A LOCAL living in a village on the NC500 has revealed the WORST things he’s encountered with motorhome tourists.
Every year scores of visitors embark on the iconic 516-mile journey – often dubbed Scotland’s Route 66.
A Highlands resident revealed the WORST things he’s encountered[/caption]
But there have been many reports of anti-social behaviour stemming from the parade of campervans and motorhomes trailing up the single-track route.
Robin Pettigrew, who lives in Lochcarron in Wester Ross, stressed he is “not against tourism” but blasted the “gross” behaviour of some travellers.
Speaking to The Press and Journal about Applecross, he said: “There was human excrement all over the place, toilet paper.
“We used to go to the beach regularly to take the dogs out, and it just got absolutely impossible and unsafe to go anywhere near it.
“I’ve got photographs where there’s literally dozens of people camping in the bay area and the place was covered in human faeces; it was disgusting.”
Mr Pettigrew also says some tourists park up and “urinate over the embankment in front of his house”.
He added: “It happens regularly every week right through the season.
“It’s just gross. I had one guy who came in on a bike, parked his bike over there got a toilet rolling and went round in the bushes in front of my house for a crap.”
Campervan owners have previously been accused of clogging up the roads and ignoring local parking rules to set up camp overnight.
There have also been many reports of anti-social behaviour with rangers forced to call in cops to deal with outbursts of extremely aggressive behaviour from tourists.
Meanwhile, a report revealed that cases of people doing their business in laybys and elsewhere has doubled in two years.
And one local in the Isle of Skye has been left so frustrated by the situation that they have put up a sign to stop people from carrying out the foul act near their home.
It comes as a shaken local claims they were confronted by a “threatening and abusive” campervan driver.
Highland Council recently consulted people in the Scottish Highlands on plans for a tourist tax in the region.
Councillors say the money could be used to support infrastructure – such as roads – which are under pressure from the huge numbers of visitors.
The NC500: Tourists vs Locals
THE NC500 is one of the most popular tourist trips in the country.
The 516-mile stretch has been compared to America’s famous Route 66 and gets thousands of visitors every year.
Tourists flock to take in the breathtaking views of the Scottish Highlands.
But they can get on the wrong side of the people who call the North Coast 500 home.
Residents say the influx of visitors is leading to over-tourism and anti-social behaviour.
Rows have erupted across the north about visitors ignoring rules while passing through towns.
They have come under fire for leaving behind piles of litter on beaches and dumping waste in public places.
Parking and motorhomes have become a MAJOR gripe for locals.
People living on the route have slammed camper drivers for clogging up their roads and not following advice for rural driving.
They have also come under fire for their parking, with some campers ignoring no overnight rules in local car parks, and taking up spaces outside local businesses instead of camping sites.
There have even been some situations where they have parked on private land.
