CAMPAIGNERS have raised concerns over the growing number of car rallies being held on the North Coast 500 route, claiming that local communities aren’t being “protected”.
Highland communities are calling on the local authorities and the organisation behind promoting the NC500 to intervene and stop the growing number of car rallies being scheduled for next year.
Calls for an intervention follow last week's proposal by Austrian motor enthusiast Roman Eggers for a “supercar” rally. Over 10 days next summer, he is planning an event with around 140 cars travelling in convoy around the route.
Campaigners and SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick have called for action amid concerns the NC500 is being treated like a "Disneyland" by people "tear-arsing" around it in sports cars.
Margaret Meek, who lives around four miles off the main NC500 route in Kinlochbervie, said that car rallies on public roads are simply “wrong”.
“These roads are our lifeline, for essential medical appointments, for work, for groceries and more,” she said.
“We shouldn’t have to drive scared.
"The NC500 goes through villages right past people’s front doors.
“Portions like the Drumbeg Loop, which the organisers of the 140 car rally say is perfect, are completely unsuitable for the NC500 in the first place.”
Meek said there is a lot of frustration among residents in the Highlands with the local council, the Scottish Government, and those who oversee the promotion of the NC500 route.
She said: “Why do they all look the other way as if it isn’t happening? Why do they not protect and look after local residents better?”
Meek said she would like to see at the “very minimum” Highland Council introduce a permit for those who wish to organise car rallies in the area.
The campaigner said a paid permit could go towards funding Police Scotland to monitor the events, and has called on the local authorities to clamp down on the number of rallies by “severely limiting” the number organised.
She added tourism in the area is a good thing and that many locals welcome people who come and stay for several days as they get to know the local community and would come back year after year.
However, she sees the car rallies and the promotion of the NC500 as a “bucket list road trip” which has had a negative impact on the tourism industry.
“I don’t like living in a theme park. This is not Disneyland. This is my home, my neighbourhood,” she said.
Roddick, the SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands, shared her frustrations with organised car rallies in the area as she said they often bring no money to the local economy.
Roddick has urged those who do visit the popular tourist route to respect those who live there while they travel, reminding them it is their home and not a “playground”.
“It’s frustrating but familiar to hear of more high-volume events planned for the NC500. I know how upsetting locals find it when their local area is damaged by visitors and roads blocked by those who are using it for fun rather than as a lifeline to services,” she said.
“Promoting the NC500 has always been a mistake. People driving on the road cost the local authority in terms of maintenance and damages amenities for people who live in these communities, and often brings in no money to the area as a result.
“I encourage people who want to visit the Highlands to do so – and to take their time and have respect for those who live here as they travel. This is our home, not a playground.”
Another campaigner, Susan Black, said that due to being stuck behind car convoys for hours she no longer visits her favourite places in the summer due to the difficulty of getting there.
Black, who lives near Kinlochbervie, said that a 30-minute car journey to get to Durness will take around an hour longer in the summer due to the increase in tourism traffic.
She said she’s even been stopped several times at Kylesku Bridge, just outside Unapool because there have been jamborees at the car park.
“They seem to think they have a right to stop the flow of traffic,” she said.
“These things aren't properly stewarded. They're not properly monitored, and it's just sort of a free-for-all.
“I just feel we've been taken total advantage of.”
Black has echoed Meek's calls to regulate the “dangerous” car rallies as she said those who take part feel “entitled” to do what they want as there is no pushback from the local authorities.
“It's this premise that they've got that we're just a theme park so they can do as they like,” she said.
“We're there for the entertainment of the city folk."
She added: “We like to welcome visitors, but we don't like to be abused, and I see this as a form of abuse.”
Robin Pettigrew, who lives near Loch Carron on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty, is also campaigning for more regulation around car rallies.
He said there needs to be more to stop large groups of supercars “tear-arsing” around roads which are “absolutely not set up for that kind of activity”.
Pettigrew added that over the last few years, he’s had “millions of pounds” worth of supercars parked outside the front of his house in Loch Karen.
The campaigner has called for some form of licensing to stop drivers who take part in car rallies from “ludicrously” racing around the NC500.
“It's not going to decrease, and it's not just the organised trips, it's the dozens and dozens of small groups doing it, you know, unsupervised and coming up on their own,” he said.
“There's almost daily groups or substantial numbers of groups.
“On season coming through in assorted high-powered, noisy cars, not all are misbehaving in the villages, but some are.
“And bearing in mind, when you talk about the height of the season with families with kids in the villages, it becomes dangerous.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “We do not have the legal authority as a council to stop or regulate these rallies.
“We ask anyone driving on roads across the Highlands to be considerate of all other road users, drive at a speed appropriate to the weather and road conditions and to remain at all times within the legal speed limits.”
A spokesperson from NC500 Ltd said: “We have not been consulted or involved in the planning of car rally events around the North Coast 500 route. People are however free to travel the route as they wish, provided they remain respectful and abide by the law.
“While we appreciate the concerns some face, any change in law regarding rallies and what can and cannot be done in the Highlands can come only from government.
“As always, we encourage all visitors to respect other road users, the environment, and residents - leaving only footprints and taking only memories. We also urge visitors to support our many great, small local businesses during their stay.”
Business Minister Richard Lochhead (above) said that next year's Budget will include £4 million for the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund in a bid to help improve facilities for the growing number of tourists.
He said: “We are aware of the pressures facing areas which are popular with visitors, particularly during the busy summer months.
“Next year’s draft Budget includes an extra £4 million for the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund to help communities improve facilities for their visitor economy.
“A further £2 million fund, delivered through VisitScotland, will include support for activity to spread visitor numbers more equally across Scotland, including by promoting some of the country’s lesser-known beauty spots and attractions.”
