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20 Feb
9:41pm, 20 Feb 2024
5,081 posts
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Ally-C
Used to love Ullapool but the NC500
hasn’t done it any favours tbh.
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21 Feb
6:43am, 21 Feb 2024
2,962 posts
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RunningRonnie
But what they do do is shop locally and eat and drink in the town. Everyone had to do this imho, money spent local stays local. One of the reported problems with the North Coast 500, apparently. Folks stock up their huge motor home cruisers at a cheap supermarket in the Central Belt, or maybe even Inverness, and then add very little to the local economy on their way round. I have no proof, it’s just scuttlebutt.
It's actually very difficult to do anything other than stock up unfortunately.
In Durness there's a little spar type shop and all the shelves are stripped bare. We managed to get some potatoes only. Must drive the locals mad as it's their only shop.
In Clachtoll we went to the tiny shed-like shop and all they could really find for us was some chicken breast. Great cooked breakfast rolls, bits and pieces that you might need, but nothing to make a meal with really. We did do a big spend in the Loch Inver butcher on the way out.
There are just so few shops around the North for the amount of people actually visiting.
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21 Feb
6:52am, 21 Feb 2024
26,639 posts
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GimmeMedals
I remember that Spar shop. We had a lovely few days at Durness in our first motorhome in summer 2018 and relied on the Spar for grocery shopping. It was well stocked as I recall, back then. Such a shame that the popularity of that tourist trail has made such a negative impact.
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21 Feb
10:11am, 21 Feb 2024
2,963 posts
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RunningRonnie
To be fair, I don't actually think the NC500 is anything like as bad as people state it is. We literally had beaches and ancient monuments to ourselves in August last year. I kept jokingly saying to my wife "urgh, it's soooo busy" as we looked around and could not see a sole.
However, yes, there are more vehicles and people than the local area is geared up for and we did drive past and ignore places like Ardvreck castle. Shops are small, cafes/butchers require you to go out of your way to find. If you want a laugh, read the Facebook group NC500 dirty truth.
I followed the route before it had a name at the end of July 1998 during my 19th birthday and it was busy then. However, nothing like today. There was no need to book campsites for example. I still go to the area a lot, but I never "do" the NC500.
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21 Feb
10:57am, 21 Feb 2024
5,083 posts
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Ally-C
I suppose I’ve not been up that direction since the Coigach half marathon a few years ago & hopefully things have calmed down a bit.
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21 Feb
6:16pm, 21 Feb 2024
19,909 posts
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SarahWoo
We did part of it as part of our trip to Scotland last September. It was very quiet wherever we went but I think I’d probably avoid it during school holidays.
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21 Feb
8:36pm, 21 Feb 2024
40,839 posts
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halfpint
I drive bits of the NC500 for work and it can get really busy. This combined with lots of people with no idea how to use single track (or indeed even single carriageway country) roads can be a real pain.
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1 Mar
8:21pm, 1 Mar 2024
5,133 posts
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Ally-C
In the van in Dunbar listening to heavy rain battering off the roof 😂
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4 Mar
7:36pm, 4 Mar 2024
18,489 posts
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Mandymoo
We are heading off to Norfolk (ish) tomorrow in the wobblebox. Feels very strange not taking all the toys but this trip is a house finding mission/area search 🤞
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4 Mar
7:38pm, 4 Mar 2024
5,151 posts
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Ally-C
Thinking of heading to Oban this weekend.
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Camper Van Query
Mar 2019