David Whiteford is in no doubt the positive effects of the North Coast 500 outweigh its negative impacts.
But as it marks its tenth anniversary, the former chairman of the charity that created the world famous tourist route admits to being surprised at the scale of its success.
He says more infrastructure is needed to support the huge number of visitors now coming to the area.
NC500: over-tourism or lack of infrastructure?
“It’s been a success, but from that growth it needs to move to a more sustainable footing”, he says.
“It captured the imagination and we could never have foreseen just how much.
“There’s no doubt that some people living close to the route are unhappy with the extra traffic and unsavoury actions of a few motorhome users.
“However, while there may be some pinch points, I don’t believe it suffers from overtourism, it just needs better infrastructure.
“And the team at NC500 Ltd are very much on the case, encouraging visitors to take longer on the route, be mindful of the needs of locals and be respectful of our amazing environment.”
Before the NC500 the far north was one of the least visited parts of Scotland.
But 2005 saw the creation of the North Highlands Initiative (NHI), inspired by the Prince of Wales, now King Charles.
It aimed to support crofting, farming, food and drink and tourism businesses to address rural challenges, including depopulation.
As well as brands such as Mey Selections, it gave birth to the NC500 in 2015 to drive more visitors to the area.
Learning from Route 66
“Our tourism group looked at other successful driving routes throughout the world including Route 66.
“It was created in the 1920s to stimulate the economy in some of the poorest states in USA”, said Mr Whiteford.
“We wanted to take learnings from that and showcase all of what the North Highlands had to offer, while encouraging visitors to venture beyond Inverness and Loch Ness.
“In the 1960s and 70s the likes of Brora, Ullapool, Inverewe and John O’ Groats were popular places before the onset of foreign package holidays.
“What we tried to do was reignite those halcyon days.
“We wanted people to experience the route then come back and spend more time and money in the many communities throughout the North Highlands.”
NC500 idea got ‘unanimous’ support
He said the idea was greeted enthusiastically at the outset.
“The DMOs (destination management organisations) were all consulted and there was unanimous support”, said Mr Whiteford.
“It was very well accepted as a way to help a lot of people develop their businesses, employ more people and grow the local economy, which was the whole idea.”
Despite a very small marketing budget, the NC500 concept took off.
A 2019 study by Glasgow Caledonian University’s Moffat Centre for Tourism found the route had generated £22.8 million for the north Highland economy.
It linked 180 new jobs to the NC500 and said that 86% of attractions experienced growth.
Other routes also sprung up across the country.
The Galloway Tourist Route, the North East 250, the Yorkshire 600 and the Great West Way all sought advice from NHI to try to replicate the NC500’s success.
New developments and career opportunities
Mr Whiteford stood down as NHI chairman in 2021.He is now group chairman of Highland Coast Hotels.
Looking back on the past decade, he says the NC500 encouraged existing businesses to invest and new companies to set up, creating career opportunities.
This included accommodation providers and businesses involving golf, surfing, paddle boarding, adventure tourism, guided walks and cycling.
He lists developments such as the Corrieshalloch Gateway to Nature Centre in Ross-shire and the redevelopment of John O’ Groats.
Significant investment has been made in several museums, including Brora Heritage Centre and Strathnaver Museum.
There are also new distilleries created, including at the repurposed Castletown Mill in Caithness, as well as the recent launch of the Gro For You community innovation campus in Tain.
“It’s really heartening and humbling to see the amount of innovation and entrepreneurship that has sprung up on and around the route”, said Mr Whiteford.
“It’s also great to see many crofters and farmers erecting cabins and pods to bring in extra income and help them stay on the land.”
Concerns from some residents on the NC500
But he is not blind to the problems that have arisen from the influx of visitors to the area.
Many residents have complained about the route becoming too busy, there being too many motorhomes and it being used as a race track by some drivers.
Concerns have also been raised about irresponsible parking, antisocial behaviour and the dumping of waste by ‘dirty’ campers.
“We had no concept of how many motorthomes would appear”, said Mr Whiteford.
“They were not a big thing in the UK at the start.
“But with the shortage of accommodation their numbers mushroomed.
“It’s great to see that more campsites are investing in facilities for motorhomes and there are opportunities for more along the route.”
He adds: “Undoubtedly, there are some dirty campers and sadly they give responsible campers a bad name.”
Could the visitor levy help?
The planned visitor levy in the Highlands could help fund more sustainable tourism infrastructure in areas like the NC500.
Mr Whiteford believes a “well thought-through” levy would be accepted by the industry and could help lever other funding from renewables projects and community benefit funds.
This could be used to fund better facilities as well as ranger services to police the route and provide advice on best practice, he says.
“Sadly the way the levy is currently being presented by Scottish Government and Highland Council means that it’s unlikely to be fit for purpose.”
Mr Whiteford would like to see the return of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, a Scottish Government initiative whose funding helped developments including toilets and a car park at Achmelvich.
“We need to have long-term business opportunities where tourism is, in some places within the North Highlands, one of the few opportunities to earn a living.
“But we have to find ways of creating opportunities for people to stay longer and spend more and that needs capital investment.”
NC500 critics have to be listened to
Overall, he says, the route has been a significant success in helping people to come to invest in the Highlands and for young people to stay.
But he adds: “The people who are unhappy about the development of the route need to be listened to.
“Further investment in infrastructure, and encouraging ‘slow’ responsible tourism, should help towards striking a balance that helps assuage concerns.”
He hopes the NC500 will continue to be a showcase for the North Highlands, encouraging more and longer visits.
“I hope it will provide a long-lasting legacy and play its part in halting the population decline that we’re currently witnessing and encourage our young people to stay in the area and find career opportunities.”
Read more about the NC500
Analysis: What does the NC500 do for Inverness?
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