Scotland’s Route 66 drives locals round bend

THE rebranding of 516 miles of roads in the far north of Scotland as the UK’S version of Route 66 has been one of the tourism industry’s most remarkable success stories.

But locals say the huge rise in popularity of the North Coast 500, which was created in 2015 and runs through Caithness, Easter Ross and Sutherland, has left infrastructure in the remote Highland communities at breaking point.

The privately marketed route brings a massive boost to the Highland economy. A 2019 report estimated that it was worth £22 million and it is believed this year will be its busiest ever.

But the influx of people going on holiday within the UK may have led to the

‘There’s been inappropriate disposal of waste, campfire remains, there has been human waste left around’

route becoming a victim of its own success. Residents along the North Coast 500 have complained of overcrowding, clogged roads and human waste being left on roadsides because of a lack of public lavatories.

“I understand why people want to do the route. It’s a beautiful area,” Gail Anthea Brown, a writer and blogger based in Caithness, told the BBC.

“There’s been a lot of promotion, but that hasn’t been backed up with infrastructure – toilets and bins and so on. There’s been inappropriate disposal of waste, campfire remains, there’s been human waste left around.”

North Coast 500 Ltd, which promotes the route, said: “We have always encouraged visitors to follow our advice when it comes to safe driving ... parking, access rights and waste disposal.

“The North Coast 500 has delivered huge economic benefits to this fragile part of Scotland and we will continue to work with our industry partners to focus on responsible tourism.”