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we've planned to do this roadtrip next June in our van, the North West side of the route up to Durness looks amazing and I'm struggling to cram all we want to see.
However when I start to look down the East coast back down toward Inverness the sites/locations/things to do tend to be a lot less unless we like golf (we don't)........am I missing something?
Golspie is on the East coast. Some good trails so I have heard.
Also I have friends who live in Dornoch. They have started a tea plantation on a croft of all things. I believe that the area is very much revving up for huge wave of tourism expected on the back of the North Coast 500 promotion. If nothing else it is a stunning part of the world.
Depends on what you like. There are hills, castles, brochs, distilleries, beaches, a brewery, WW2 bunkers, sea cliffs, nice harbours, nature reserves and more. Even the bit between Durness and JoG is great.
Scotroutes to the forum!
Edit: too late! 😆
I've driven most/all of this but not as the NC500 and I think it's better anti-clockwise. Apart from the point of you'll be meeting all the other NC500 traffic coming the other way you get better views and the good stuff is later in the trip so there isn't the anti-climactic feeling.
I regularly drive folk back from JoG when they've finished their LEJOG and most are amazed at the scenery on the East Coast section. They've either gone up NCN1 via Lairg or they've had their heads down cycling, so missed it all.
Just back from there (well the first section.....it's far too much to cover in a week and I pity those who try to squeeze it in to one.....or even worse those who do it in a weekend. They see nothing.
Nc500 very much divided opinion with the locals.
There is some real resent for freeloaders who arrive with all they need.
We went with nothing an although we did not sleep within the economy we were sure to eat and drink in the economy.
The overruling theme we got from speaking to locals within and outwith tourism industry is may and sept are the busy times with June and the last 2 weeks in July being the quiet times.
Also wouldn't be sleeping within villages it's just antagonising them and you'll find before long We are banned from visiting them- we are already high on agenda in the local council meetings
Basically as ever number 1 rule don't be a dick
Drove most of the NC500 from Kyle round to Inverness this summer - the western stretch is by far the best, even better if you take the Inverpolly road. I last visited JoG over 30 years ago - it was $hit then and nothing's changed. Didn't really enjoy the eastern stretch - road was too busy with trucks etc. Dolphin watching at Rosemarkie/Chanctonbury Point is worth the detour though.
Good point. I'd actually just I to tongue and head down the road from there as the altnaharra road is a much nicer route than the east coast imo.
take your time doing part of it, rather rushing to try and do all of it.
In fact , dont even follow it, it misses out loads of great places
We preferred the west side...
to tongue and head down the road from there as the altnaharra road is
...one of the best days on a bike I've ever had.
Can you get banned from visiting a village?
Well they can stop you parking........ There are already barriers up in places where people have taken the piss....
From their side it's no loss as mostly it seems motorhomes spend sod all anyway.
Nc500 very much divided opinion with the locals.There is some real resent for freeloaders who arrive with all they need.
Am I wrong in suspecting ‘the locals’ do much the same when they go on their holidays?
When I cycled up that way doing LeJog I had no choice but to get my provisions locally, things felt somewhat overpriced and certainly poor standard (a selective sample admittedly). If I was there with a motorhome I think I would stock up beforehand to a fair extent.
I'm sure the locals stock up on expensive fuel and food prior to visiting the bigsmoke.
Not saying don't take shit I'm saying respect the fragile economy and don't take the piss like the German couple who arrived in front of gairloch campsite and tried to park on the grass In front of it....quoting Scottish land access laws because the grass wasn't someone's garden. (Which were being missquoted in this instance anyway)
Fuds.
Where I grew up you'd get wake up to find it has rained bricks in the night if you tried that.
I agree with the campers taking Michael.
Killin has a growing number parking all over place, never even visit pub or co-op, come and look at view, use public look etc. Sat in £80k camper, not got £10 for local economy....
trail_rat, I'm fairly sure we agree on the whole. It's just that I fear that 'the locals' always appear to moan about more understandable behaviour. Go out of the city and prices remain much the same, but standards are often poor. I get the feeling that since they have a captive audience and passing trade, they don't feel the need to 'up their game'.
Some people take the piss everywhere they go it seems, not sure what can be done about that.
Spending money in the local economy is actually easier said than done in some places on the route.
One tea room wanted to come to tables and take orders, but after 15mins still hadn't taken my order, so just squeezed a couple of gels down and was on my way.
Another day a couple from a motorhome popped into the hotel i was staying in and asked if they could get breakfast and were turned away.
And similar experience for a couple of members of our group - they wanted to get an early start, so left before breakfast with the intention of stopping further up the road, but were turned away at two places.
If you do the NC500, a couple of places worth stopping:
Walled Garden at Applecross for breakfast
Drumbeg Stores - huge range of delicious local produce
The Shorehouse at Tarbet, nr Scourie
Taken on the Inverpolly road - the road is too small for bigger campers, so not actually part of the NC500 route
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