The North Coast 500 (NC500) is Scotland’s version of the United States’ famous Route 66. With many scenic stops and beautiful views from the road, it is a must try route for those who love the outdoors.

However, over the years the problems that tourism has brought to the route have increased, it has gotten to the point that a destination on the route, Applecross, is talking about being taken off the official route completely.

With more and more people visiting this route, especially with the pandemic over the last few years causing a rise in ‘stay-cations’, there is too much traffic and visitors for the trip to handle. In a six-day trip, you can expect to see over 400 tourist campervans.

While tourism, in many ways, helps boost the area’s economy and allows foreign travellers to see Scotland’s beauty – it can be too much for the road to handle.

Single-track roads on the NC500 are generally narrow and windy, meaning cars are forced to give way to large motorhomes, turning what should be a pleasant journey into a nightmare. In addition, hairpin bends and steep inclines cause further difficulty along the road. Breakdowns, crashes and long lines of traffic are not uncommon, making road navigation that extra bit harder.

The NC500 has been dubbed the most dangerous road trip in the UK. Statistics from 2016 to 2020 show that a total of 307 accidents have occurred on the route, with 0.59 accidents per mile.

Locals have also been complaining of an increase in waste along the route. And it’s not just litter being left - it is also human waste. Locals feel helpless as the small villages cannot handle the number of visitors they are receiving. In most destinations there are public toilets, some even open 24 hours, as well as plenty of rubbish bins, but neither are being used efficiently.

The waste being left is incredibly harmful to the locals, but also the local wildlife. Not every camper is abiding by the ‘leave no trace’ rule, which means bring all of your rubbish with you in a rubbish bag or put it in a bin.

Keep Scotland Beautiful reports that 50 tonnes of litter are left at the roadside each month, which is ruining the views of the coast. If you are found guilty of littering, you can be fined between £80 to £2,500 depending on the prosecution.

While the tourism brings an estimated £22 million per year to the Scottish economy, villagers in Applecross are unsure if it is worth it, due to the increased amount of littering, traffic jams and campervans setting themselves up in environmentally protected areas.

Locals seemed to welcome the idea of a poll deciding whether or not they should stay on the official route, and some local businesses are confident that Applecross would remain a popular destination regardless of if it is part of the NC500 or not.

The biggest issue seems to be the number of tourists parking indiscriminately, and not contributing to local businesses on their stay, as many campervans will have all the food that they need for their trip. The parking problem got so bad that at the beginning of 2021, ‘moat-like’ holes were dug in environmentally sensitive spots to deter motorhomes from parking there, along with signs warning against ‘dirty camping’.

Applecross residents worry that they don’t have the infrastructure needed for the number of tourists that they are receiving, such as hotels and toilets, and went as far as raising money for a community fuel pump as the next nearest fuel station was over 40 miles away.

It is a fact that the NC500 has brought a lot of problems with the influx of tourism, but it has also brought a lot of positive changes like the increase in money it brings to the economy and the increase in business. Just remember that if you do decide to take the trip, stay tidy, stay aware of the roads and other drivers, support the local businesses as much as possible and overall be respectful to the environment and the locals, as without them we would not have such a great route to experience.

Why Tourism is Ruining the North Coast 500