CAMPERVAN drivers facing a ban on spending the night in publicly-owned car parks along the NC500 will be able to stop after a U-turn from council chiefs.
Holidaymakers have been told they will not be blocked from pulling up at the spots on the popular route amid concerns over “inappropriate waste disposal” and “antisocial behaviour”.
The Highland Council had threatened to block motorhomes from the sites in Durness and Golspie in Sutherland overnight — a move which would have cost taxpayers £41,000.
Drivers can park overnight for just £10, but cannot return within 72 hours.
They would have been directed to official campsites under the proposals.
But critics raised concerns motorists would flout the rules by stopping in rural areas causing a threat to biodiversity.
The NC500 was first promoted a decade ago as a tourist trail taking in some of the country’s most breathtaking beauty spots.
The route starts in Inverness and takes in coastal landmarks, including stunning beaches, lighthouses and the UK‘s most northerly settlement John o’ Groats.
More than 29,000 people made the journey the year it was launched.
Drivers have clashed with those living along the route over noise, litter and traffic jams on narrow roads.
We told how an eco-friendly family removed a staggering 15 tonnes of rubbish from NC500 beaches.
The labour of love began for Geoff and Rachel Pringle plus their kids Finlay, 17, and Ella, 15, after they tidied up a site near their home in Ullapool, Wester Ross.
Now the total amount of trash they’ve collected in 368 beach cleans has topped 15,048kg.
Geoff, 58, said: “We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of Scotland. With help from locals and visitors alike, it can continue to be so.
“If we all picked up a bit of litter we would see a big difference.”
Councillors this week voted on the restrictions and no further action will be taken.
