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. Y

@@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 💜

It was! 😅 Glad you enjoyed it, thank you 😊 Em 💜

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 💜

I don’t disagree with you to be fair. Best wishes, Em 💜

Hi Kathy, it’s spectacular scenery isn’t it 😁 Aww thank you so much for the lovely comment. Em 💜

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 💜

Thanks so much Wendy 😊 Em 💜

It really is an amazing drive 😎 Thanks for the comment Gail, much appreciated. Em 💜

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 💜

It’s a spectacular drive isn’t it! 😎 Thank you, Em 💜

It was just beautiful there 😍 Thank you so much for watching. Em 💜

It was certainly an unforgettable drive 😁 That sheep pushing the other one! Naughty thing! Thank you so much for popping in. Em 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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! 😎👍👍

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 💜

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

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!

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

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 💜

Thank you so much 😊 Em 💜

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

Hello & welcome! Thank you so much 😊 Em 💜

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. 👍👍😃

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

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 💜

Glad you enjoyed it, haha I (Em) wasn’t keen on the drop offs 🙈🤭 Thank you for stopping by. Em 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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

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 💜 ▼ Reply

@@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 💜

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 😎

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 💜

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 💜

🤣🙈 I had a lot of editing with this one Glynn, to make it a KZfaq 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 💜

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 💜

Thank you 😊 Em 💜

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

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 👀🤭

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 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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 😇😂 😂

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 💜

@@williamcoulter5462 😂There is definitely some interesting roads! Thanks for watching, Em 💜

Haha yes, thankfully it wasn’t me doing the driving 🤭🙈 Thank you for the comment. Em 💜

@@smallam49 oh wow I bet that was an experience 😎 I would imagine a lot quieter back then too! 😁 Thanks for watching, Em 💜

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 💜

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 💜

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 💜

Totally agree with you 😁 Thank you for commenting, Em 💜

Thank you for the comment 😎 Em 💜

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 💜

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 💜

Thanks for the comment 😎 Em 💜

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 💜