Tommy's A-series Misery - NC500 in 3 wheeler? Completed it mate

[Tommyboy12]

2 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Don't do it, make your own path.

The NC500 has taken a lot of traffic to undeniably beautiful places worth visiting  but with limited infrastructure and next to no upgrades since.

Im not sure I completely agree with that. Ive done it eight times now and the local government has put huge efforts into the road surfaces over the last 7-8 years. Many roads are recently re-paved or dressed at least and even this year (vs. last year) I would say we drove on at least 50 miles of new tarmac. There are still some rough bits but its a lot better than it was before COVID. Obviously it cant easily cater for the fact that motorhomes are quite large but the passing places are pretty regular. Another trick we have developed is to do the popular bits either early doors or late. Peak times are probably 10am-4pm. Outside of that the traffic on popular sections is a lot lower.

Fuel and facilities are easy to find and theres plenty of hotels about. Theres plenty of cafes and tea rooms to stop at too. I am a big advocate of using the local facilities and supporting the local economies. Campervans are a scurge because they fill the roads and they dont spend any money locally because they shop at tesco and park up in roadside parking every night. Use the local hotels, drink in the local cafes, and its a great experience. You meet some lovely locals and get to try some lovely food.

I had a couple of conversations with locals this year (a Reliant is a rarer sight than a Ferrari and far more interesting so we garnered a lot of attention) and a couple of them did say its been quieter this year and to be honest apart from a few sections near larger towns/villages, I also felt it wasnt that busy. We usually do it late September/early October to minimise the traffic but it honestly didnt feel busy even in the peak of the summer holidays. The only noticeable difference for me was the amount of European registration plates/

Of course, youre right about forging your own path. Theres hundreds of miles of beautiful routes up there and we dont even follow the true NC500 route. We skip Inverness to Ullapool and come in from Fort William because then you can take in Loch Lomond National Park. Weve developed our own version over years that adds on sections and removes others (like driving to Mallaig and getting the ferry over to Skye before taking the bridge back to the Mainland).

The NC500 is a great starting route for someone who has never been up there but we see a new part every time and I love it.

For the love of god please dont take a campervan though.

[comfortablynumb]

3 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Don't do it, make your own path

I read the other day that theres now a similar, if shorter, route around the coast of Wales, without the traffic.

Worth considering?

[sharley17194]

I assume by this statement you are local? I disagree with it totally except the part about making your own paths! 

Its quite the opposite, its brought in tourism and money into a very remote part of the world where spending has increase significantly, when I first went a little under 10 years ago the outpost at john O'Groats was for sale and the whole place derelict. A lot of northern Scotland is now thriving with new roads and money clearly being spent on local businesses. 

I would welcome tourism, just look what's happened to Brighton....when tourism leaves!

7 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Don't do it, make your own path.

The NC500 has taken a lot of traffic to undeniably beautiful places worth visiting  but with limited infrastructure and next to no upgrades since.

 

[New POD]

Just now, sharley17194 said:

just look what's happened to Brighton....when tourism leaves!

 

It becomes a haven for the LGBQTL..PLUS community? 

[sharley17194]

it always was! its so run down it's depressing to look at. 10 years ago it was thriving then thanks to the locals all the car runs and shows were stopped, now the sea front is just a building site, its sad to see.

13 minutes ago, New POD said:

It becomes a haven for the LGBQTL..PLUS community? 

 

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, New POD said:

It becomes a haven for the LGBQTL..PLUS community? 

Maybe that's why tourism left? No idea, despite being local.