THERE’S been a major new investment in the NC500 – which tourists will be sure to love.
New public toilets and motorhome waste disposal facilities have been opened in a £200,000 project at Gairloch in Wester Ross.
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It is designed to help the area cope with a major rise in tourism since the North Coast 500 route was created.
The Gairloch Area Development Trust has been working with Highland Council and Visit Scotland on the scheme.
The toilet block includes shower facilities, baby changing and has disabled access.
The Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: “Gairloch is a popular tourist destination which required upgraded facilities to meet visitor demand, whilst protecting and managing the surrounding landscape.
This new facility has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the public whilst being sensitive to the area.”
Chris Taylor, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: “VisitScotland is focused on the responsible growth of tourism and events.
“To be a sustainable tourism destination, we must ensure the right facilities are in place to cater for the growing demands of both visitors and locals.
“These new improvements will be a welcome addition for the community and help support the long-term infrastructure goals of the wider region.”
Fran Cree , Director at Gairloch Area Development Ltd, said: “The Board of Gairloch Area Development Trust are delighted the facilities at Gairloch beach are now open in time for Easter and the first of the 2024 seasons visitors.
“We’ve already received some very positive comments from motor home visitors and members of the local community.
“The new facilities have been a long time in the planning, and we owe a huge thanks to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and Highland Council’s Coastal Communities Fund team for all their support.”
The popular NC500 tourist drive has been described as both a road paved with gold and a a highway to hell for locals.
There have been issues of human waste from wild toileting, environmental abuse, congestion and damage caused by visitors including long convoys on single track roads of motorhomes and campervans.
Highland Council said previously that while tourism was important, some communities had felt “overwhelmed” when it was busy.
The NC500 is a 516-mile loop in and out of Inverness around the Far North.
It has been hailed by various top travel publications, National Geographic and American broadcaster CNN as one of the world’s greatest drives and highlighted on TV shows such as Top Gear.
The route is estimated to be worth more than £22m a year to the local economy.
