Is This Road WORSE Than The Bealach Na Ba |
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- WARNING & DISCLAIMER - WE STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST DRIVING THIS ROUTE IN ANYTHING LARGER THAN A CAR! SINCE DOING THE ROUTE OURSELVES WHICH WASN'T PLANNED, WE FEEL THE ROAD IS JUST NOT SUITABLE.
#motohome #drone #driving #scaryroad
In this video we drive on the B869 (Drumbeg loop) of the NC500 in our 6 metre East Neuk Fifer Touring L Campervan/Motorhome. A total spur of the moment decision as you can probably tell from my (Em) reactions! I was not expecting it to be this scarey! Said to be one of the finest scenic roads in Scotland. A narrow single track road with small passing places that is 23 miles long. The road winds up and down and has many steep drop offs. This road is not an easy drive in anything larger than a small VW campervan and it is NOT recommended you do it, unless you are a very confident, experienced driver and are proficient enough to reverse down narrow roads with steep drop offs. There is no doubt that this is an absolutely beautiful drive, the scenery is spectacular and it certainly has your nerves on edge! I (Em passenger) was terrified on this road, despite knowing I was in good hands with my hubby at the wheel. I am not going to lie, this road brought me to tears out of pure fear! We realise our sound has issues on this video and we weren't going to put it up, but we wanted to share the drive with you all, so you can see it for yourselves, without driving it!
DISCLAIMERS
Please do your own research before embarking on driving this road, we STRONGLY advise you NOT to do it in a large vehicle. This road is not for the feint hearted!
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This campervan allows us the freedom of travelling in all seasons, we actually do most of our travelling in the Autumn/Winter as I have lupus disease | SLE | We stay on campsites & caravan touring parks, Aires & wild camp out in nature. We like to walk | hike with our cocker spaniel dog "Charlie" taking in breathtaking scenery of the countryside and the coast. There is something so magical about driving through the mountains and tourist areas in a campervan. Buying local produce to take back and cook in the campervan, or stopping at an independent shop for coffee and cake helping to support the local economy. You can follow our travel adventures by hitting the SUBSCRIBE button. We upload our travel vlogs on a regular basis.
Thanks
Em @vansforthememories
❗️Please READ description section. WARNING ❗️ ⚠️THIS ROAD IS NOT SUITABLE FOR DRIVING ON IN ANYTHING LARGER THAN A VW CAMPER, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT IT, WE DO NOT RECOMMEND IT⚠️ IWe hope you enjoy the video, it will save you from having to drive it yourself! Please help us grow by watching, subscribing & giving us a thumbs up 🙏 We also love to read your comments. Em 💜
Have just realised you failed to take the Achmelvich beach turning . It is only a mile and a half down to the beach, but this one is not like the easy driving you were experiencing. This mile and a half contains eleven blind bends set amongst the hills and two blind summits. Some of the passing places are carved out of the rocky cliff sides hence the reason they won’t take a motor home. When a local reverses for you here they do so not out of kindness, but the knowledge that the nearest tow rescue truck is forty seven miles away in Ullapool. Some hire drivers trying to reverse often sadly get ditched very easily.
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@@johnwhitley5255 Hi John, that sounds like an interesting road! 47 miles on those roads is a long way indeed. I bet there’s been a fair few incidents with hire mohos. We often see them with their wing mirrors damaged. What’s your favourite drive up there? Thanks for the tips & explanations. Em 💜
Hello Em , Sorry for the late reply to your question. I take all our Achmelvich visitors sight seeing and drive them north, up the single track. The opposite way to your drive down to Lochinver, then I return via the dual track It’s twice as quick as the viewing run up to Kylesque . As you remarked it’s a fantastic drive. Personally I agree with you, the single track road is a firm test for a new motor home driver and an almost impossible one at peak motor home traffic time during school holidays. So glad you wisely missed out visiting our beach. We watch visitors who have driven down there and smile at their relief to have made it safely. There are nasty spots where two motor homes will not pass due to the tiny passing places making one motor home have to reverse round twisty bends. Loved your photographs by the way.
@@johnwhitley5255 Hi John, I’d love to see that beach one day! Not sure it’s sounding feasible though in the van. Will have to look into it for the future, perhaps staying at a campsite & getting transport to it, is that a thing? 🤭 How do you find it living there with the tourist traffic? I can imagine at times it can get a bit frustrating. We lived on Skye & there’s a few icky roads there too 😂 But, speaking for me, this was more nerve wracking but utterly beautiful 😍 I’m so glad you liked the shots. Really appreciate the comment. Best wishes, Em 💜
Why do you think there is an alternative route, on the sign showing caravans and motorhomes? Wish they would ban motorhomes off single track roads, they are a nightmare, locals are sick to the back teeth of trying to get on with their daily lives and constant motorhomes getting in the way. Leaving rubbish lying around and emptying their toilets where ever they please. This is NOT a tourist area as such, but a sheep farming area, with little villages along the way. I travel it in a car, it's like playing dodgems with these huge motorhomes.
In your commentary, you gave very good advice regarding the using passing places correctly, so thank you for that. The motorhome that passed you 9.06 should NEVER have been on that road, people think it's an adventure brining these damn things on this road, but they forget emergency services if needed will never get through.
Hi Andy, Firstly, we really do understand what you’re saying, it must be a nightmare and frustrating to the locals. Our van is not very big, having only a slightly larger footprint than most SUV 🚙 We wouldn’t attempt it in a larger vehicle & have advised others not to do so too. We are as angry at the “dirty campers” as you are! I can assure you there is absolutely no way we would ever do that. We are fully self contained & only ever empty at campsites & Aires with the facility. This seems to be a small minority who don’t but it’s having a very detrimental effect on the rest of us, who want to enjoy the beautiful environment responsibly. But, are starting to all be tarred with the same brush 😢 Rest assured if we ever see any motorhomers disposing of waste of any type, we will be the first to report them & ask anyone else to do the same. We love the highlands & have ourselves seen the changes with litter & fly tipping etc rise significantly over the last few years, which is both sad & alarming to see. There is certainly quite a few drivers of all types of vehicles who do not use the passing places correctly & this does indeed cause issues. (13.29 in the video for example) We put the commentary in to try & get that very point across 😊 I appreciate your comment & insight into what it feels like to you as a local community to have this going on day in & day out 😢 I don’t know what the answer is to fix the situation, but I hope a solution can be found, so that communities & tourists can harmoniously enjoy this beautiful area. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know. Best wishes, Em 💜
See you drove this easy single track at a quiet time. Try it when it’s really busy. Motor homes in two’s going both ways and passing places only one motor way wide in hired vans that they don’t want to reverse. It’s a nightmare for the locals so be aware. Have to wonder if motor home hirers ever pass on single track hints. We locals loved our summers, now winter time is favourite. Guess why!
Hi John, the hire vans are a nightmare we agree with you. We do understand how frustrating it is, we lived on Skye 🥴 This was filmed in July last year, we were surprised that it wasn’t busier. (But glad it wasn’t) We only saw one large moho on that road when we went. Our van 🚐 isn’t very big, I (Em) was the nervous one 😊 My hubby is used to & confident driving single track roads 😊 I have a bit of a phobia of driving at the side of water 🙈 Hire vehicles are definitely an issue, that includes cars too. Prime example in this video where the cars keep piling into a passing place which is only meant for one. It’s not too difficult to know how to use a passing place, but it seems some people can’t understand it 🥴 We can certainly understand your frustrations & hope that things ease off in the future. 🙏 I’m sorry to hear of the impact tourists & specifically motorhomes are having on the area 😞 Thank you for sharing your lived experience of how it effects your daily life. I hope that people read the comments & take on board your thoughts & act accordingly. Best wishes, Em 💜
Essential when on single track roads to keep at least 2 passing place between yourself and the vehicle in front , not perhaps always easy but nevertheless necessary as the passing places are often not big enough for more than one vehicle. Just saying 😊
Please people just don't go in Motor homes and campervans. There are so many other wonderful beautiful places in Scotland to visit with the infrastructure to cope.
I know you are trying to promote really good road use, respect and etiquette but no one can overlook it's just not set up for this type of of traffic and footfall.
Hi 👋 Thank you for the feedback and yes we agree, the road isn’t suitable for larger vehicles. 😊 We are only a 6m van & my husband is an experienced driver. We have suggested that people don’t do this route in a large vehicle in the “description section” of this video 😀 It’s a stunning area, but it’s certainly a challenging drive, especially to those not experienced or familiar with these types of roads or used to driving large vehicles. We really appreciate your comment & we will add another ⚠️ warning in our comments section. Many thanks, Em 💜
What a lovely place but wow some stunning views and roads 🤦♀️😘😘
It really is an amazing drive 😎 Thanks for the comment Gail, much appreciated. Em 💜
Great video,fantastic scenery and well done for the great driving
Hi Kathy, it’s spectacular scenery isn’t it 😁 Aww thank you so much for the lovely comment. Em 💜
That was a scary road Em great film ❤.xxx
Thanks so much Wendy 😊 Em 💜
Nice drone footage of the water ….
I remember that road through Drumbeg it’s a great road but you just keep recording in your mind passing places to reverse back to
Well done
We stayed at Clachtoll beach campsite - lovely beachside site
Thanks for creating
It’s a pretty spectacular drive 😎 We will definitely do it again & at least next time I (Em) know what to expect 😅😊 Thanks so much, Em 💜
Cracking video guys....great to see an off the beaten track, hairy route!.. although I'm glad you did it so I don't have to! 😁....keep em coming 😎👍
Hi Arthur 👋 Haha it was a bit scarey for me (Em) 🙈🤭 It was a spectacular drive & one we won’t forget 😁 Haha yes, we’ve definitely saved you the trouble, you had a front row seat 🤭 Thank you so much for the kind comment. Em 💜
Cheers Em...hope you recovered ok! 😎👍👍
Amazing views and the roads are 😳 but such fun! Its all part of the adventure
Ohhhh that little sheep - eeeks 🙆
Great vlog guys x
It was certainly an unforgettable drive 😁 That sheep pushing the other one! Naughty thing! Thank you so much for popping in. Em 💜
A bit scary in places. You did well. Loved the drone shots.
It was! 😅 Glad you enjoyed it, thank you 😊 Em 💜
Great video. Have done that route twice. Once by motorhome and again on motorbike. Both enjoyable in their own way. Compliments to your courteous driving on single track roads. To cool your kettle down quickly just add some cold water once you have decanted the boiling water into your mugs/kettle. By the time you have had your hot drink it should be cool enough to store away.👍
Hi 👋 Thank you so much for the lovely comment 😊 Oh wow I imagine it being fantastic on a bike (in the right weather) It’s a spectacular road isn’t it😁 I’d love to do it again without being so scared 😱 (Em) good job I wasn’t driving 😇😅 Great tip for the kettle, I’ll pass on your comment to my chauffeur ☺️ Thanks so much. Em 💜
For living reasonably close to the NC500 its still on the to do list (though I've done Applecross, thats also something fairly special)
Loved it guys!
Hiya 👋 It’s a great drive, the scenery is just spectacular 😎 Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, Em 💜
It really came across on camera@@vansforthememories
I love trundling along those single track roads. I prefer having passing places to narrow roads where you have to squeeze by! We've been around Lochinver many times, I do like that part of Scotland. Only a few weeks until we're in Scotland again. Hurrah!😊 Thanks guys for another lovely video.
It’s certainly a spectacular route when you drive the North to South along the route 😁 Ohh where are you heading? Thanks so much for watching. Em 💜
Not quite that far north, but we'll be pottering around the Highlands @@vansforthememories
Amazing trip, wouldn't like to do it in our van though, its quite big! Sheep don't worry me, we are used to them here as we live near the moors and there are sheep, cows and ponies all over the roads! They are unpredictable! We have never done the NC500, but done quite a lot of the highlands, its beautiful up there! Lovely video Em.
Hi Mary 👋 Haha no it’s definitely not one for a larger vehicle! The sheep 🐑 need a bit of parenting advice I think 🤭 It was a truly wonderful & scarey experience for me, I’ll never forget it 😊 Thanks so much for the lovely comment. Em 💜
Larger vehicle ? You make my laugh 😂 Maybe you should try those roads in a 44 ton livestock lorry ?
Hi Alex 👋 Our 6m 3.5 ton van is larger than our car last time we checked 😂 No we wouldn’t drive a 44 ton lorry 🚛 down that particular road as the road signs tell you not to. (Plus we don’t have one) 🤪Have a great day & stay safe on those roads ☺️ Em 💜
Great video. We were planning to go to to Clachtoll campsite during a trip to Scotland in September. We had heard this road was a difficult drive. You have confirmed our fears.
@@paulcoombes8657 I think there’s another route, so worth checking it on a map or satnav. Thanks for watching, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Love your videos Em. Keep filming and happy camping.
@@paulcoombes8657 that’s so kind to say 😊 Thanks so much and enjoy Scotland 🏴😎 Em 💜
We have done that stressful road in the car! That was bad enough. So well done doing it in the campervan. Stunning views and beaches, Thanks for sharing 👍Graeme
It’s a spectacular drive isn’t it! 😎 Thank you, Em 💜
Now I understand why the locals are fed up with us campervan and motorhomers on these single track roads.
Absolutely, I’m sure it can get frustrating especially if people, don’t use the passing places properly. Thanks for watching, Em 💜
It's amazing how many of you can't reverse and/or believe in biggest owns the road.
@@blackislepeastoo Hi 👋 I’m confused by your comment 🤔 Who is the “you” you refer to please? Are you meaning all motorhomers? Or “some” Thanks Em 💜
Love it love it love it
My favourite road anywhere!
We stayed in Lochinver for a week two years ago and did that Road a few times
Clachtoll and Achmelvich beaches are amazing!!
The reason we wanted a van not a Motorhome was that road! 😃. We didn’t see how you would get a Motorhome along there 😃 but then there was an A Class ahead of you 😳
The bit from Lochinver to Achiltibuie- that’s the Southern bit of the B869 is called the “Wee Mad Road” and you can see why 😃😃
Both parts are wonderful.
That big round mountain is called Suilven. It just dominates Lochinver we could see it every day from where we stayed.
Love this one Em and Gary. We did two vids called the wee mad road on here
And well done Gary for the correct driving and the correct advice too. Shame some don’t adhere to that
Great stuff. Have a good week you two.
Hi both 👋 It certainly is a spectacular & a bit challenging in place road to drive 😁 The scenery and beaches were incredible 😎 I filmed the whole journey but couldn’t put it all on, as I did get very anxious 😬 & the air got a bit blue at times 🤭 (I also cried🤣) I don’t why as I knew I was in safe hands with G driving, he’s used to single track roads & driving lots of different sized vehicles, much large than our lil van 🚐☺️ I’m just a scaredy cat 🙀😅 He doesn’t recommend anyone to do it in anything large tbh. That guy in the A class was behind us for most of the journey & when we passed each other at times he was miming biting his nails 🤣🤣 I hope he got to the end of it in one piece 😊 Tbh as with every trip, it was completely spur of the moment to take the road, we saw the sign & that it was perhaps narrow, didn’t know about the drop offs 😂 Glad we did it though, it was unforgettable 😎 I’d do it again & relax a bit more next time! Thanks for the mountain name, it’s such a strange shape! We’re glad you enjoyed re-living it with us. 😊 Thanks for the lovely comment. Em 💜
@@vansforthememories it was a brilliant watch Em. And good on Gary. 👍👍😃
That water with the drone was so clear with the drone. Beautiful. Absolutely stunning scenery on that route. I think the worst road we've done in Scotland is the one to Clachtoll campsite. It's the B869 I think and we only did it to Clachtoll and then left the way we came in. We hadn't had Raymond long and it was scary! We've had many bossy sheep lol, they are funny 😂 I think it's the same road 😂😂😂
Hi Helen, it really was as clear as it looked on the drone too, could have been the Caribbean 😎 Yes it was the B869 & we drove the whole route from north to south 😅 23 miles on the edge of my seat 🤣 G was fine, I’m just a wuss 🤣 I couldn’t put all the footage on as I ended up crying 😭 & the air was blue 🙈🤣🤣 It’s definitely not one for a big Moho! Thanks for watching chic, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories yes I saw you go through Clachtoll after I'd commented lol. It is a scary road for sure and we warned it was worse after Clachtoll which is the direction you came from 😂 You survived, that's the main thing. It's a clenched buttocks road, that's for sure!
Oh man, that road looks absolutely TERRIFYING!! 😱 I don't know how you guys managed it, but major props for facing it head-on! 👏 I'm not sure my nerves could handle it.
Also, that random sheep bouncer was hilarious! 😆 And hey, at least you got some gorgeous seaside views along the way! Was the rest of the NC500 as wild, or did you get some easier stretches?
Hi 👋 Thank you 😊 We carried on south, the roads weren’t as wild to drive on but still amazing views 😎 We left the Bealach Na Ba out for another day 😂 (I Em, was too stressed) 😅😊 The next video, I do try my nerve at something equally as challenging ☺️ Thanks for watching. Em 💜
Lovely drone footage. That water! Beautiful scenery. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
It was just beautiful there 😍 Thank you so much for watching. Em 💜
amazing, well done & thumbs up 👍💥🎈
Thank you so much 😊 Em 💜
NC500 worst thing to ever happen to Scotland
I don’t disagree with you to be fair. Best wishes, Em 💜
Aye Em those wee roads are like that , the only problem i have is they seem tae go on and on far too long , we encountered that on Mull , great travel vlog with Gary at the helm 😊.....pour cold water in the kettle 😂
Yeah, we are used to these kinds of roads, but this one I think is one of the scariest we’ve traveled on ☺️ the drop offs in places were pretty scarey 🤭 It’s a good job I wasn’t driving as I’d have closed my eyes 👀🤣🙈 The cold water trick is a great one, but does eat into your water supplies when your off gridding. We ended up putting it on the step haha 😂 If you ever get chance, drive that road, it’s incredible 😎 Em 💜
@vansforthememories we are planning on moving up the line a bit , we've done a wee at Sheildaig , Gairloch and we were supposed to do a week at Altandhu just above Ullapool but the weather put paid to that lol next up was Clachtoll or Scourie
@@DunkfaeOotnAbootWiUs have the best time 😎
Pour the excess hot water out of the kettle into a flask to use later and it cools down in no time. If thats not fast enough, just put a bit of cold water in the kettle for the next time you boil it.
Toast the stale bread with a bit of chest on it for your sandwiches and make sure that you cover any mould with cheese and feed that bit to your other half
Thanks Tony, haha good idea about any mouldy bits give to hubby 😊 Not that I’d ever do that of course 🙈 😜🤭 We ended up putting it on the step in the end, we were trying to preserve as much water as possible as we were off gridding ☺️ Hope you’re well 😊 Thanks for your support. Em 💜
Wow what a road... I definitely WOULDN'T take my caravan down there lol... Great video, as always, travel safe guys.... ATB Ian
Hi Ian 👋 I hope your ok? Definitely not one for a caravan, you’d be either stupid or daft to tow on that road 🤣🤣😊 Thanks for commenting. Em 💜
Beautiful channel!! Subscribed from Italy van family!!
Hello & welcome! Thank you so much 😊 Em 💜
Great Vlog guys,our plan was to do that route on our trip if it hadn't all gone t#ts up🤪
Thank you 😊 aww it must be frustrating 🙁 hopefully won’t be too long before you can get yourselves back up there. 🏴 🚐 thanks for watching, take care both.🤗 Em 💜 x
Put the kettle outside on the ground with cold water in it x Been round there, keeps you alert eh lol x love to you all x JP
Hiya Jp 😎 Yeah, the water works great, but we were off gridding, so was prescious 😂 It certainly a spectacular drive, when I opened my eyes 👀🤣🙈 Thanks matey 💕 Em 💜 x
oh em you poor thing! that looks scary! i'd be beeping constantly too. it all started so beautifully. good tips on safe driving. "it's not a race, it's a holiday" ❤ but, oof, it gets so narrow and treacherous...but oh so pretty! close call with those sheep. yikes! is there a way to have an electric kettle in the van? have a great week! 🛴❤
Hi Anne 😎 It certainly was spectacular & scarey for me at times 😂🙈 The sheep 🐑 I was going to go give her some parenting advice 🤭 You can have an electric kettle when your hooked up to EHU, but if your “off-gridding” it’s best to conserve the battery for other things. You can use portable power packs such as jackery, bluetti etc but they are very expensive to buy. Thanks so much for watching! Em 💜
That is a scary road, don't think we'll be doing that in the new one!
I absolutely wouldn’t recommend it in a large vehicle tbh! It is a beautiful scenic drive though, perhaps you could drive across in the UP one day? Thank you for stopping by, Em 💜
You may like to know that part of that road (from Drumbeg to Lochinver) is a bus route!😂 Seriously though, please don't characterise taking the alternative route as "copping out" or cheating. That route is a working road for those who live and work in the area. The diversion for larger motor homes and caravans is there for a reason, to prevent congestion and delays. As you saw, the nature of the terrain means it's not possible to have as many passing places as you find on many of the other single track routes. You also missed some fabulous pull-offs and viewpoints on the alternative route, including the Wailing Widow Falls.
Hi 👋 Oh really a bus route 😱 We take on board your comments about the “copping out & cheats bit” it was only meant as “tongue in cheek” but can understand what you mean, will snip those out of the video 😎. Next time, we will go the alternative route & stop at the places you suggested. But think we will wait until the silly season is over ☺️ Thanks so much for watching & your feedback 😁 Best wishes, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Thanks for taking the comments in the spirit they were intended. Yes, do come back. I attended a tourism seminar in Inverness a while back, basically looking at how we manage this "monster that's been created". There's a view that we should encourage NC500'ers to think of the trip as an initial window-shopping exercise, and identify places they'd like to come back to and spend more time in, more on a "slow tourism" basis. Perhaps by engaging in some of the fantastic outdoor activities the area has long been renowned for (way before the NC500). Walking, art, fishing, wildlife watching, archaeology, understanding more about the geology of the area, etc, are ideas that come to mind.
I think the route should be seen as a means to an end, rather than the end in itself. It is only a collection of roads at the end of the day!
(Full disclosure; I'm a professional landscape photographer living on the route and offering workshops and tuition, and we also run an AirBnB.)
@@TarrelScot No problem at all, don’t want to add to any issues 😊We came up that way about 20 years ago when our kids were small camping 🏕️ & did some of the roads then, before it was a “thing” It’s a really difficult one isn’t it, with the good comes the bad I guess. We used to live on Skye & we have seen for ourselves the difference with the litter & the volume of people etc, it’s heartbreaking 💔 On the other hand, tourism is also good for some businesses, especially those in the hospitality industry. I just wish everyone who visits, does so responsibly & respects the very landscape they have come to see😊 I have seen that campervanners/motorhomers have been getting a bad reputation amongst the locals. Which is sad, as on the whole “most” of us are responsible. But there is a minority that is not responsible and they are making the rest of us feel like we shouldn’t add to the problem or be there. We come to the highlands a lot, I think it’s our “spiritual” home ☺️ We are up here atm but further south. Anyway, really interesting to hear your thoughts & lovely to hear from you.
You’re very lucky to live in such a beautiful area 😍 Best wishes, Em 💜
Em regards hot kettles. I cheat and put boiling water into a flask to use as i go along. Bo kettle once in the morning
Hi Mary 👋 Yes that’s a good tip thanks for reminding me 😁 We used to do that, but my flask wasn’t very good at keeping the water hot. I keep forgetting to replace it 🤭 Thanks for the support 👌 Em 💜
Excellent driving and nail biting commentary 😂
Glad you enjoyed it, haha I (Em) wasn’t keen on the drop offs 🙈🤭 Thank you for stopping by. Em 💜
My advice is to learn to drive backwards as proficiently as you can clearly drive forwards. From Devon
Absolutely sound advice 😁 As we did need to reverse a couple of times on this route, wouldn’t be a good outcome if you get it wrong, for sure 😬🙀 Thank you, Em 💜
The Drumbeg loop is one of my favourite drives, but there is an advantage being in a Honda jazz I’ve done the belach na ba about 7 times over the years my late hubby hated it I loved it, until last year when I was heading to applecross and could not actually see the road due to fog, that was quite hairy, enjoyed reliving the loop drive, will do it again once up in the highlands
Hi 👋 It certainly is a spectacular drive! We’ve not done the Bealach yet, which one would you say is the worse of the two? Aww we’re glad we brought some memories back for you 💕 Thanks, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories belach na bah is more of a struggle I think it’s the sheer drops on side of road and hairpin bends that freak people out but I learned to drive in the Welsh valleys where that was our normal state of road lol I think the Drumbeg loop is more challenging because on the pass assuming it’s not 0 viability like it was last spring you can usually see the other vehicles
Coming from a good distance, the fact I’ve done both so many times now may be clouding my judgement tho lol
Were there any parking spaces by those beaches and did you find anywhere for Charlie to go off the lead? Sweep our youngest dog, is a pain on the lead unless he's had a bit of a run first. The twists, turns and steep roads don't bother me if I'm driving because the camper is sitting on a 4x4 truck but they scare me to death if my wife is driving. However, an Asda or Lidl car park also scare me to death when my wife is driving.
We liked the campsite in Ullapool when we stopped overnight to get the boat to Lewis the next morning. It's a great little place, a specially build new town designed by Thomas Telford for the British Fisheries Society and there is a bostin fish and chip shop near the site.
There was parking at Scourie Bay, there was only us & another car parked there (can’t overnight there) that was a nice beach for Charlie to potter on. There was a parking strip near the beach at Clashnessie, but sadly no spaces when we went past☹️ We were there at the end of July though, so might be better outwith the school holidays. It was a hot day, so after the morning beach walk, Charlie was just on lead walks, it’s not good for him to run in the heat. At Clachtoll, there was a bit of parking & also a Lochlan and there were some dogs swimming in there 😄 Haha I’m a nervous passenger, whoever is driving & I really shouldn’t be, as G knows his stuff & is used to driving on these types of roads. 😊 I wouldn’t even attempt it on bike 🚴🤪 never mind a van 🚐😊😅 Thanks, Em 💜
Put cold water in kettle swirl around cools quickly
Thank you 😊 Em 💜
Lovely scenery in McKay Country …died you know Lairg area was formed when an Asteroid hit the area
To cool your kettle stick it in a running burn (stream)
No I didn’t know that Bob, interesting & it’s definitely made for a beautiful landscape 😎 Could be an option when we’re near to one 👌 Thanks for watching, Em 💜
Hi Guys, I was on a Camera Club outing at the end of October to this area and travelled that very road. Luckily, it wasn't my turn to drive. Heading back there at the beginning of April, just North of Lochinver but we are leaving the van at home and going all posh and staying in a lodge. Incidentally, heading to Tomintoul tomorrow for a couple of nights on your recommendation. Mike, Bev & Bracken xx
Haha you touched lucky with not driving it 😅 Oooo a lodge sounds lovely & driving it in a car, will be more relaxing I think 😁 A great time to go, hopefully just before the midgies!
Aww we love ❤️ Tomintoul, it’s a great wee stop over & lots of walking, the villagers are so friendly. Don’t forget to pop to the bird hide 😁 (you can also park overnight for free by the birdhide) I’m well jell 🤭 Have a great trip & Lmk how you find it. Thanks for watching, safe trip. Em, G & Charlie 💜 xx
@vansforthememories Well, we had a couple of great days at Tomintoul. We drove there by the Huntly - Dufftown route for a change. It was lovely weather when we arrived, so we did the Bird Hide then continued on the circular walk.
We returned home via the Lecht Ski Centre in a sleety blizzard!!
Thanks for the heads up Guys.
We'll certainly be going back there.
Mike, Bev & Bracken xx
@@mstphoto99 hi 👋 Soo glad you enjoyed your stay at Tomintoul 😎 It’s a regular haunt of ours ☺️ We love the road over the lecht too, we drove over at night in the snow & we’re lucky enough to see a lot of snow hares 😁 Where’s next on your list? Em, G & Charlie 💜 xx
@vansforthememories The Lodge up north will be our next break. Hoping to get somewhere local in the van but we've a lot of things on coming up
nice blog please set your sound level up its very hard to hear you on my laptop cheers
Hi 👋 Aww we’re so sorry about the sound on this, our microphones failed us unfortunately 😢 The sound will be back to normal on the next video 😊 Glad you enjoyed it, we really appreciate your feedback 😁 Thanks so much for watching & commenting. Em 💜
I said to Sharon we are definitely not visiting that camp site.😂
Haha 😂 Em 💜
You can approach the Clachtoll Campsite from Lochinver side, so you don’t need to drive that whole road from north to south. The road at the south side, isn’t as bad, but still a bit steep in places. There are signs advising against towing caravans on the route. I still don’t know how they got those statics there 👀🤭
Buses, Petrol Tankers and Articulated Lorries use these roads. The problem isnt the roads it's drivers who get behind the wheel of their motorhomes 3 or 4 times a year after driving cars on motorways.
Totally agree with you 😁 Thank you for commenting, Em 💜
Well that was worth the wait.😂
🤣🙈 I had a lot of editing with this one Glynn, to make it a UA-cam friendly version 😂🙈 I (Em) was crying & the air was blue in parts of this route! Haha 😆 I’m such a wuss! Definitely don’t do this route with your caravan 😊 Hope you enjoyed it! Em 💜
I had my wing mirror smashed off last year by an on coming Motorhome on the NC500, he was driving way too fast, he never stopped! 😠
Oh noo! That’s so annoying, yes it’s definitely not a road for racing around, why would you do that. Thanks for watching, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Definitely not though I'd go back and do it all again. What an experience 👍
@@thecampervanner I’d like to do it again too, now I know what to expect, I might relax a bit more 😂 Em 💜
@@vansforthememories @vansforthememories Yes I would do it all again but go the other way round West to East! Yes annoying and expensive! Your welcome I enjoyed your video especially with you being scared, sorry! 😱
@@thecampervanner 🤣 You should see the unedited version haha 😇😂 😂
I'll let Lindsay tell you what we do with the kettle. If Gary and you want to play on some real narrow roads give us a shout.
Haha I’ll look forward to the kettle tip 😎 G is used to flying down single trackers 😂 It wasn’t so much the narrowness, it was the steep drop offs with nowt to stop you falling off that stressed me out 🤣 I had to edit a lot out, as my language was a bit blue 🙈 Have you had chance to drive this bit of the NC500 in the moho? Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Yes many a time we towed along it as well. Clachtoll is one of the places we met Trev and Sue and we have overnighted where the big motorhome was parked up. The wind and rain were awful but we were cosy and dry.
@@DesmondsDonders the full loop is a beautiful drive isn’t it. I can imagine it to get wind as in the winter. Wouldn’t fancy towing anything along there, makes me wonder how they got the statics to the site 🙈😊 Em 💜
UPDATE
We travelled this road today but in the opposite direction.
OMG!! 😱
After a nice pie in Lochinver, we went on to Clachtoll beach - Stunning!!
On the way back, I thought I'd let Bev see Clashnessie Beach - another stunning beach!!
In my wisdom, I decided to go onto the Drumbeg viewpoint.
Instead of turning back, I made a rash decision to carry on.
Let's just say a few sweary words were spoken, and not just by me 😅
Gary, you are a brave man tackling that road in your van.
It was bad enough in the car!!
The scenery, what I saw of it, was stunning even though the weather wasn't the best.
We even had a wee flurry of snow.
It was great to get back on a real road before tackling another single track road back to our lodge in Auchiltabuie
Mike, Bev & Bracken 😊
Hello Mike, Bev & Bracken, 😂 oh dear Mike 😅 It’s certainly scarey isn’t it! I was in tears for a lot of it 🫣☺️ I’m glad I filmed it to look back on & so G could watch it, as he was busy concentrating a lot of if passed him by 🧐 You’re painting a funny picture there, I take it Bracken was doing all the swearing 🤭 😉 We went into that a bit naively tbh, it wasn’t planned! I bet it looked beautiful in the snow ❄️ Glad you got to drive it in your car, I’m sure a memory you’ll not forget 😎
Hope the lodge is lovely & you’re having a great time! Thanks for the update. Em , G & Charlie 💜
Lovely views over the Summer Isles towards the Torridon mountains as we sit and have breakfast.
This is the life, but we're missing getting away in the van
@@mstphoto99 sounds wonderful & I’m a tad envious 🤣 Where’s your next van trip 🚐 Em 💜
@vansforthememories Not too sure as we have a couple of weddings, hen doo and stag party coming up.
Off to another lodge in Crieff in a couple of weeks to meet a friend of Bev's late mum.
Also, my 95 year old mum fell down her stairs, so I'll have to take sure she's OK.
I'm sure we'll manage a wee break in between though
@@mstphoto99 aww hope your mum is ok. Enjoy the weddings & stags 😎 Sounds busy 😁 We like Comrie near Crieff, nice wee place. You got snow? Em 💜
There are several roads criss crossing the highlands and they are "A" roads but some are more like donkey tracks than A roads but great fun on a bike and a nightmare for cars and vans.
@@williamcoulter5462 😂There is definitely some interesting roads! Thanks for watching, Em 💜
I don't understand this talk of the Bealach na Ba as a tough or dangerous road to drive on. It's neither tough or dangerous and if it scares some drivers then they really should park their car and never drive again.
We’ve never done the Bealach, but have heard so many saying it’s scary, perhaps it’s because they’re doing it in a motorhome? Thanks for commenting, Em 💜
cool your kettle by pouring cold water in it or on it. Or just put it outside on the road. Wind will help it cool down more quickly surely?
Hi Kirsten, We try to conserve as much water as we can so don’t like to waste any 😊 We’ve started leaving it on our step to cool down, seems to be working well, thank you so much. Em 💜
@@vansforthememories you can keep the water for next time. Water doesn't deteriorate by being used as a cooling agent in a container which has been boiled clean.
@@kirstennielsen4046 good advice, thanks for the tip 😎 Em 💜
If you didn’t like those roads don’t go to Cornwall and use the back roads. They can be narrower, and they have a lot more vehicles on them in the summer tourist season. We did the whole of the NC500 including the Applecross pass (Bealach Na Ba) in our 26 foot motorhome.
I’d rather go round the NC500 than the back roads of Cornwall. At least in the Scottish passing places you can normally get right in, whereas in Cornwall a lot of the roads have banks on either side with all sorts of rocks and things hidden in the grass.
Hi Charlie 👋 It’s been many many years since we last went to Cornwall & that was in a static 🤭 It’s on our list though 😁 Ahh hubby is used to the roads, it’s just me that gets really stressed out 🤣☺ It was the “drop offs” on this one that got me in a spin 🤭 I’m a wuss 🙀 Yes you’re absolutely right, you do have to watch out for hidden rocks & dips! You did well going on the Bealach Na Ba in a large Moho! We’ve not done it yet, I was too stressed hahaha 🤣 Maybd next time! Where do you recommend in Cornwall? We have been to The Lizard & Kynance Cove (gorgeous) but like you say, it gets rammed! Thanks so much for the tips & the comment. Em 💜
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@@vansforthememories We found a caravan and motorhome club site up the road a bit from Tintagel it overlooks the cliffs down to the sea, it’s called Trewethett farm it has tiered pitches to give the best views. There’s loads of places to go and see in Devon and Cornwall, but it just gets so busy it puts me off going there.
In Scotland I will admit when we did the Applecross pass we went from Applecross to Lochcarron, so we went down the steep half of the pass. That way we only had hot brakes and didn’t stress the clutch, plus the view as you make the decent is fantastic.
@@charliegould5865 that sounds brilliant, thanks will look it up for a future adventure 😎 I don’t blame you at all, I bet the views were stunning 🤩 Thanks so much for the info 😁 ATB Em 💜
Road is a dawdle,if ye know whit yer doing.👍👋👋
Haha yes, thankfully it wasn’t me doing the driving 🤭🙈 Thank you for the comment. Em 💜
When we did it in the mid 80s.......in our VW Devon....the roads weren't so good then !
@@smallam49 oh wow I bet that was an experience 😎 I would imagine a lot quieter back then too! 😁 Thanks for watching, Em 💜
Best road for bikes in Scotland
Thank you for the comment 😎 Em 💜
Who had the idea to advertise this road , then cry when people come to use it .
Not sure I understand the comment, but thank you. Em 💜
@@vansforthememories . I would like to try out the drive, in the car, your video was an excellent eye opener, cheers. My comment was mainly with regards the "everything is better and great in Scotland" then they cry when people start to visit the said great areas.🤣
@@markleeming1786 Thank you Mark, it’s beautiful 😍 We spend a lot of time in Scotland because we love it & the people 😁 Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Cheers, the furthest I have got, from Motherwell, is up to Fort William. I missed a lot due to the low clouds, the only bits I did not like are when the roads cross some water, parapets ? In fact on our return a car and a van had collided at one of those points., Achallader ! 70 + 70 mph at a pinch point ! It put me off a bit. Cromarty soon !
@@markleeming1786 Aww no, such a shame when the views are hindered by the low cloud & mist 🌫️ Shameless plug, but I’ve done quite a few videos of that drive on clear days. Hopefully next time you go, it’ll be clear! I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of driving next to water either, it’s a bit of a phobia of mine 🙈 That accident sounds nasty, I hope all involved were ok? The Black Isle is a lovely area too, are you going dolphin watching at Chanonry? When are you heading there? Em 💜
Its a great drive did it in a 7.4 motorhome in january only saw 3 cars in the last mile and half
Wow 🤩 Haha yes I’d imagine it to be a quieter than in July when we went 😂 Saying that, it wasn’t busy with many vans tbh, they probably had more sense 🤣 but missed out on all that beauty 😊 Thanks so much Ian, ATB Em 💜
And I did the Bealach Na Ba in 60mph winds now that was a bit scary and I will say I was glad to get of it.
@@iandaw2363 you don’t do things by halves 😂 We haven’t done the Bealach yet, one for another time 😊 Definitely not in a 60mph wind though 😂 Em 💜
Better attitude than many, good advice on driving except….its the Highway Code not a nicety to pull over when backlogged and to drive to the speed of the flow of traffic etc. passed parking spaces viable if not easy to stop and put some local funds into an area for a cuppa.! This road was not made to accommodate camper vans esp not in quantity . You don’t know how locals do it every day!? No neither do the locals now flooded with larger vehicles and thousands of holiday makers!! And drive slow, remember it’s a holiday!!! It’s a holiday on roads where the highway code applies not a slow doodle along for sightseeing!! Slower driving in tight roads etc, appreciate, but driving at speed round sheep lose on roads (many areas have warning signs for this) is again against the Highway Code!! No wonder you nearly ran one over 😢
Your wish to avoid paying £10 to park and again support the local area or at least contribute towards infrastructure to cope the with marauding influx of Nc500 hords! The very problem with the camper van numbers on the roads here. Astounded but unsurprised to find you didn’t check a map of the route first 😢. So no planning properly for overnighting,stopping or local consideration etc etc ……glad you wished you had, but like so many…a bit late!! Sorry if it’s a list of. Moans….rather like half the video sounded on the other side of the coin I guess. But generally a better approach to the driving than many many of the campers and NC500 runners than many and for that I thank you. What many people don’t realise is that the NC500 isn’t anything new, people have planned holidays to do it and stayed vacationing here for a long time , just in a more sedate and locally supporting way , many won’t come back now because of the problems now caused by “Driving the NC500” type touring . Many many areas have lost the valuable area supporting tourists to hoards of the road travellers that won’t pay to park, complain about the drive,don’t plan and don’t contribute much to the local economy .
Hello John, Forgive the late response but my mother was unfortunately taken poorly and I wanted to reply to you in detail. Firstly, thank you for the comment, we are all ears for constructive feedback 😊 Of course we are aware of the highway code and we are absolutely no stranger to driving on single track roads. With our commentary we were trying to encourage others to drive responsibly without coming across as preechy 🙂 We wanted to stop in Lochinver for a cuppa (we ALWAYS support small local cafes/eateries/butchers) please watch any of our videos to see that, its our favourite thing to do on holiday 😋 We spent a fair amount of money at Annies Bakery the day before, where we not only bought coffee & cake for one day, we bought extras for the next day. In fact we spend quite a lot in the local areas we visit either to campsites, aires, local eateries & shops. However, on this occasion, Lochinver was very busy & there was limited parking available, so as not to cause a nuisance to the locals we stopped for this particular tea break out of town & made our own in our campervan 😄 I would like to pick up on a couple of points if I may, we spent a month in the highlands of Scotland on that particular trip, out of that month we camped "off-grid" (not on a campiste/Aire/ for approx 3 nights. I can understand your frustrations at the way in which the roads are now clogged up with not just campers, but hire cars & motorcycles.. The comment we made about "drive slow" was really born from an observation of others whizzing around, not literally telling people to drive too slow, its common sense to drive to the road conditions in our eyes. 😀 In contrast to that, you then implied that we drove at speed towards livestock, (this upset me a lot tbh) this is NOT the case, we don’t drive at speed, we drive to the road conditions as above ⬆️ the sheep were on the grass, when one sheep pushed the other one closer to the road. We lived on a Scottish island where sheep are free roaming & we are more than used to them being on the sides of the road & we always drive with caution, hence why we didn't hit the sheep! We love sheep, we haven't ate lamb since we lived on the island! There is no way we would hurt one!
I am glad you appreciated some of the advice we gave in the video regarding driving the single track roads. 😁
We did not want to spend the night at that particular location, due to there being no phone signal, 😏it wasn't about it costing £10, but if we decided that particular spot is not suitable for us, that is our choice in where we spend our money and does not mean, we haven't contributed to the local economy! We spent between £30-35 most nights for campsites, plus we enjoyed the local cafes and cakes a bit too much, hence the diets now 😂 My comment about "wishing I had checked the map" was in fact "tongue in cheek" remark, we have a Garmin HGV SatNav which is set to a lorry, so we know exactly that the road was suitable for our size vehicle. It was more in relation to me, as I don't do well with steep drop offs in the sea. 😱 We never plan our holidays or make advanced bookings as I have a serious health condition, which sometimes means we have to cut things short & go home. We would lose a lot of money in deposits if we had pre-booked a months worth. But as per above, we found no issues getting onto suitable campsites on our trip 😎You don't have to apologise for the "moans" 😉 we understand the frustrations locals face with the issue of "over tourism" we saw it on the island we lived on and we also saw it all over the highlands more recently. We do understand and that is why we always try & do things responsibly, by spending locally and not causing issues for locals. 😊 When we do "offgrid" camp, we are respectful and we leave absolutely no trace. We drove the far northern highlands many many years ago, before it was "a thing" in a car with our then small children, we camped all over the highlands on campsites in our tent. We always wanted to return one day & when we got our camper, we were really excited to go back. As that was post pandemic, we decided to leave it a wee while longer until things had settled down a bit, we didn't want to add to the problem. I hope my response has cleared up a few things for you, I do have details somewhere of how much we spent on this holiday, it wasn't cheap, but we enjoyed every moment, the scenery, the food, chatting with some lovely locals, the wildlife, even the weather behaved(ish) 😚 I did have an unpleasant experience however, when I was treated with hostility 😢 when I was trying to support a small local business & buy something, but, I will not judge a whole community on that one persons bad attitude. 😅
Having worked in the tourism industry on the island myself, I know only too well how important it is for people to spend locally & also for the locals to support those businesses outwith the season too😀 However, we also have to be realistic people aren't millionaires, not everyone can get every single meal or drink that they have throughout the day from a cafe, with campsite fees being what they are these days & then the cost of fuel etc etc. Please remember you are only ever seeing a small snap shot of our trips in these videos, we don't film everything, although if we have good service /food/coffee etc we always try and film to say so. 😉 However, It is often very difficult to please everyone, some folk do not like me sharing good places or areas because then people may visit. 🤷♀️ We are trying to just make the most of our lives & enjoy this beautiful country we all live in, we are not here to upset or antagonise anyone 😊 I hope this clears the points up that you made & thank you for commenting
Best wishes, Em 💜
@@vansforthememories Hi, really appreciate you taking the time to reply so fully. I hope your Mum is better? Firstly let me address the sheep….on the rest of the video you drove much slower around them and had a good awareness, my concern was more that others no so used to sheep might think that was a suitable speed when the sheep came out into the road, but actually that happens a lot with sheep as you’ll know , not all or even many campervan visitors have the Experian to be watching for it , please don’t feel I’m saying you’d harm a wee sheepie , more that others may see that speed (no,you weren’t racing at it ) and feel it’s appropriate . Map quiery again more to ensure other viewers in motor homes are aware not to solely rely on satnavs…..impressed you have set to van!! Sadly I suspect your waiting until things settled down after covid just found it more busy and roads chaotic than before, a definite side effect of NC500 promotion (too much without first putting in enough good facilities for the amount of general NCrouters esp Camper vans . I am unsure of the Scottish access code etc in relation to “off grid” but totally agree it was a,ways a thing before it became a “thing” , and was never a major issue until so many not good visitors have caused issues and damage , sadly it’s no longer the few spoiling it for the many , but aloft spoiling it for the many :(. I realise it’s a snap shot of your entire journey and so appreciate the efforts and practice of supporting small and local business ….Annies Bakery is a yummy place to pick up tasty food 😍. If the majority of camper visitors took your approach and attitude I’d like think that no one would feel the need to show any hostility, not that it should be shown without any incident or major reason and then it’s just unpleasantness that isn’t really helping things, though certainly understand why a few locals feel that way after some lousy experiences. One of the factors often affecting people I’m sure you can relate to having lived on an island . Many have lived in quiet rural areas as that’s what many places were and the appeal , suddenly their quiet places are overrun and at risk from so many aspects of them newer high volume tourism , effects of property pricing and vial ability, local businesses closing, sometimes overrun by tourism related business only ,lack of amenities for the volume of . Vans etc, huge abuses of the right to roam and relevant codes of conduct whilst visiting Scotland . On this very note, we so welcome your videos and good ethics , education,advice and tips are one of the best ways of improving the general situation, and find your videos and attitude a very good thing , so please don’t think you have to explain your every discussion, but so good to see you responding so fully . . Please keep doing your videos and I hope you don’t experience any more hostility .
@@johnpowers4677 Hi John, she’s doing better now she’s out of hospital, thank you 😄
It’s certainly a tricky one, I see some of the behaviour of campers/cars/tenters posted online & it’s heartbreaking! I don’t understand how people can go & see these beautiful areas, yet abuse them, leave rubbish, light bbqs & dump rubbish 😡 It really does infuriate us as much as the locals & we can understand the frustration it must cause. The fly tipping in some areas is disgusting, we have seen full sized cookers & washing machines dumped down embankments & into hard to access burns, so no doubt they’ll remain there ☹️ I don’t know what goes through peoples minds sometimes 🤷♀️ My only crime with the shopkeeper was parking in a parking space & going into purchase items. Anyone else would have walked out without buying anything, I’m too soft & carried out my purchase, but I will never visit there again ☹️ Unfortunately, on our last trip back in the Spring, we encountered early morning beebs from vehicles despite the fact that on both occasions we were parked in designated Aires (paid for) one which supports & helps fund the upkeep of a castle ruin & the other was at a local business that allows you to park overnight for a fee 🫤 It’s a shame, that some feel the need to do that, but I guess they are tarring everyone with the same brush as the irresponsible campers. 🤷♀️ It makes me feel anxious about coming up again tbh, which is sad 😞 as it used to be our home.
I really don’t know the answer, some areas are more “positive” to have campers there & welcome us with open arms, others not so much. We mostly travel in Autumn/winter & Spring & stay away during the busier months. Hence why we need to go off grid at times as there aren’t many campsites open outwith the season in some areas. We certainly feel for residents who’s peace may have been compromised, personally I find the noisy motorcycles & the sports car enthusiasts a nuisance. But as you’re “living it” you will of course have your own thoughts on your own experiences. Anyway, I wish I could wave a magic wand & banish all the bad behaviours from the general public. Like I said earlier we use a mix of campsites, Aires, designated places & we also occasionally off grid. We do all those things in a responsible way & only where it’s acceptable & we leave no trace. We’ve made many friends with locals all over Scotland doing this 😎 I hope with time the NC500 route attracts a more civilised group of visitors who are respectful & appreciate it for what it is, a largely unspoiled stunning landscape, with wildlife & friendly locals who are happy for us to be there. I’m sorry you’re having to put up with the many idiots, please know we’re not all like that 😊 If ever I see bad behaviour I will certainly call people out on it & I have done in the past, when a man got out of his car & started urinating right beside our van into the bushes! (We had stopped for a walk) Yes, Annie’s Bakery is wonderful, also one of the cafes at JOG does an amazing carrot cake (the name has escaped my brain atm) It’s a small place & they also sell gifts, proper HM goodies 😎 Thank you for sharing your thoughts & experiences.
All the best, Em 💜
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Thanks for the comment 😎 Em 💜