LOCALS in the Highlands and Islands have shared their "delight" after a group of McLaren supercar drivers "behaved" while visiting Scotland amid a stream of dangerous driving reports on northern roads.
More than 30 McLarens were ferried over to Orkney, with the group staying on the island for some sightseeing. It is understood they were not taking part in the NC500.
A picture was posted by Pentland Ferries, and then shared to the Facebook group NC500: The Dirty Truth with the caption: "I'm sure the locals there will be as delighted as we are."
"We were delighted actually!," one local who worked in an island hotel replied, adding that the group had welcomed those who wanted to see the supercars.
They said: "I looked after them all at the hotel I work at here in Orkney and helped them plan their free time as lots of them wanted to visit certain places and see certain things.
"We also had loads of locals visiting our carpark the two nights that they were here. They were all really lovely, some of them from Scotland."
One woman from Caithness also said the group were "respectful and friendly" when they passed through the town, adding that "this is how a group NC500 should be done".
"This is how a group NC500 should be done. Even when on the road they were reasonable spaced apart and travelling safely," Tracy Brown wrote.
She added: "They put a lot of money into the local community staying at hotels and having meals, visiting local attractions. When the locals came to see the cars they were friendly and polite. Well done to this group."
"No bashing needed. I saw them out on the roads and they were driving under the speed limit and sensibly which is more than can be said for some of us locals!" another wrote.
Another added: "Good to read so many positive comments. It’s not hard for visitors to be respectful, just wish some would take a leaf out of their book. Haste ye back."
It comes after a YouTuber prompted outrage when he disrupted traffic on the NC500 route.
David Crossley, a content creator with 26,000 followers on the video sharing app, travelled from England to document his journey on the popular route with a group of friends.
But one of his clips did not go down well with locals as one of his collaborators, named Dean, carried out a “prank” in which he dressed as a lollipop man and stopped traffic on the A9 near Helmsdale.
In one clip, the men can be seen mocking one local who came up to complain about the stunt.
First Minister of Scotland John Swinney later urged drivers exploring the route around the Highlands to act responsibly, adding he is “acutely aware” of the issues the attraction presents.
The NC500 is now 10 years old and while it brings many benefits for businesses on the route, a lot of locals in the Highlands are resentful of its promotion given it has led to dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour.
