NC500 (north coast road)

NC500 (north coast road)

Author
Discussion

Mad_Mac

22 posts

76 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
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GetCarter said:
FYI - I would be seriously concerned about doing the NC500 for at least the next few months.

We have fibre optic cables going in here and complete road closures to Applecross, and the roads department seem to have gone awol. Consequently the local garage is doing 50+ punctures a week due to the complete absence of road repairs.

If you do come, don't drive through any puddles. Some of them are 9" deep. If you damage your car, please complain to Highland Council, and claim compensation.

One of these days, they'll use road tax to maintain roads!

You made me bit worried. I’m doing nc500 in 1.5 day at the begging of April in my BMW M135i. I hopeI won’t end up looking for new tires/wheels.

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
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Mad_Mac said:
You made me bit worried. I’m doing nc500 in 1.5 day at the begging of April in my BMW M135i. I hopeI won’t end up looking for new tires/wheels.
Bealach na Ba closed April 9th for 6 weeks (In case you missed it).

Mad_Mac

22 posts

76 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
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GetCarter said:
Bealach na Ba closed April 9th for 6 weeks (In case you missed it).
I didn’t know. What is the best source of information for nc500 roads? Any suggestions in regards to diversion? Thank you

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Mad_Mac said:
GetCarter said:
Bealach na Ba closed April 9th for 6 weeks (In case you missed it).
I didn’t know. What is the best source of information for nc500 roads? Any suggestions in regards to diversion? Thank you
Probably me for the Applecross loop. (I live on it).

There is still some confusion as to when it will be open after April 9th. Latest says before 9 am it'll be open, after that it'll be either closed or a PITA.

If you want to go to Applecross, the coast road is just about finished, so you can always use that... see pic below, taken today - through windscreen. Imagine that on the Bealach.

April 9th for 6 weeks is a guess, they may well finish before.



Watch this space (and the Highland Roads thread) and I'll update asap.



Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 24th February 14:56

Mad_Mac

22 posts

76 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
GetCarter said:
Probably me for the Applecross loop. (I live on it).

There is still some confusion as to when it will be open after April 9th. Latest says before 9 am it'll be open, after that it'll be either closed or a PITA.

If you want to go to Applecross, the coast road is just about finished, so you can always use that... see pic below, taken today - through windscreen. Imagine that on the Bealach.

April 9th for 6 weeks is a guess, they may well finish before.



Watch this space (and the Highland Roads thread) and I'll update asap.



Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 24th February 14:56
Thank you for an update. I was planning to spend first night in Inverness but might push it to get closer to Applecross so I can set off from hotel at 7:30 am and get there by 8:30to be able to cross. Any other road closures plannned between 9-11 of April?
Will they be closing only Applecross pass or the whole road?

Edited by Mad_Mac on Saturday 24th February 15:15

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
quotequote all
Mad_Mac said:
Thank you for an update. I was planning to spend first night in Inverness but might push it to get closer to Applecross so I can set off from hotel at 7:30 am and get there by 8:30to be able to cross. Any other road closures plannned between 9-11 of April?
Will they be closing only Applecross pass or the whole road?

Edited by Mad_Mac on Saturday 24th February 15:15
It's from the cafe at Tornapress to Applecross (as I understand it). If it's not already full, book yourself into the Apllecrsoos Inn! (Then you can continue north via the coast road). Other than that, just turn up really early (best time to drive it anyway) and you'll have the place to yourself.

rovcallum

535 posts

143 months

Saturday 24th February 2018
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Bealach na ba was looking wonderful today. Very little traffic.



Snow drifts were quite spectacular



And Applecross is still a great place to visit.

Must agree with everyone's comments on potholes - disgraceful state of the roads just now..
Almost takes the pleasure out of the drive on some sections of the roads (A896, A890, A87 and A887) I was on today.

flatlemon

93 posts

75 months

Thursday 8th March 2018
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@GetCarter - any updates on the planned road closures in the area?

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Thursday 8th March 2018
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flatlemon said:
@GetCarter - any updates on the planned road closures in the area?
Yep... Got the info sent. I'm just back from London...

Bealach na Ba will be closed:

From 9am hours on Monday 9 April 2018 to 2300 hours Friday 18 May 2018.
Weekdays - Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm hours and 5pm – 11pm.
Weekends - the road be open to traffic all weekend with traffic management in place. Fifteen minute delays are to be expected at the weekend.

Coast road to Applecross open.


Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 8th March 16:29

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

176 months

Thursday 8th March 2018
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(sorry, off topic)

GetCarter said:
I'm just back from London...
If I can just poke my nose in for a minute - were you in a studio by any chance? If so, anything you can tell us about (as in, were you producing music for a forthcoming blockbuster or anything?...)

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Friday 9th March 2018
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ReverendCounter said:
If I can just poke my nose in for a minute - were you in a studio by any chance? If so, anything you can tell us about (as in, were you producing music for a forthcoming blockbuster or anything?...)
Ha... not a blockbuster - though many of the usual musicians I use were working in Air Studio on the new Star Wars film.

I was in Angel Studios with this lot (among others), recording an album of my orchestral production music for Warner Brothers.

(It'll turn up on progs like The Apprentice, Top Gear, Horizon etc etc... so it's not program/film specific)



Nice to return home to this>>>






Edited by GetCarter on Friday 9th March 10:49

flatlemon

93 posts

75 months

Friday 9th March 2018
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Thank you for that GetCarter - much appreciated.

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

176 months

Friday 9th March 2018
quotequote all
(Apologies to anyone for the slight thread derailment)

GetCarter said:
I was in Angel Studios with this lot (among others), recording an album of my orchestral production music for Warner Brothers.
(It'll turn up on progs like The Apprentice, Top Gear, Horizon etc etc... so it's not program/film specific)
Oh, so you do things properly! I had visions of racks of servers running vast sample libraries and distributed processing for software instruments and plug ins etc! (as well as a demanding AP/AD insisting on on-the-spot changes due to editing requirements or something)

Bet the musos are loving the work. If you don't mind me asking, some of your arrangements must be picked up under exclusive licensing deals, but I'm assuming a fair bit is non exclusive - if so, does it get used/distributed to different territories so viewers don't hear the same music on the same films/productions?

(And if I can take this opportunity, do you have any requirements at all for unique, interesting, psychedelic synthesized/electronic textures and rhythms by any chance?! - if you don't ask, etc...)

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Friday 9th March 2018
quotequote all
ReverendCounter said:
Oh, so you do things properly! I had visions of racks of servers running vast sample libraries and distributed processing for software instruments and plug ins etc! (as well as a demanding AP/AD insisting on on-the-spot changes due to editing requirements or something)

Bet the musos are loving the work. If you don't mind me asking, some of your arrangements must be picked up under exclusive licensing deals, but I'm assuming a fair bit is non exclusive - if so, does it get used/distributed to different territories so viewers don't hear the same music on the same films/productions?

(And if I can take this opportunity, do you have any requirements at all for unique, interesting, psychedelic synthesized/electronic textures and rhythms by any chance?! - if you don't ask, etc...)
I'll PM you later with the reply to that, as it's a serious thread derail! wink

GetCarter

29,380 posts

279 months

Friday 9th March 2018
quotequote all
zubzob said:
Can I have an attempt at derailing the thread too getcarter?

If mountains, air, roads were high on the shopping list, did you ever consider the Alps or similar? I'm guessing travel time to London is potentially comparable from parts of it.
Can't speak the lingo mate wink

Seriously, When I moved up here I still had elderly folk to consider. Now gone, but love it here. Wouldn't move.

mallygreen

243 posts

190 months

Saturday 10th March 2018
quotequote all
Yep can defo vouch for the potholes. This on A82 Fort-Augustus







Audi wanted £750 for the alloy!! and the tyre was £185





bigwheel

1,618 posts

214 months

Saturday 10th March 2018
quotequote all
mallygreen said:
Yep can defo vouch for the potholes. This on A82 Fort-Augustus







Audi wanted £750 for the alloy!! and the tyre was £185
Get it straightened.

mallygreen

243 posts

190 months

Saturday 10th March 2018
quotequote all
No chance, the whole things buckled.

EL11SEG

1,849 posts

180 months

Saturday 10th March 2018
quotequote all
mallygreen said:
Yep can defo vouch for the potholes. This on A82 Fort-Augustus







Audi wanted £750 for the alloy!! and the tyre was £185
Ouch Peter that’s a sore one.

bigwheel

1,618 posts

214 months

Saturday 10th March 2018
quotequote all
mallygreen said:
No chance, the whole things buckled.
You would be mightily surprised what can be done with metal.
The experts know what is feasible and what is not. They have seen a lot of bent wheels and will know what will and won't straighten.

A few years ago I convinced someone who had bent, cracked and buckled his Italian imported wheel on a pot-hole to go and try a wheel specialist. Result=biggrin