Ullapool Motorcycles Closed

There's complaints also about the sheer number of tourists but that applies only to particular hot spots at particular times and it's really about inadequate spending on transport infrastructure and not.directed against tourists as such.

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So true. Was in New Zealand this time last year and in the hotspots (Queenstown for example) it was jammed and our disorganised friends who didn't book ahead struggled in places.- but get away from the towns and it's generally fine, and on the many back country dirt tracks there's virtually nothing in the way of traffic.

Loads more people from the emerging economies taking holidays has pushed overall numbers up hugely just about everywhere - there are billions of them after all! It would be nice if the Scottish govt. could find a few quid to put signs directed specifically at campervans telling them to pull the feck over from time to time. But no bins, public toilets closing, inadequate parking at hotspots, potholes etc etc also a big problem.

If yer coming to Scotland, book early and avoid the first two weeks of August especially. In fact, come in September or early October.

On a bike trip some years ago we had a few comments in a pub one night in Tongue. The locals were concerned that a load of Scousers had descended on the village and that for the first time in years they were going to lock their cars, houses and hide their first born until we leave

ThreeDawg said:

Fighting the traffic in September last year on the NC500 in Sutherland.

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That's a lovely RGS..

The NC500 will be on the grand tour this coming series so it will only get busier. People from the South of England who come up in groups of Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other supercars can be real pricks.

Groups of bikers who just follow their leader without an any real knowledge of where they were when they phoned up were a constant source of wonderment.

About 7 years ago, I (a Shetlander) was doing what is now the NC500 and was staying in Thurso on the first night (I was doing the loop anti-clockwise).

I walked into a bar in the Main Street and the place pretty much fell silent. I was asked who I was, where I was from and why I was there. My responses appeared to be accepted and I drank with the locals all evening.

Upon leaving, one of the locals shouted:

Local: Hey, Shetlander, what has one eye and smells of pish?

Me: I have no idea.

Local: Wick!!!

I thought it was pretty funny.

That's a lovely RGS..

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Thanks! Not one for the rivet counters perhaps, but it goes very well.