NC 500 - not sure I can be bothered, please sell it to me
Discussion
Err indoors and my daughter are quite keen to rent a camper and do the NC500 next April.
They assumed that I would be really keen, but I am not really sure I am. I love driving generally, and don't need much encouraging to bomb around all over the place, but the thought of chugging along winding, narrow roads in a van, stinking of this mornings breakfast and the joys of a chemical bog to empty at the next available moment don't fill me enthusiasm. Odd really as I have been on the cusp of buying a camper on loads of occasions, but really I only want one to be able to change in comfort for watersports and maybe stop for a brew on long journeys.
I am sure gazillions of folks on here have done the NC500 endlessly and had a great time, would be great to hear some positive experiences to set me on a better thought process about it.
They assumed that I would be really keen, but I am not really sure I am. I love driving generally, and don't need much encouraging to bomb around all over the place, but the thought of chugging along winding, narrow roads in a van, stinking of this mornings breakfast and the joys of a chemical bog to empty at the next available moment don't fill me enthusiasm. Odd really as I have been on the cusp of buying a camper on loads of occasions, but really I only want one to be able to change in comfort for watersports and maybe stop for a brew on long journeys.
I am sure gazillions of folks on here have done the NC500 endlessly and had a great time, would be great to hear some positive experiences to set me on a better thought process about it.
The bit up by Cape Wraith can be quite bleak.
Is that helpful?
The beaches on the very North leg and the scenery further south on the West leg are beyond stunning, however.
And keep an eye in your rearview mirror for gangs of German touring bikes. And hope that, if you do get stuck behind a motorhome, they're showing the same curtesy.
Is that helpful?
The beaches on the very North leg and the scenery further south on the West leg are beyond stunning, however.
And keep an eye in your rearview mirror for gangs of German touring bikes. And hope that, if you do get stuck behind a motorhome, they're showing the same curtesy.
Its a lot more single track than you are expecting.
The biggest problem is people who will NOT let others pass on the single track. A great drive - if there were no other people on it. There are lots of great scenic A-roads with a lane in either direction around Scotland - stick to those instead, you'll have a better time.
The biggest problem is people who will NOT let others pass on the single track. A great drive - if there were no other people on it. There are lots of great scenic A-roads with a lane in either direction around Scotland - stick to those instead, you'll have a better time.
It'd absolutely superb, but it's only as good as you make it. Absolutely stunning scenery almost all the way round, great beaches, plenty of places to stop for fish, chips, coffee or beers etc. Lots of nice walks, the list goes on.
Why not take the car and b&b it? If you don't fancy the motorhome part
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Why not take the car and b&b it? If you don't fancy the motorhome part
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GetCarter said:
If you can reverse, then you are welcome. Most motorhome drivers don’t seem to be able to. (I live on a single track road on the NC500).
Oh, interesting. For somebody thinking of doing it, when do you is a good time, as in minimal crowds but not likely to come across closed roads due to weather.Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 11th September 14:16
Megaflow said:
GetCarter said:
If you can reverse, then you are welcome. Most motorhome drivers don’t seem to be able to. (I live on a single track road on the NC500).
Oh, interesting. For somebody thinking of doing it, when do you is a good time, as in minimal crowds but not likely to come across closed roads due to weather.Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 11th September 14:16
That's not the problem. All months are good - except June-Sept, which are very bad due to the amount of motorhomes.
GetCarter said:
More roads are closed to weather in England than they are in the NW Highlands. I've lived here for 25 years and never had a problem. When I lived in England it was often an issue, as the temps are much lower there.
That's not the problem. All months are good - except June-Sept, which are very bad due to the amount of motorhomes.
Good Advice, thank you. That's not the problem. All months are good - except June-Sept, which are very bad due to the amount of motorhomes.
My brother did a loop of Scotland including a bit of the NC500 in a camper van with his wife and 2 grown up boys, he had a great time.
My wife and I did road trips by car in 2020 & 2021 staying in hotels the NE250 is a better driving route imo but we enjoyed the road from Inverness to the Kylesku Bridge too.
Very warm welcome pretty much across the board, some great roads, scenery, hotels and food.
My wife and I did road trips by car in 2020 & 2021 staying in hotels the NE250 is a better driving route imo but we enjoyed the road from Inverness to the Kylesku Bridge too.
Very warm welcome pretty much across the board, some great roads, scenery, hotels and food.
Edited by LemonTart on Sunday 11th September 23:00
Another vote from me for taking a car and staying in local B&Bs/properties. We spent a fantastic couple of weeks in summer 2021 doing just that, with a couple of interesting diversions enroute: Orkney, and Ullapool >> Lewis/Harris >> Skye before finishing up at Loch Ness rather than Muir of Ord way.
Done enough camping before that we weren't particularly fazed by the personal logistics, and there are plenty of spots where camping given the right weather would have been incredible, so I wouldn't dismiss the idea at all. In fact we very nearly chose to do it ourselves.
In the end, though, my wife wanted to share the driving and didn't really feel confident enough driving a motorhome especially on some of those roads. All for the best though as we got to stay at some really interesting places and enjoyed the hospitality of genuinely lovely local people everywhere we went.
Having a car (V90) that was comfortable and ideally suited to extended touring was a massive help, otherwise we'd have flown to Inverness and hired something appropriate. Also the drives to/from London were interesting...overnight stop at Ripon on the way up helped, but drove the whole way back home in a day which was...less fun
Done enough camping before that we weren't particularly fazed by the personal logistics, and there are plenty of spots where camping given the right weather would have been incredible, so I wouldn't dismiss the idea at all. In fact we very nearly chose to do it ourselves.
In the end, though, my wife wanted to share the driving and didn't really feel confident enough driving a motorhome especially on some of those roads. All for the best though as we got to stay at some really interesting places and enjoyed the hospitality of genuinely lovely local people everywhere we went.
Having a car (V90) that was comfortable and ideally suited to extended touring was a massive help, otherwise we'd have flown to Inverness and hired something appropriate. Also the drives to/from London were interesting...overnight stop at Ripon on the way up helped, but drove the whole way back home in a day which was...less fun
We did it on September 20 in a rented motorhome and were very unlucky with the weather to say the least.
Very wet and windy and some exposed sites where we pitched did not make it an enjoyable experience. Couple that with driving a 7.5m vehicle where I had £1000 taken off my credit card as a deposit, made me somewhat cautious.
I would do it in a car if I were to do it again and try and do it when better weather. The downside is that the better weather coincides with more people and traffic about I would guess.
Very wet and windy and some exposed sites where we pitched did not make it an enjoyable experience. Couple that with driving a 7.5m vehicle where I had £1000 taken off my credit card as a deposit, made me somewhat cautious.
I would do it in a car if I were to do it again and try and do it when better weather. The downside is that the better weather coincides with more people and traffic about I would guess.
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