I RECENTLY had the good fortune to partake in a Highland road trip that took in part of the NC500.

We didn’t do it all and it was more like the NC200 but it was definitely worth it despite the weather.

Most of the time was spent Googling views we should have seen as all we could see was heavy, enveloping clouds.

I first did a Highland road trip in the early 90’s and the difference between then and now is incredibly stark. 

Small villages such as Durness and Scourie are now pleasantly busy and many locals have cashed in on the popularity of the route by seeking up businesses to serve the many visitors.

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Thirty years ago, the only seafood available was scampi in a basket or haddock and chips, while huge refrigerated lorries pounded the narrow roads carrying off prime shellfish to France or Spain.

Now there are a myriad of restaurants and shacks along the way showcasing the very best local produce.

Very welcome it is too.

Everywhere along the route were European visitors positively cooing over the delights of Scotland and rightly so.

The Highlands are glorious even in the rain and every Scot should visit and appreciate it and see why it us regularly voted the most beautiful country in the world..

Of course, the NC500 has its critics and it is certainly far from perfect but it is doing exactly what it was set up to do and that is revitalise a previously forgotten part of Scotland.

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The haters, many from the central belt who never even visit, are wrong.

The NC500 is glorious and it is baffling that it is so under appreciated by people who actually live here.

One aspect that has drawn a lot of criticism, justifiably so too, is the increased traffic, particularly motorhomes, on the route.

Most of the roads have been upgraded but there are still many miles of single track roads which can cause total havoc.

Many tourists, including Scots, have no idea how to drive on them and passing places are sometimes treated like car parks so that photos can be taken which can cause lengthy tailbacks.

Now this week average speed cameras have been temporarily installed on a road in Caithness which forms part of the NC500.

Police Scotland said the move was in response to reports of speeding and an increase in traffic on the A836 on a 10-mile stretch between Thurso and Reay.

Roads in the area are also becoming busier with traffic linked to logging or wind farms.

It must be incredibly frustrating for locals trying to simply get from A to B safely and in decent time and it is easy to sympathiser with their complaints.

But on balance, the NC500 has brought many benefits to the area since it was launched in 2015.

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For locals, there are far more economic opportunities while the tourist experience in general is vastly superior to what it was.

New visitor centres at sites such as the Corrieshalloch Gorge near Ullapool and the Fairy pools on Skye are welcome.

Places such as upmarket Plockton have been transformed from sleepy wee places with nothing but views, albeit with upmarket prices in Plockton’s case.

There’s a real buzz about Ullapool and Mallaig too.

It has been said that for some it is a road paved with gold while for others it is a highway to Hell.

Regardless, it is spectacular and showcases everything that is good about Scotland.