This is Why You SHOULD NOT Do The NC500 with a Motorhome
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2023
- Welcome to Part Three of our NC500 Van Life series in the far north of Scotland !!
If you haven't seen the previous episodes yet, here is Pt1: • Van Life on Scotland's...
The NC500 is a 516 mile route consisting of stunning coastal scenery, white sandy beaches, rugged mountains, remote fishing villages, hidden gems, and a wealth of unforgettable experiences, and in this series we want to find out whether the North Coast 500 is the world’s most beautiful van life road trip !
In today's video we show you our most recent campsite by the beach as well as two of the most beautiful waterfalls in the West of Scotland whilst also taking on our scariest drive so far !
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If you are driving the NC500 in your campervan, firstly, welcome; it is a special part of the world. We totally get why you are here; it is beautiful, uncrowded and like no place on earth, and we are happy to share it with you.
Secondly, you have to understand the frustrations of suddenly finding the roads we drive to work on, take our kids to school on and use to get on with our lives, full of large white vans, often slow-moving, not understanding how to drive on single-track roads, blocking passing places, and parking in dangerous places to take pictures of the views and hairy cows.
We are pretty patient, but sometimes, when you are late for work, have to get to the school bus or are trying to get to the shop before they close, coming up behind a slow-moving van that won't let you pass is enough to make the most gentle soul scream in frustration. And the popularity of the NC500 means there are now hundreds of you. Great for the economy, terrible for the blood pressure.
So if you watch these videos and plan to visit, please take the time to learn the etiquette of single-track roads. We are used to the roads and travel them all year round, so we drive quickly. Let people overtake you at passing spots; they are not just for passing oncoming traffic.
Also, watch out for soft verges, especially if you have a big van. They can easily pull you off the road.
On a separate note, nothing will stop you from getting munched by midges. Not eating Marmite, B12 supplements or garlic or covering yourself in Skin So Soft. Smidge is OK, but it will only get you so far. You need to figure out what will stop the itch after you have been bitten. Antihistamine pills are the answer.
Finally, love the video. Great photography, and please don't take the sharp looks and angry words personally.
Heyyy thanks so much for watching and for all your great tips 🙂 Chris 👋
Exactly what this guy says. Rural people are used to these roads and know the etiquette (which isn't complicated). I have driven this route myself in my MH and always, always give locals/farmers/cars right of way, backing up considerable distances to let them pass if needs be.
It's about looking ahead, requiring a lot of concentration from the driver and expecting oncoming vehicles at every corner and knowing the width of your vehicle. Hard to do when there's a lot of superb sights to see!
Yes you are right about getting frustrated. I get a similar frustration being an Englishman subsidising Scots in remote and beautiful places under the disproportionate payments the Scots recieve under the Barnet formula, which if they didn't receive, couldn't afford the infrastructure paid over only 7 million people along with the social payments for individuals.
Ignoramus. !!!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬@@stevezodiac491
as a motorcyclist i have to agree, vehicles are getting bigger and bigger. of course the drivers don't want to scrape paint on branches etc so they drive in the middle of these roads, quite scarey for a biker as you round a bend. last year i got stuck behind a large caravan for miles on the hottest day, the two radiator fans blasted hot air onto me as we we doing relatively low speeds, there was nowhere to stop, cars were behind. eventally we reached a turn off and i managing to park ok but then had an awful episode of heatstroke. horrible.
You hit on a couple of key points, firstly, the amount of people who’ve zero experience driving such a large vehicle, secondly you drove along that once, imagine those locals who have to suffer that constant stop/start journeys for month after month
Definitely, and no need to imagine, we know what constant stop/start journeys are like driving everyday in Malta traffic before we left 🙂
@@TravelTalesVlogs Malta, I was struggling to place your accents! Hope you enjoyed your trip as a whole! 👍🏻🙂
If you live there and don't like it then move to a place where there's no narrow roads
@@raymondpomfret4214 so someone local should move because of (some) inconsiderate tourists who don’t know how to drive big camper vans? Pleb!
@@thesc0tsman1 knob ed
Unfortunately we have huge problems with tourists using graveyards as toilets and to camp in, pouring their toilets over private fences, ripping out fence posts and cutting down private trees for firewood, parking camper vans in people's gardens because "well there's no fence to stop us"
A local village to me blocked the road with locked gates to keep the tourists out.
Tourists seem incapable of pulling into passing places to allow the tailback of traffic to pass, parking and blocking passing places. Cars having competitions of how fast they can get around the 500
The list is endless of arrogant thoughtless tourists who think they are doing us a favour visiting us and it's not a minority.
From what you mentioned it does sound like a nightmare, especially the damage part seems very appalling 😐
They need a bit of Wicker Man treatment.
This route was created by a handful of business owners to promote the areas and create a cash flow.
Those roads were never designed for motor homes as big as yours and in the summer those roads are full of them and part of that reason is businesses increased the price of accommodation to such a level people found this way to be financially a better option.
Over the last few years over flowing bins, rubbish left at the side of beauty spots, fires etc locals are getting frustrated.
However the flip side to this is those locals are folks that live or lived downsouth and moved up driving the prices of homes up in the areas to a level that genuine local families cannot afford.
The West Coast is an amazing place, the folks that live there you will never find more friendly but annoy them and it's worse that midges.
Something will have to be done as the roads are crumbling and the councils do not have the money to upgrade all the damage.
Drive safe, glad you appreciated the Scottish Wilderness
Good points and 100% yes Scotland is really beautiful 😍
Agree 100%. My advice; come to the Highlands but don't do the NC500. It's actually not the most efficient way to visit the area. Find a centrally-placed B&B or holiday let, bring a regular car and travel out each day. Most popular spots are well within an easy day trip if you pick the right location, and the routes through the interior are just as picturesque as the coastal route. The NC500 has been successfully marketed as a "challenge", something to "do" or "accomplish". But let's be honest; it's not really a challenge, is it? Driving an air-conditioned house on wheels with oil providing all the motive force, adding to the traffic. Walk coast-to-coast, climb a munro or two, kayak a loch if you want a challenge. But if you just want to commune with the fantastic, mystical scenery that is the Scottish Highlands, and immerse yourself in the landscape, there are much lighter-footprint ways of doing it.
...You can't have your cake and not eat it Scotland ! "Scotch" people are always angry with everyone and everything. Rather than complain...put out more bins, create seasonal jobs by emptying them .Build more toilet and shower facilities...if the French , Spanish, Germans, Dutch etc can do this for FREE why can't the "Scotch"...Because they are too tight and greedy and love to blame other people especially the English. If you find it so bad..Limit access to car sized vans like VW size day-vans which are no larger than an estate car. You will never satisfy the "Scotch". I know...my family are from Scotland !
The roads are big enough for long wheeL base vans or there would simply be a weight restriction. Another factor is the locals do not own the area it is natural beauty a few locals can't expect to dictate if other people can enjoy the land. There can be an expectation to keep the area clean and the local councils could provide more facilities like they do in Europe. Also bear in mind tourism is vital for many people.
Some gut wrenching driving there, but stupendous scenery. Loved the waterfalls.
Thanks so much Terence 😃 Amazing part of the world 😍
what many tourists don't understand is that the passing places are not just for traffic coming towards you to pass, if there is traffic behind you who need to get past, a local person taking their kids to school or going to work for example, then you need to pull into a passing place....and let them pass. Keep an eye on you rear view mirrors if you are in a motor home, if you are the cause of a traffic queue behind you, just pull in and let people past. Also....if you are in a motorhome, please use a campsite, wild camping is allowed in Scotland, but not in a vehicle of any kind, wild camping refers to a tent if you are hiking on foot or cycling. I think many motor home owners are under the impression they can stop wherever they like, or just drive onto a grass verge somewhere and stop for the night, that is just not so....considerate tourists will use a campsite.
Thanks for watching and for your comment, some valid points 👍
@@TravelTalesVlogs your welcome!
The worst offenders for ignoring following traffic are the Lycra clad tossers on bikes
Interesting watching this, we used to cross the Pentland firth from Orkney (where we live) and spend school holidays roaming about what is now being called the NC500.
This was maybe 25 year's ago up to nearly 10 years ago. We would see a few campervans but not many. Our vehicle was, and still is quiet big. Its 8 ft wide and 7 tonnes in weight but we never had any problems with anybody. Always met with a smile.
There were always plenty of places to park up for a night or two.
We no longer take the truck over because we'd started seeing it getting busier. Too busy for our liking.
We still holiday on the north coast but nowadays we'll rent a house for a week. A couple of years ago we spent a week in Melvich in October and there were campervans everywhere still.
Bugger that.
Yeah lovely area, tbf this was the only lady that was frustrated, everyone else was really welcoming. Hope you enjoy the Scotland series 😊
Hello my friends, it’s good to hear your reflections of your first 6 months in Nellie. But even better to hear you are both on the same page going forward 👍. Look forward to hearing about Ireland. X
🙄
You are both so natural on camera and make really nice films .Scotland is further north than people realise there are even Reindeer living wild in the hills ..i occasionally see the Northern Lights from my kitchen doorway which faces north .
Thank you - that's amazing 😍🦌
I spent many summers from 1969 until the around the beginning of the 1980´s travelling on those north of Scotland roads. In those days there was hardly any traffic and slowly the local authorities widened the single tracks to double width. Certainly no motor homes and just a few trailer caravans. The amount of traffic and motorhomes now apparent in these and other videos has made me glad I now live too far away, like 2000 miles south, to ever drive back to this area again. I only used those roads to reach camp sites and starting points for climbing the mountains, not touring around. The thought of maneuvering such a bloody great van along those narrow roads blows my mind. I last drove a Land Rover Discovery 2 along those roads but it did not occupy much more road space than a car. To drive something almost the size of a small bus on those narrow roads doesn´t bear thinking about. At least with the Disco you could use a bit more of the verge without risk of getting stuck and as it was a vehicle used by the farmers, land owners and workers much more acceptable.
Hey Alan thanks for watching and sounds like a fabulous time which you are lucky to have experienced ❤
Great video guys glad you enjoyed the amazing views in Scotland 👍🏻
Thank you so much - we loved it ! ❤
@@TravelTalesVlogs goodluck with the rest of your travels👍🏻
So nice that you are travelling with your Dad
Dad's at home mate 😎
That road is known as the wee mad road. Done it last year in 7.5m motorhome and your correct not that difficult but its a hard drive as you really have to concentrate. I decided to give it a miss this year and headed back on myself after clachtol.
Great video 👍
Thanks so much James - yeah definitely a bit of a headache that wee mad road 😂
Its a doddle in our 5m campervan.
@@TravelTalesVlogs if you want HOT weather go somewhere else!!. Will be going home at the end of this trip with a good tan & many happy memories of BEAUTIFUL BONNIE SCOTLAND
Been swimming at Clachtoll in April it was amazing.
So invigorating.❤
That's so brave :) this was in June and we chickened out 😂 But what an amazing place right !!
We loved the NC500, but, motorhomes are getting a lot of bad press in Scotland and Wales, so only one Mrs angry was pretty good going😅 England is far less accessible for a motorhome, much better in the rest of europe. Just subscribed and following your Turkey videos as we are heading out there for some winter sun. Best of luck to you both with the channel.
Hey Michael thanks for the comment, hope you enjoying the Turkiye vids oh what a place ❤️ We must've been lucky then on that day 😃 - yeah I can see why the bad press but definitely a stunning place, so impressed with Scotland 😍
We drove that same road from Clactoll in our motorhome earlier this year. What an experience but we were lucky that it was quieter than for you. But never again!!,
Yeah it's definitely memorable 😃
Did the NC 500 soon after its inception and loved every mile. Revisited last year and i describe it as hell on earth now. Won't return to this part of Scotland again great shame as its such a beautiful area.
Ahh I can only imagine how it was so many years ago, but still absolutely loved the landscape especially on the west 😍
Okay may and June this year did the NC500 and more, 7.5 mtr motorhome never had a problem with the driving roads great, bit I am scottish so was a doddle, but yes lots of vans that people hire for the first time and can't drive them, but we went to orkney and shetland too. roads up there amazing to drive on,2 months in jockland and loved every minute.
Thanks for watching. That sounds like an amazing trip mate ! 🙂
I've driven on narrower roads than that in County Kerry, Ireland with steeps rocks on either side going through a mountain pass. County Kerry, Sligo and Donegal are great for driving around with amazing scenery. But these roads are easy compared to driving on rural roads in East Germany. They're only made for tanks.
Amazing, we need to make it across to Ireland at some point ! 😀
Totally agree. We did it in a classic Vw (only as wide as a modern suv) and saw many an unhappy hymer driver. In their defence they weren’t to know, a huge percentage of those roads are awful.
Thanks for watching 🙂 A smaller van does indeed give you that bit of extra flexibility !
"In there defence they weren't to know" unfortunately that's not true, there are advisory road signs for motorhomes suggesting which way they should go. So no excuse to ignore the signage advice, including the many youtube vloggers who do the same. It's a cascade of ignorance, they have done it, so should we. I will applaud the first RUclipsrs who park there vans in Lochinver and take a hire bicycle along the coast road or walk to the beach.
Maybe if they did a little research first they would leave their monster motorhomes at home. It's no fun living here between April and October, and it's a myth that these visitors contribute much-needed revenue to the economy. Most of that money goes to repairing the roads and verges damaged by these large vehicles.
Hi C2H,
Fantastic scenery - but jeepers, had to breathe in a few times on those narrow roads huh?
I can see both sides of the argument re the roads / drones etc but there's no need for fowl mouthed abuse.
Maybe we will do the NC500 one day ..... in a nice small vehicle!!
Drive safe, stay safe & look out for each other. Kev x
Glad you enjoyed it Kev !!
You should definitely head up there at some point, so beautiful and picturesque 😍
Definitely was a challenge though
We had a beautiful holiday staying in a cottage in Achiltibuie for a week back in 2019 before the world went crazy.
I considered the idea of hiring a motor home but opted for the cottage. We stayed over night in Inverness and brought our shopping their
Before the drive to Ullapool and then onto Achiltibue and making it our base. We planned it long beforehand and just within this area there is plenty of to do. There is the Summer isles hotel there with a restaurant- there is also a cafe and shop. Boat trip to the Tanera moor.
Met a local and got to go creel fishing on lock broom for the day, had arranged kayaking and did that on the sea. Also walked up stack polly
And suilven.
From where we kayaked about 4 miles from Achiltibue in atlandu there is also a great pub/ restaurant which we ate twice there and also at kylesku bridge or rather more under it on a small road trip.
Best holiday ever. When I go again it will be two weeks but x 2 cottages and just move areas. This way we have a base to go from and cover an area more fully.
My advice is to get to know the locals - your stay will be the better for it and you will feel more connected.
When I went creel fishing I gave a free days labour but what an experience. What a great bloke he was. He told me of the problems with visitors and that a lot of the accidents were cause by inexperienced drivers or of them going to fast resulting in the death of a local near Ullapool in a car accident. The Scot’s are great people and definitely worthy of our respect and care when visiting and anyway for that matter.
Ah sounds like an amazing time. We really enjoyed it too in Scotland ❤️
You should give way to vehicles ascending a hill ... (particularly on winter ICE).
Not always easy in large Campers.
Yeah that's why we chose to head up in the summer season !
Motorhomes are a nightmare on theses roads. The drivers don’t know how to use their mirrors. Either that or they are just inconsiderate and self centred they don’t care about the vehicles behind them wanting to pass. Just as ignorant as tractor drivers.
Plenty of passing places to let people through tbh on the NC500 route
Very true. I’ve driven that route a few times. But very seldom does a motorhome or tractor pull in to let vehicles pass one in ten maybe.
Single track is not a doddle for motor homes. Here are some of the rules when driving around on them. Use your big mirrors and do not let a convoy build up behind you. Why? It is very likely another motor home is driving towards you with his convoy trailing behind him. The chaos when you meet is very avoidable. If a convoy is building up whilst you have been admiring the views pull in to a passing place on your left and let the traffic past. Don’t think you are loosing out. When you meet some oncoming traffic you will have a passing place awaiting you to safely duck into. Even if it’s another motor home convoy. This is what the locals know to do, just to always keep traffic moving.
Remember the passing place on your left belongs to you only. Right hand passing places belong to on -coming traffic. Don’t rush into your passing place! The chap opposite you may be from the continent and just may try to enter your passing place too.
When you meet a vehicle driving toward you between passing places the driver closer to a passing place is expected to reverse. It you are in a hired motor home many locals will let you off and reverse back to their passing place. This is not always simple kindness. It’s not uncommon for a motor home to reverse into a ditch and a rescue vehicle Ended to unblock the road is often hours away .
If you are stupid enough to be driving in tandem with another motor home close up behind you may have to reverse two passing places, just to find one big enough to take the two of you. Meet another two motor homes friends driving towards you , possibly with an unfriendly convoy you may have to both reverse a long long way and with no kerbstones to help it’s not too easy. Hope this helps first time visitors.
Single track is not a doddle for motor homes. Here are some of the rules when driving around on them. Use your big mirrors and do not let a convoy build up behind you. Why? It is very likely another motor home is driving towards you with his convoy trailing behind him. The chaos when you meet is very avoidable. If a convoy is building up whilst you have been admiring the views pull in to a passing place on your left and let the traffic past. Don’t think you are loosing out. When you meet some oncoming traffic you will have a passing place awaiting you to safely duck into. Even if it’s another motor home convoy. This is what the locals know to do, just to always keep traffic moving.
Remember the passing place on your left belongs to you only. Right hand passing places belong to on -coming traffic. Don’t rush into your passing place! The chap opposite you may be from the continent and just may try to enter your passing place too.
When you meet a vehicle driving toward you between passing places the driver closer to a passing place is expected to reverse. It you are in a hired motor home many locals will let you off and reverse back to their passing place. This is not always simple kindness. It’s not uncommon for a motor home to reverse into a ditch and a rescue vehicle Endeo unblock the road is often hours away .
If you are stupid enough to be driving in tandem with another motor home close up behind you may have to reverse two passing places, just to find one big enough to take the two of you. Meet another two motor homes friends driving towards you , possibly with an unfriendly convoy you may have to both reverse a long long way and with no kerbstones to help it’s not too easy. Hope this helps first time visitor 0:20 s.
So that bit you drove on towards Drumbeg is signposted at Loch Assynt as a part of the NC 500 Route that is only really suitable for cars. The road splits into two there. There are clear signposts with NC500 Alternative Route for Motorhomes and Caravans at both the Loch Assynt junction and the one just south of Kylesku bridge. The road is far too narrow and twisty for anything more than a car. I spent driving on mostly stuck behind a motorhome who wouldn't pull over.
Yeah that definitely makes sense, didn't realise about this mostly because a number of nice campsites are all on this road. And there were even caravans being towed so that would definitely be even more trickier.
@@TravelTalesVlogs This is the craziest thing. I remember there being a number of nice campsites (one with a fish and chip shop) down there plus there are "Unsuitable for caravans" signs up at both ends as well! Go figure!
There is a way motor homes can get by on the single track. Do what the locals do. Look in your mirror and when you see a faster vehicle draw up behind you pull into a left hand passing place and stop. The faster traffic will soon get away and then you can continue happily. Don’t do this and you will soon be a convoy leader. This works until you meet another proud convoy motor home leader coming towards you. Then it just a matter of one convoy having to reverse. Which one?????????? It’s so simple if you engage your mind.
Hope you agree? It’s getting hateful living up here in the high summer. Oh! There is just one other thing, if you are driving with another motor home friend, never follow closely. Keep a whole passing place between you at all times. Enjoy!
Another fantastic vlog!!👌 And hey... it was also a headbanger woman who terrorised us 😏😔
Thank you so much ❤ Hope you still managed to enjoy your trip 🙂
Every sympathy for the locals trying to make a living along the route not suitable for mobile homes.
Definitely but also a lot of locals make a living too from campsites etc.. so very similar to other countries
@junehall2177 - Oh look who's back 😂 I won't bother responding to your comments in detail as I noticed that you have deleted most of your previous ones where other viewers disagreed with you and called you out for your lack of insight. But I bet we stayed at more campsites in Scotland than you have as you seem to live most your life in the comments section on RUclips 😃 And if you would like more info about our trip feel free to rewatch all the videos !
those roads are too narrow for these huge motorhomes
Not ideal but not impossible either 😉
OR, To frame it more accurately, these motor -homes are ridiculously unsuitable for our roads. Subjecting the locals ,who have to live,work, go to school and, sometimes require an ambulance, to contend with this requires an off the scale level of entitlement.
As a Scot I apologize for you meeting that crabbit local at start of the video. But I'm sure you appreciate the impact motorhomers have to these areas where roads are barely suitable for cars and then swathes of motorhomes, usually driven by novices causing carnage, worse still a lot contribute nothing to the communities other than leaving their rubbish behind. Plus too many people don't see the big blue and red sign that says the Applecross road isn't suitable for large vehicles and caravans. FYI if you want to see deers, the real deers, and by that I mean millions of them just revist anywhere in the highlands in Winter! They line the A9 in large groups foraging.
Thanks for your comment and information 🙂
Ridiculous size of motorhome for the roads up there. Anyone thinking of completing all or part of this route should at the very least take a vehicle suitable for the environment.
Yeah we only got one vehicle I'm afraid
Loved this video, you need to do the nc300 next.
Thank you so much ❤ We need to keep it in mind for our next trip up north - hope you also enjoy the rest of our Scotland videos 🙂
NC300?
@@TarrelScot oops sorry swc300.
The NC500 is no place for a motor home, a van yes but not a motor home.
It was actually one of our favourite trips actually, but you're right that a smaller van makes everything easier 🙂
I think I may have seen your drone flying by Clachtoll campsite one evening? Myself and my brother was there on our motorbike.
Definitely possible 😄 What a beautiful spot !
@@TravelTalesVlogs The entire route is just epic. We're doing it again next year but West to East.
We have a long wheelbase high top converted Sprinter van and the big advantage with that is it is narrow!!!.
We've just driven down through France and Spain for 6 weeks.
Continental Europe is totally set up for campervans, Germany Netherlands etc.
We keep thinking about the NC500 BUT.
We've never ever had anyone be rude to us and we always return from one of our Continental trips totally recharged , happy and with a boot full of cheap wine.
Having seen the F Off moment In this video it does make me think I'm just not going to bother with this part of the world!!
Hey Chris yeah it's never nice to see stuff like that but do watch the rest of our NC500 vids as I think the pros outweigh the cons, we would definitely go again ! 😃
That woman was very rude but the number of motorhomes there would also drive me nuts if I was a local.
That's right !
She was NOT rude, you don't live there. It is a nightmare with all the motorhomes. Most don't know how to use the passing places etc, and then there is the mess some of them leave behind, plus emptying their toilets over a wall etc. Yes tourists bring money to the highlands, but honestly, I would rather see large motorhomes banned from single track roads.
@@andy70d35 That's me telt.
Great insight into something we want to do. Looking forward to seeing parts 1 & 2.............Just wondering if wearing your baseball cap backwards is a little oudated!? but then I'm an old fuddy duddy..........
Thanks so much, hope you enjoy them too ! Haha yes possibly outdated but so convenient like that to take photos and also when filming to not have my face in the dark (pro tip😉) Chris👋
Good point well made!
Stunning! But I feel for the locals that need that road and have to deal with this ridiculous amount of campers that are clearly to big for that type of road.
Thank you ❤️ Yeah it does get very busy !
So do I ! There is clear advice from the private company who promote this "route" for such vehicles to not use this road.
@@junehall2177your talking nonsense
I am a local to the area and we welcome all visitors and the same roads are used by HGVs also….the few people that speak out about not wanting the Motorhome visitors are incomers mostly from England and do not speak for the locals
@@daverman68 Fair enough if that's your opinion.
I went swimming in Scotland off balnakeil beach and it was quite warm for October 29th 2022 and the locals didn’t want you then and haven’t since the beginning of Covid when all the dirty gets were emptying there toilet waist at the side of the roads and leaving all there shit and litter and who can blame them it was different 15 years ago they were so friendly
Yeah that definitely sounds disgusting 😵
Any one else get the same humour from reading these comments as they used to get out of reading MAD magazine back in the day, you just could not make this stuff up.
😄
Re. "Wailing Widow"; If the widow had lost her son, she would have been lamenting not just her personal loss, but also the loss of her support in old age. In the days before state pensions, and in fact in many parts of the world now, family is the only support you have as you age.
Good point and a tragic story
These damn motorhomes are a pain in the arse!
Sorry you feel this way !
I used to love Scotland but won’t go to the West Coast now as there are too many dickheads in the roads I used to tow a caravan up there but wouldn’t now. It’s like a sudden switch where it was I at one point but not now and I don’t want to add to their problems so I keep away which is a shame.
It’s a, double edge sword for the locals as it causes so much hassle and disturbance, some would argue they need the tourism, I don’t think they do to be honest
Yeah fully understand your points, I thought it was quite busy along this coast line and then we arrived on the Isle of Skye which was even busier !
I live in a seaside town in England and it’s bad enough when tourists drive along the seafront at 20mph so they can point at things
Yeah some places do get a bit busy at times. At least they must be pointing at something nice right 😃
Stop winging we have to put up with 20mph in Wales all the time
@@robertwinstondavies2490 is the speed limit why it’s take you six months to respond?
That was insane
You can say that again 😀
So like others you just ignored the warning signs and decided to risk your lives and those of potential rescuers , some people will do anything just to make money on You Tube.
Hey William wouldn't say it was life risking, more just a stressful drive.
I have to drive artic lorry down these roads, i can say locals generally give me a dirty look, even though im driving down these roads do deliver and pick up stuff from there local farms and businesses, the main issue is the locals can not drive for crap, they have no skill or any idea how to deal with large vehicles, they get angry and stressed because they are just awful at driving, and they are so awful they are completely blinded by it thinking everyone else is the problem
Hey Matt thanks for your comment, can't really say about the driving skill as I think everyone is different but definitely agree that getting angry will not help at all 🤔
Beautiful but nightmare road to drive. So stressful. Can try doing it at first light in summer, say 5am in June, July.
Sounds like a good plan 🙂
Nice dog. Please get a smaller van
Thanks - Holly is such a cutie 🐶 but so is our Tandy tbh wouldn't imagine living long term in anything smaller 🚐
Did you travel clockwise around the NC500 or anti-clockwise? One direction is supposed to be better but I can’t remember which!
Hey Jo anti clockwise, we also did a video with all the information from our trip if you wanna check it out on the channel ! 🙂
@@TravelTalesVlogs thank you! Just found your channel so binge-watching your videos! 😃👍🏼
Motorhomes are a pia everywhere, not only in Scotland. Get yourself a motorbike and a tent
Sounds like a great adventure 🙂 You might like our rooftoptent camping video from last year !
The NC500 area has very little infrastructure and just not set up to deal with mass tourism, never mind them with all the Campervans.Even Caravans are not as bad, as most pitch up for a week somewhere central and folk go exploring in their cars. Northern Brittany is getting bad as well....3pm-6pm, all the Campers driving around trying to find campsites that are not full...at least there is not the Gran Turismo drivers trying to beat the Strava times.If it continues like this the NC 500 will see some fatal accidents, and the emergency services wont be able to get to the scene as the roads will all be backed up.
Yeah some valid points about the roads !
Does she mean parking places or passing places?
Not sure which part you're referring to but definitely in Scotland there are loads of passing places which allows cars to let eachother through or past, due to it being a single lane road
What is needed is a height restriction of 5ft
That's a big van for two people.
Yeah we love it been living in it for 2+ years now !
@@TravelTalesVlogs Now it makes sense. I didn't know you lived in it.
On the NC500 I'd just do the West/North... East is a little un-eventful....
Sounds about right ! 💯
Frankly, I think that is part of the problem with "doing" the NC500. Call me biased, but I live on the east coast and it has many absolute gems. Trouble is you won't see them if you just barrel down the A9. Come and stay in the area for a week or two and it reveal its beauty and fascinating history to you. Just the Easter Ross Peninsula, a small part of the East Coast, has enough spectacular coastal scenery, beautiful beaches, Pictish history and fisherfolk heritage to fill a couple of weeks.
That can't be 25% incline. We have travelled through the mountain ranges of Europe and non were more the 12%.
Yeah the highest decline we seen too
did you ever think you did it the wrong way i was told to drive anti clockwise
Ah not really was just perfect like this !
Same with rural roads in France filled with all these large campervans. Slow and most people not capable to drive them properly. Ban them form narrow roads.
Shame no money to upgrade the road. Never heard of the NC500. Midges spoil the experience.
Ohh don't remind me of the bloody midges 😬😃
Don"t follow the camper sheep" take other routes ,,Bonar bridge to Altnahara is quiet, takes you right up the middle, with options ,
Yeah we can't wait to get back to Scotland to explore more. But honestly there were some amazing spots along the North Coast of Scotland, so glad we did it too !
To much media coverage.try M25 orbital instead more fun.!
Lovely ringroad that 😃
what engine is in your motor home mate is it a fiat
Yess Ducato 2.3
Is there a law agains going off into grass with a couple wheels? It seems there must be!
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@@TravelTalesVlogs Why I asked, is that I did NOT see anybody doing that, and as we have always had tight places at times, in Ky., U.S.A., we just go off in the shoulder of the road a bit, and it's not very difficult. So, what is the answer? Why didn' t anybody do that? Is it illegal?
Hey Sharon, don't think so no, but most of the roads there are a bit elevated and hilly, which means that you can't access most of the grassy areas because if you come off the road you might not be able to get back up. Hope you are enjoying our videos 😊
@@TravelTalesVlogs I love them!
That drumbeg road is awful, we went down it in our camper, it’s. Great road but should not be allowed to take campers and motorbikes down it. It’s dangerous
Yeah definitely a nerve wrecking one !
You look like you are driving fast for scottish roafs
Yep just under the limit
Think I'll give Scotland a miss lol
Come on Rob - if you can make it through the single track roads it's SO worth it !!!! And I think they'll quieten down around Autumn time.
@@TravelTalesVlogs altho I melting here on the Costa del sol I think I'm better here 😂 maybe a Christmas trip to Scotland be better 😘 less flies too I hope lol
Good
You are on narrow roads, so you should be aware of passing places. It is arrogant to expect car drivers to reverse to the nearest. Ibdontvdrive but walk the roads. Local know how to travel on them, I guessing you don't. Whilst a couple of NC500 ers i have met are nice. Many think they own the roads.
Yeah not that hard actually, from our experience whoever is closest just pulled in, and it worked pretty well in all instances apart from this one.
There is nothing to suggest they "expected" the car to reverse. Sometime shit happens and when you do why stuck it is easier for a car to reverse.
Motorhome drivers are just as ignorant as tractor drivers. Never use their mirrors and don’t care about the vehicles behind them wanting to pass. They should be made to sit a test on road considerations. One in ten let you pass The other nine are keeping people back. No wonder people take chances to overtake them bimbling along at 40mph or thereabouts.
That's 10%
So the other 90 don’t give a dam
You are too polite, mate. You need to man up.
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A lot of them can't drive properly, they rent motor homes and have never driven something this size before, and convoying in particular is really annoying , o my god we have lochs in Scotland not bloody lakes, what do you call the eiffel tower when you go to see it do you just make up a different name for it as well.
La Tour Eiffel🗼
@@TravelTalesVlogs Loch now that's difficult.
Don't let the farmers push you around. Any that I have met (and I have met a number of them) have the biggest chips on their shoulders, dumbest, rudest ignorant worst attitudes in the UK and think they're poor and hard done by, whilst they fill their big expensive Landrovers with dirt cheap red diesel... They think they are the only people who work hard for living. They need to get out of their country bubble. - What about doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire, ambulance etc - all the life savers. - They are the real heroes - not the self-centred, greedy farmers. Time for people to stand up to the angry farmers. They should be forced to use electric tractors. - All the diesel pollution from their vehicles, tut tut ... They are nothing special. They do a job just like millions of other people. - High time they realised it. Good video, thanks. Love from Scotland, ❤ X ...
Thanks for watching and for the comment 🙂 Yeah the week before we had an issue where one drove right up behind us and we had to speed up even more instead of waiting for us to let him pass in a safe place. Apart from that the others we met were lovely 🙂
Lol, farmers in west coast Highlands, not many of them .We have crofters, estate managers/factors and estate owners and most of them have a really difficult time attempting to feed themselves or managing the estates to at least break even and if they need to bring in workers from outside the area they can't find affordable accommodation for them as any spare bedroom or homes are now an Airbnb. Its not like down south where farmers can sell a bit of land for a housing development, with commuter people around who can afford a £400k mortgage. Land owners up here are guardians of the culture, land and scenery, not profiteers. They need respect and help, not hassle.
A farmer, or an angry woman. Think you've made one more woman angry
Nah just them two instances on the NC500, apart from that so many lovely people 🙂
Some really bad people on the NC 500 from both sides.
Definitely but I think it's also the same in a lot of other places too
great that was mate yeah i see the roads are narrow but to see that lady in that car shouting geeze crazy
Ohh some crazy roads for sure, sooo beautiful but stressful 😃 yeah she was definitely having a bad day 🙈
@@TravelTalesVlogs Yes she was, her home has been turned into a freeloaders theme park, she has had no say, poor woman ! You were stressed on this road, just think, this is her home, she has to travel this nightmare everyday. Did you not see the signs at the beginning of the single track, warning that the road is not suitable for large vehicles ?
@@junehall2177 It's a public road and anyone is entitled to drive on it. The locals don't own the road, so they should learn to share it and not be rude. How would you like it if you was on holiday in say Cornwall and someone told you to f^^k off, just because you were driving a narrow road? It's these things that spoil people's holidays. You're too braindead and self-absorbed, to see any other perspective.
@@blackporscheroadster-yw8hb Yes it is a public road but motorhomes/large vehicles are advised not to use it for obvious reasons, many ignore this as can be seen by this video. This road is vital to residents, there is no other way to hospital, etc. I guess you can't grasp that information judging by your overbearing, rude, ignorant comments.
@@junehall2177 I agree that massive motor homes should not be going on these narrow roads. There should be clear large signs saying not suitable for large vehicles and possibly the introduction of height restrictions. I think tourists in motor homes, should plan ahead and cut out these narrow roads.
WOW that woman... you were more polite than I would have been 😡
Yeah someone was definitely having a bad day 😐
I was stressed too watching you on that single lane road. Memories of the Lake District came flooding back. But well worth it to see those beautiful beaches. Lovely drone shots too!
@@TravelTalesVlogs She wasn't having a bad day, they are all like that up there. They are insiduous inbred losers.
You make yourself unpopular. You don't know the right-of-way in the mountains. The vehicle facing uphill has the right of way. Please don't even come near the Alps before you learn to drive properly.
Funnily enough that's where we spend most of our time 😁 But in this case it's not really about right of way it's about two vehicles coming face to face in a single track road and the lady in the car started reversing and venting frustration before we could even look to see what's behind us, we would have no problem reversing uphill although it's not super easy with a larger vehicle.
What numptys
That's absolutely disgusting behaviour! You can't blame the visitors for the narrow roads. You live there, you don't own the bloody place. Can't stand rude people like that!
Yeah wasn't a nice experience but I must say most of the other locals we met were so welcoming 🙂
Not disgusting behaviour at all, you don't live there, I wish ALL motorhomes were banned from single track roads, these roads were never supposed to be for motorhomes. And to say you live there you don't own the bloody place, well guess what a large majority of them DO OWN LAND THERE, it's primarily farming country. You try living there and try to go about your daily life, it is a nightmare.
These roads a❤re not designed for these vehicles. I wish people stop doing this. Government need to put a huge £1000 tax on these cars ,if they with to destroy the roads
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The locals in the highlands don't seem to want tourists of any description - that was our distinct impression. So go somewhere else, highlanders are not friendly to outsiders. We won't be going back. All the air bnb owners we met were English.
It can feel like that sometimes but I would say the majority of the Scottish people we met were very nice but definitely all depends on your experience
What a shame that lady was so rude!!😮 Bringing a touch of shame on a beautiful country and usually beautiful people. There's NO excuse for such disrespectful behaviour! 😒
Yeah definitely not a friendly encounter but I would say overall most people were so nice ! 😊
The woman in the car telling you to f@@k off is heading to pickup her drugs to sell that’s why she’s angry . Lots of drug and alcohol problems on this route.
Honestly most people were lovely everywhere we travelled here !
Right down in Devon is at least as bad, I live in my VW T4 Transporter full time, I wouldn't go bigger, even a normal Transit is too wide. A motorhome? Don't be so stupid! You wouldn't get the van you're in there to my girlfriend's place, they even have small dustbin lorries down there.
I've been down (and backed up) many a "road" with my mirrors touching both hedges. Mirror end to mirror end it's 2.05m.
Yeah we found it quite busy there too in April, Cornwall too. But definitely a lovely area !
@@TravelTalesVlogsCornwall is a bit too commercial sometimes, south Devon, Kingsbridge, Salcombe etc is quieter.
im guessing not from the UK country then? I've been round you've only half f it haha
We're from Malta 🇲🇹