DEATHS and serious accidents on the North Coast 500 tourist road have risen by almost 50 per cent.

The route, which has had huge publicity since its launch in March 2015 has been billed as Scotland's answer to the US 'Route 66.'

It covers some of the most spectacular scenery in the north Highlands, but there were nine deaths and 23 serious accidents on the nine main roads on the 516-mile route in 2016.

It represents a rise of 45 on 2014's figures of six deaths and 16 serious accidents.

The increased visitor numbers have put a strain on local infrastructure and the behaviour of some motorists has also angered residents living along the route who have reported speeding and dangerous driving to the police.

Alison MacLeod, the local development officer for Applecross Community Company in Wester Ross, said inexperienced drivers tackling the route were a serious concern.

“We are concerned there is going to be a serious accident,” she said.

“We have seen a lot of incidents of cars being damaged, ending up stuck on the road or bursting a tyre because the road is so badly maintained and, as traffic meets on the single-track road, people are pushed over to the side of the road where there might be a sharp drop.”

A report commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise on the route in 2016 showed there had been a 10 per cent increase in the volume of traffic on the roads since the route opened and a 26 per cent rise in the number of visitors.