RESIDENTS along the route of the North Coast 500 fear tensions between locals and tourists may boil over into European-style anti-tourism protests, according to a campaigner.
While the route captivates tens of thousands of visitors every year, there are rising concerns about the impact of over-tourism’s impact on local communities.
The NC500, as it is commonly known, is a rebranding exercise of the existing links in Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness.
The company which promotes the route is ultimately owned by Scotland’s richest man Anders Hoch Povlsen, who took it over from King Charles’s North Highland Initiative in 2018.
It is worth more than £22 million to the local economy each year, but due to a lack of infrastructure it has caused tensions with locals – with reports of illegal camping, littering and human waste being discarded along the route.
Campaigner Robin Pettigrew, who lives on the route in Lochcarron, Wester Ross, told LBC there was a risk irate locals could take “direct action” as had been seen in Spain and Greece against inconsiderate tourists.
He said: “I'm seeing a lot of discussion on social media about taking direct action. There is a lot of talk now about direct action and protests.
“The same problems that are happening in the Canaries and the Balearic islands are happening here with overtourism, houses being snapped up, no jobs for the locals, Airbnbs buying everything up. It's exactly the same problems just in a wider area.”
Pettigrew added: “I don't know where it will go. I'm quite worried about it.
“But some of the talk is not nice that we wouldn't want to see - I don't mind protests and reasonable legal direct action - but not some of the stuff that's coming over social media that is nasty and can’t be condoned.”
Some of the more extreme examples included rumours that locals planned to put nails in the road to puncture tyres or “putting glass in apples”, which Pettigrew described as “appalling”.
He added: “And some of that nastier side has already been happening for a number of years. We've had missiles thrown at camper vans, we know that's happened, and it's happening on both sides.
“On a small scale yes, but we've had people attacking each other...we’ve had youngsters on motorcycles who've been photographing people illegally camping and they had rocks thrown at them.
“This type of stuff is happening as we speak, so it's not a case of waiting for it to happen. It's escalating slowly and happening more. And it will unless something's done.”
First Minister John Swinney said: "I think it's important that we all recognise the need for different industries such as tourism to be compatible with the lives of local communities and many communities respond to that challenge with the enhancement of infrastructure.
“Obviously the Government has worked constructively with the Highland Council to try to put in place resources to enhance the public infrastructure that will support visitors coming to the NC500.
"I would certainly encourage the Highland Council to work closely and collaboratively with local communities to address and resolve any practical issues that arise"
NC500 Limited was approached for comment.
