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NC500 from a Dutch perspective
No, she (Sophia) could not beat a rock. When a Dutchman passed by, she fell off the road to the left. Her front wheel banged so hard that I feared the shock absorber would shoot through the bonnet. That was not the case. At lower speed I drove back to the first location where I had forgotten my shoes and inspected the tire. Everything seemed fine. Arriving at the second location, however, the cheek showed a strong 'bump'. With hundreds of kilometers ahead, including highway and on a Saturday afternoon, there was only one way to meet the deadline: take care of new tires as quickly as possible. But where and would they have the right tire size? A 'local' informed me. The only garage that could help me was more than 90 kilometers away and closed at 5pm. A race against time with a tire that was ready to explode! I therefore found myself in one of the least densely populated areas of Europe.
It was the only incident on the journey of 3530 kilometers, of which she did not have to drive 2x500 kilometers. A journey through crystal clear mountain streams, untouched white sand beaches, jet blue and jet black skies, along rocks of sometimes 3 billion years old (the earth is 4.5 billion years) and through villages with unspeakable names. Only one place to stay we could not reach. For that she had to drive ¾hrs on 'dirt road'. Already within a few minutes the propshaft was scraping the middle of the path and we decided to look for an alternative overnight stay. Any idea where we were? The blue flag with the Saint Andreas Cross? Scotland! Picts, Celts, Vikings, Jacobites, and finally the English have been amazed by the beauty and rawness of this country.
We decided to drive the North Coast 500 (NC500) on a good day, and soon because of the upcoming Brexit. The route has been official since 2015 and already attracts many enthusiasts. We retired for 2 weeks. That in itself is more than enough, but far too little for extra trips to the numerous corners, holes and other highlights of the Highlands. Now I do not want to give everything away for the one who wants to do this, so you do not find a comprehensive report here. YouTube has enough videos that give an impression of the trip. I only have some tips and a few pics here.
There are a few NC500 guides for sale. I bought a small guide through the internet 'The Rough Guide to the North Coast 500'. Costs about 10 pounds and the same on shipping costs to the Netherlands. I can recommend this because of the compactness and general and specific information. Here are also interesting trips. Then there is the thicker 'North Coast 500 guide book' which lists all the surprises and describes them with photos. I can recommend this guide to the home stay. This describes the route clockwise. But I find the route counterclockwise (as in the first guide) better and more exciting to drive.
The accommodation on the route is limited. In the high season the most is fully booked. We were eating in a pub once, and 4 Dutchmen were trying to arrange an overnight stay. They have been busy all night and if they succeeded I still do not know. Outside the high season, not everything is open. There is also a cost of accommodation. The cradle of the B&B's has pushed up prices a lot. But in Scotland you can camp wildly! And certainly in a VR4 (without a cabin because that may not take part of the route) fits perfectly a tent with facilities and extra guy lines against the strong wind. And for a nice shower you will spend the night at an official campsite.
Food? Self-cooking (buying in time) or to the pub. Most pubs have an excellent quality-price ratio. Do not forget to taste the local beers: much better than that watery from my little country. The whiskey lover will certainly come into his own. The typical Scottish food: porridge, black pudding, haggis, cranachan, together with other GB-foods like beans, sausages, fish and chips, eggs in different shapes made me sometimes brush my teeth an extra time. Fortunately, 'continental' is also served everywhere.
Scotland is always said to have so bad weather. Two things about this. 1- 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only inadequate clothing' (Ted Hughes). 2- When it rains, it does not rain all day as is customary in the Netherlands. We had 1 day with a few showers and 2 days with fog alternating with sun. So a set of rain gear of a few euros/pounds is useful, also against cooling by the strong wind. And if it rains or fogs: wait half an hour in the car and then take a refreshing walk. But, of course, you are coming to drive!
There is a road etiquette for the single-track roads. Make sure you know and execute it. If you then pass someone or pass through a ‘passing place’, greet and at the same time keep your steer straight! Saves a few front tires. These single-track roads in the northwest and west of the Highlands are fun and cost a lot of time to travel. Hurry is a bad counselor. I therefore often let a fast Brit overtake me, and then I started the pursuit. That was not a problem with the VR4. For example, I had sent out a few eyes (and battering ram) and learned to drive the roads better. It is striking that a beautiful route is not included in the NC500. The stretch between Lochinver and Drumrunie is described via the inland route A837 and A835. We chose the route closer to the coast via Inverkirkaig (inver means the mouth of a river). Because I also had to take the official route to pick up my shoes, I know that both routes are worthwhile.
'Psssht' Sophia said when I slowed down for the next corner. Meanwhile, the dog lay in the back of the trunk shaking from the back and forth (and left and right) because of the sharp turns, blind summits and holes in the road. Occasionally she sat up, especially after passing a cattle grid at high speed, and watched the followers' attempts to keep up with the Legnum. Legnum? According to one, it was an Audi and yet another held it on BMW. Until the owner of a fast Vauxhall Vectra GTS remarked: 'I appreciate your car!'. And the mechanic of the tire store in Inverness noticed that it was a rare sight, and that he had only seen such a copy, but not exactly, once before (probably a FL). On the route it were mainly the Subaru's who recognized the Legnum (Legacy BH5 with two-step turbos, and Impreza WRX STi). In addition, I spotted clubs of MR2, Triumph, Mini (the oldies!), saw a lot of VW vans, Aston Martin (route sponsor of NC500), Skyline GTR R35 and many Mitshis. But no VR4’s or other special stuff.
Now she is back at the door. With mud marks, dirty, greasy, and a large sandbox in the back. I'm sure she enjoyed it and she would prefer to take the IJmuiden - Newcastle-upon-Tyne ferry immediately and then release all the brakes. Who knows …
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