Nc500 (4 Viewers)

[Valal]

I’m planning a trip in my 6m van along nc500 in September. Any tips on route , roads to avoid and campsites welcome.

 

[Jabstatt]

Channel four at eight tonight??

Tony

 

[Spriddler]

Often asked.
If you put 'NC500' in the Search box you'll get loads of threads.
Here's just one of them which has 80+ replies/comments, plus a tourist video for motorhomers...........

Tips for Motorhome Trip on NC500

I am doing NC500 in July, any tips please and recommended campsites for a motor home

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

At least it should be quieter in September.

 

[TerryL]

Hype, poor journalism or whatever, we've cancelled our plans for Scotland in September. I hope for you we're wrong though.
Going to Normandy - the French are friendlier to motorhomes.

 

[CWH]

I’m planning a trip in my 6m van along nc500 in September. Any tips on route , roads to avoid and campsites welcome.

Just seen this.
September you'll be fine. Assuming that the weather improves, anyway!
Highland kids are back at school. Midgies are on the wane (hardly seen any this year due to weather). Roads and campsites are quieter.
There's no lpg north of Inverness-Ullapool, so depending on which way you're going it's good to fill up at Evelix, Broadford, or Lochbroom.
If you see any m/h or c/v parked up NOT on a campsite, don't join them. Find your own space.
Just be aware that a few campsites & attractions start to reduce hours or close from mid-September.

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[Helgamobil]

NC500 - single track roads - are there frequent passing places or are we in for major reversing manoeuvres?

 

[TerryL]

Plenty of passing places, the next one is (almost) always visible.
Unless of course some inconsiderate ignoramus has decided to stop for lunch as it's a nice view........

 

[DavidG58]

NC500 - single track roads - are there frequent passing places or are we in for major reversing manoeuvres?

The problems mostly occur when convoys form, if more than two vehicles are nose to tail and meet at a passing place it will mostly end in tears

I try to stay at least a passing place behind anything I catch up

I also use passing places to let cars come past me when I can

One more peculiarity and something I wish car drivers realised , lorries and often MH’s can’t fit in the passing bays , sometimes even in our MH we have crossed over and used a passing place on the opposite side to let a larger lorry through

The above gets much more complicated if/ when queues have formed behind either or both vehicles

Mostly it works very well though but we mostly go out of season

 

[CWH]

NC500 - single track roads - are there frequent passing places or are we in for major reversing manoeuvres?

Highland single-track roads are much easier than Cornish ones. They tend to be a bit wider, have much better visibility, and aren't bordered by stone hedges.
Passing places are about every half mile or withing seeing distance of the previous one, though occasionally the terrain doesn't permit this. There SHOULD be pp signs but many are missing. All proper pp's will be tarmaced.
Leave at least one pp between yourself and any vehicle you may be following so that if they pull in, you can then pull into the previous pp without having to reverse.
Look well ahead and if you see another vehicle, indicate left and pull in at the first passing place you see - always pull to the left, either into a pp on the left or opposite one if it's on the right. However if you're going onto a single-track road you should be competent in reversing along a narrow road and round bends and into a pp - you might come face-to-face with a larger vehicle or something with a trailer. Don't EVER be tempted to drive onto a verge - it's likely to be ditch or bog, and crossing the edge of the road breaks down the tarmac and damages both the road and the vegetation.
Use pp to let faster traffic behind overtake - indicate & pull left.
Always thank any driver who waits for you - the usual wave during daytime and at night, flash indicators (not headlamps, they destroy night-vision and there's no streetlamps).

 

[Helgamobil]

Highland single-track roads are much easier than Cornish ones. They tend to be a bit wider, have much better visibility, and aren't bordered by stone hedges.
Passing places are about every half mile or withing seeing distance of the previous one, though occasionally the terrain doesn't permit this. There SHOULD be pp signs but many are missing. All proper pp's will be tarmaced.
Leave at least one pp between yourself and any vehicle you may be following so that if they pull in, you can then pull into the previous pp without having to reverse.
Look well ahead and if you see another vehicle, indicate left and pull in at the first passing place you see - always pull to the left, either into a pp on the left or opposite one if it's on the right. However if you're going onto a single-track road you should be competent in reversing along a narrow road and round bends and into a pp - you might come face-to-face with a larger vehicle or something with a trailer. Don't EVER be tempted to drive onto a verge - it's likely to be ditch or bog, and crossing the edge of the road breaks down the tarmac and damages both the road and the vegetation.
Use pp to let faster traffic behind overtake - indicate & pull left.
Always thank any driver who waits for you - the usual wave during daytime and at night, flash indicators (not headlamps, they destroy night-vision and there's no streetlamps).

Thank you for comprehensive response, much appreciated. We live in Cornwall so reversing and narrow lanes are ever-present challenge - but in the motorhome on home territory in Cornwall we are quite picky about which roads we use!

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[CWH]

Thank you for comprehensive response, much appreciated. We live in Cornwall so reversing and narrow lanes are ever-present challenge - but in the motorhome on home territory in Cornwall we are quite picky about which roads we use!

Haha yes I saw you were in Kernow. I used to live in deepest darkest Cornwall but now in the Frozen North.
Single-tracks here can be much longer than in the south with no junctions for many miles.
I think the difference when reversing is that in the south you tend to have a reference to where the side of your van is eg a hedge, here it's usually open - so I have the bottom half of my wing mirrors angled to show me my wheels.

 

[HKF]

I always wanted to tour around Scotland but, after watching the TV programme, it's off my list now. I hadn't realised just how busy it is or how 'touristy' it is. Although the programme is more about the businesses that have set up en route, to make the most of the toursists cash, it's definitely shown a side that I'd rather not waste my time visiting.

Just my thoughts. Yours may not match mine.

 

[CWH]

I always wanted to tour around Scotland but, after watching the TV programme, it's off my list now. I hadn't realised just how busy it is or how 'touristy' it is. Although the programme is more about the businesses that have set up en route, to make the most of the toursists cash, it's definitely shown a side that I'd rather not waste my time visiting.

Just my thoughts. Yours may not match mine.

The tv show doesn't remotely accurately portray even the 500, never mind the rest of the country.

 

[Helgamobil]

I always wanted to tour around Scotland but, after watching the TV programme, it's off my list now. I hadn't realised just how busy it is or how 'touristy' it is. Although the programme is more about the businesses that have set up en route, to make the most of the toursists cash, it's definitely shown a side that I'd rather not waste my time visiting.

Just my thoughts. Yours may not match mine.

We have an agenda, and friends to visit, so will dip in and out of the route and enjoy the beauty where we find it!