North Coast Scottish 500 route Channel 5 tonight

For those interested   programme on Channel 5 this evening 20.00 hrs centres on the North Coast Scottish 500 route, hope it is as good as it sounds ?.

Not quite what thought it was going to be, only went halfway round, not being continued either - shame but given some ideas for the run later in the year.

duplicate post ?

Definitely on my list of things to do, possibly next year. I enjoyed the program but the presenter started to irritate after a while.

In around May 2011 or 2012 the Grampian section of the club did the route anticlockwise over two days.

Very nice run around 8 cars.

At that time, it had not been properly “discovered” and was not busy, no stupid drivers and easy to book the small number of hotel beds in the area. Very few campervans on the route when we were there.

The Cocoa Mountain cafe had spare seats for lunch and did not run out of milk that day, then a nice evening meal at Ullapool.

It appears to be a bit busy these days.

Yes, saw that programme - a few memories of when I did a lot of that route back in 1988 - driving a (then new) 1.0 litre, 50BHP Nissan Micra.  It was certainly “fun” going up some of the hills with 2 passengers on board!

I’ve just booked my third trip to Scotland, again taking in this route. Me and my OH have said why haven’t we been doing Scotland all these years, love it.

So things I’ve noticed over the 3 so years I’ve been looking for accommodation in the Highlands, it ain’t cheap and gets inflated year on year, the more popular etc the more they’ll ask.

I draw the line to staying in a shed (glamping pod) some well over £100 per night when I can stay in a b&b for around £70-£85 with obviously with brekkie thrown in, not all though.

That programme I’ve watched before, it’s highlighting the best of Scotland, she ain’t doing a very good job but it gives you a taste.

 

I also watched the programme in anticipation but was also somewhat disappointed. I first did the North Coast in 1965 long before it was ever invented as a Route 66 substitute in a Riley Elf, a ‘posh’ mini with walnut dashboard, leather like seats and more importantly a boot. Again you must forgive me as the MX5 was not even a twinkle in some ones eye at the time.

The run up the east coast was interesting but the real adventure started beyond Wick with the single track roads. I was advised to take a can of petrol as filling station were few and far between, it was still full and unused when I got home.

There were no bridges in those days you either went the long way around or queued for the ferries the only modernisation was where the disused rail bridge had ben repurposed to take cars, name of the place eludes me.

In the late 90s we revisited the north coast this time with our caravan and a slightly bigger car staying at Dunnet Bay many of the roads had been modernised and bridges spanned the lochs making for a shorter less stressful journey.

Fifty years on and I still have fond memories and also would like to do the NC500 this time in my Roadster, camping in those days was two shillings (10p in modern money) a night, I wonder if it has gone up much? 

Dave