A TRAVEL expert has dubbed Scotland’s North Coast 500 a “motorhome traffic jam” ahead of the summer season.
The 516-mile route, dubbed Scotland’s Route 66, has become one of the most popular destinations in the country.
However, the area has been plagued by problem tourists since the NC500 was first marketed.
Scores of visitors in campervans have caused endless issues for local people with bad driving and ignoring parking rules.
Tourism guru Simon Calder spoke about the issue of bad visitors on the route.
He appeared on Mornings with Stephen Jardine on BBC Radio Scotland and revealed what NC500 visitors can do to get the most out of the area and respect the locals.
The journalist and travel expert said the Highlands were seeing the same issue plaguing other tourist hotspots and gave advice on how to be a good visitor.
He said: “Make sure you are engaging with the local community so that means ideally staying in BnBs run by real people rather than a big California corporation.
“It means shopping in all the local shops, enjoying the local pubs and so on.
“All the things that most people want to do in Scotland as a tourist, except of course, I will mention North Coast 500.
“An amazing tourism marketing device but is now a motorhome traffic jam because people are just stocking up at the nearest big supermarket and then that’s it.
“They are not spending money or engaging with the local community, they are just causing a lot of problems.
“A lot of local people say ‘stay with the locals rather than among them by parking your campervan.”
It comes as the Scottish Government plans to give councils the power to issue a “tourist tax” in a bid to control visitor numbers.
We recently told how people living in one village on the North Coast 500 were being hammered by ignorant visitors not respecting their home.
Locals in Durness, Sutherland – home to some of Scotland’s most breathtaking sights – said they are being INVADED by tourists setting up unauthorised camps.
They even slammed people for ignoring parking rules at popular spots – with some even suggesting drastic action to sort the issue.