THE North Coast 500 is one of 15 places around the world to have been named as a "no travel" destination by a tourist guide website, which cited "untenable" and "disgusting" overtourism.
Among the 15 worldwide destinations suffering from “untenable popularity", the NC500 is a 516-mile loop in the Highlands which has exploded in popularity in recent years
Bali in Indonesia, Koh Samui in Thailand, Mount Everest, and Kerala in India are also included on the list.
Fodor’s Travel’s annual "no list" says all the places mentioned "are popular for good reason – they are stunning, intriguing, and culturally significant", but they are "collapsing under the burden of their own prominence".
Down the years, the route has increasingly faced a number of issues including problems with the number of motorhomes travelling on the route, parking issues as well as toilet facilities and speeding.
When referencing the route, the publisher said the “newfound surge in popularity comes with significant downsides, from the inconvenient to the downright disgusting".
It goes on: "Wild camping on beaches, in laybys, and even on private property is common, and residents report finding campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces in their wake.
“Roads are congested with traffic, increasing the frequency of accidents and causing significant delays for locals [and] overtourism is also driving up the cost of living in the Highlands, pricing out locals and steadily changing the region’s culture.”
It comes after calls for a “partial or more targeted ban” on motorhomes and caravans on the route after a ban was implemented along coastal locations in North Yorkshire.
