August 15, 2025, 4:47 am | Read time: 4 minutes

When thinking of Scotland’s Highlands, one likely envisions images taken somewhere along the North Coast 500, or NC500 for short. Chief among them: a sense of solitude amidst majestically towering, rugged mountains to the left and right. Today, the reality is quite different. The mountains remain the same. The iconic scenic route still offers dreamlike views of the fascinating Scottish mountain landscapes. But solitude is hardly the case. On the contrary, the North Coast 500 is groaning under the weight of overtourism. Trash, masses of cars, and feces included.

Residents Complain About Tourist Misbehavior

A report by the British “Telegraph” describes the conditions on the ground. It mentions people using the road as a racetrack, trash being dumped in ditches along the route, and clogged roads.

In the Facebook group “NC500 The dirty truth” (translated as “NC500 the dirty truth”), residents vent their frustration over the overly successful tourism project. Post after post deals with wild campers and an overwhelming number of motorhomes that park not only in designated campsites but also in regular parking lots or even in the middle of nature. There are also reports of human waste left in the Highlands and various accidents and near-accidents due to a misplaced sense of entitlement, as some group members complain. In this video, you can see masses of cars and motorhomes lined up like a convoy on the famous road:

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Also of interest: »Why the Highlands Are Both a Place of Longing and a Seafood Paradise for Me

Tourism Project North Coast 500

The North Coast 500 was renamed and strategically marketed by the North Highland Initiative ten years ago to boost tourism in northern Scotland. The idea was to develop a scenario where visitors would stay in local accommodations, dine in local restaurants, and spend their money in other facilities around the NC500 in the north of the United Kingdom. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. And with it, a new desire for mobile vacation accommodations where one could not only sleep but also cook. Coupled with a growing desire for affordable vacations.

This does not mean that local tourist facilities do not benefit from the increase in tourism in the Highlands. Not all tourists are traveling with motorhomes and the like. What it often means, as is always the case with mass tourism, is an increase in the misbehavior of too many tourists. And that ultimately means trouble with residents and an increase in rules and restrictions.

In the meantime, the coastal road has become an icon of European road trip routes. Not least pushed by numerous influencers who share images of the 516-mile loop, which begins and ends in Inverness, on social media. By the way, Fodor has even placed Scotland’s North Coast 500 on its “No List” for 2025 (TRAVELBOOK reported).