonball Run' and not in keeping with the peace and quiet that typifies the area see https://tinyurl.com/y447bxpt

Some back-pedalling on publicity would not go amiss, hyped as "Scotland's answer to Route 66" it has become "a challenge" and "The Thing To Do" with its own 'Passport' which can be stamped at various points along the way, this encourages a competitive 'get-stuck-in' driving style rather than an thoughtful and appreciative cruise with pauses to stop and stare.

Here's the view from my balcony, the B869 is on the right. I stop and stare at this quite a bit!

click to enlarge.