It is one of the UK's most scenic routes and has exploded in popularity in recent years. 

But now Scotland's answer to the famous Route 66 Highway - the North Coast 500 - has been revealed as the country's most dangerous road. 

The 516-mile long road trip, which covers the northern coasts of Scotland, had been surging in popularity over the past few years before the outbreak of the pandemic.

A new study by the team at online auto trader specialists We Buy Broken Vans which dives into data on some of the UK’s most beloved road trips has found some sobering statistics.

The Herald:

The road winds throuygh some rough terrain 

Using data collected from the Department of Transport - including information on Road Safety Data for Accidents from 2016-2020 - they mapped out each road trip to determine which route is the Most Dangerous Road Trip in the UK.

The research revealed that the North Coast 500, ranked by the RAC as the most popular Road Trip in the UK is also the most dangerous, at least in terms of total accidents.

Between 2016-2020 there were a total of 307 accidents along the popular Scottish route.

In January alone, searches for UK Road Trips have increased by 142%, and are set to rise even further as we head into spring and restrictions are relaxed across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Devon to Cornwall route in England is second with a total of 133 accidents within the same time frame. The picturesque Snowdonia route in Wales, which passes through a large portion of the National Park is 3rd with 125 accidents.