Highlands

[leggly]

The Halladale Campsite in Melvich is closed at the moment but the pub is serving takeaway. The Melvich Hotel is shut also, at the moment. The whole of the north coast is problematic getting everyday supplies so if you’re coming this way, bring what you need.

[towser]

s70rmp said:

As long as we can get ready meals from M&S I’m guessing we could survive ??

Local Tesco’s has been raided by idiots just hoarding for the end of days

We’ll discuss this weekend and monitor what government advises

Working fro. Home for a week and a half before going and only outside contact is going to shops

Being a local the general feeling is that people should stay away for the time being.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highland...

Edited by towser on Saturday 21st March 09:26

[s70rmp]

towser said:

s70rmp said:

As long as we can get ready meals from M&S I’m guessing we could survive ??

Local Tesco’s has been raided by idiots just hoarding for the end of days

We’ll discuss this weekend and monitor what government advises

Working fro. Home for a week and a half before going and only outside contact is going to shops

Being a "local" the general feeling is that people should stay away for the time being.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highland...

Yeah I get the feeling we’d be made to feel less then welcome

Trying to get refund but looks like £850 down the drain

[towser]

s70rmp said:

Yeah I get the feeling we’d be made to feel less then welcome

It's not about people being unwelcoming, rather that they are concerned for friends and family. There's quite a few up here already "getting away from it all"....but the far north is full of older folk, dispersed over a huge area with very limited emergency services cover. A round trip for an ambulance between the north coast and Raigmore in Inverness is 4.5 - 5 hours. Taking the pressure off that fragile system whilst this virus does it's thing is the decent thing to do....

[Burnzyb]

It’s a shame we may not be able to visit what is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the U.K. because of this CV19.

We went for a car show our club had put on in Perth last year and we travelled up for a long weekend, my only gripe was we wasn’t there long enough, we shipped the rabble off to Loch Ness and we spent an 8 hour day driving through the highlands, it was amazing, I just wish we had more time to stop and take in the scenery.

We also wanted to go back this year for a more leisurely visit, but I think it’ll be way off the cards until all this blows over.

I’m appalling with photos but these two are nice, they don’t show how unbelievably amazing some of these roads are.

[vaderface]

towser said:

Being a local the general feeling is that people should stay away for the time being.

Edited by towser on Saturday 21st March 09:26

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-i...
Yep stay away.

[leggly]

This was posted on Facebook today.

Ian Blackford I have been contacted by the Nevis Range Centre in Fort William who tell me that they have had to turn away around 30 camper vans, which had travelled from various parts of the UK, who were intending to use their car park as a refuge.

I cannot stress enough that this pattern of behaviour is irresponsible, counterproductive and must stop with immediate effect. Local services here face unprecedented pressure levels as we all battle this global pandemic. I urge everyone to do the right thing; follow the Government advice and please do not travel here. If these warnings are not heeded and people need to be stopped from travelling, then I am afraid that is what will have to happen. Those in camper vans please go home!

[Burnzyb]

That’s because a large percentage of today’s society is all about themselves and no one else.

[andy_s]

‘Oh you’re welcome, ‘bout as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool’

And quite right too.

I feel a bit sorry for my [Stirling-based] mate though, he cancelled his Caribbean yacht holiday so decided to take the family in a massive hired land-yacht for his first taste of ‘camping’. They ended up finding Skye closed, no shops, bolshy letters on his windscreen and taking hours to get anywhere due to the traffic. It always had the smack of The Grizewolds about it, but now it’s solid disaster movie material...

[johnwilliams77]

andy_s said:

‘Oh you’re welcome, ‘bout as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool’

And quite right too.

I feel a bit sorry for my [Stirling-based] mate though, he cancelled his Caribbean yacht holiday so decided to take the family in a massive hired land-yacht for his first taste of ‘camping’. They ended up finding Skye closed, no shops, bolshy letters on his windscreen and taking hours to get anywhere due to the traffic. It always had the smack of The Grizewolds about it, but now it’s solid disaster movie material...

Quite a stupid thing to do so hard to feel sorry for him.

[Welshbeef]

Burnzyb said:

It’s a shame we may not be able to visit what is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the U.K. because of this CV19.

We went for a car show our club had put on in Perth last year and we travelled up for a long weekend, my only gripe was we wasn’t there long enough, we shipped the rabble off to Loch Ness and we spent an 8 hour day driving through the highlands, it was amazing, I just wish we had more time to stop and take in the scenery.

We also wanted to go back this year for a more leisurely visit, but I think it’ll be way off the cards until all this blows over.

I’m appalling with photos but these two are nice, they don’t show how unbelievably amazing some of these roads are.

Rabble = Wives girlfriends and Kids?

If so that is shocking. Nice holiday and one of the no doubt few a year and you then stay away from the Rabbks as you’ve shipped them to Loch Ness.

[Gadgetmac]

I see there are warnings to those trying to escape the crisis not to travel up to the highlands.

[Welshbeef]

Gadgetmac said:

I see there are warnings to those trying to escape the crisis not to travel up to the highlands.

There are some threads here where “week off work driving trip round the UK it’s ok only me in the car” others mobile home again were carrying our food with us when we stop only in isolated location.

[s70rmp]

towser said:

s70rmp said:

Yeah I get the feeling we’d be made to feel less then welcome

It's not about people being unwelcoming, rather that they are concerned for friends and family. There's quite a few up here already "getting away from it all"....but the far north is full of older folk, dispersed over a huge area with very limited emergency services cover. A round trip for an ambulance between the north coast and Raigmore in Inverness is 4.5 - 5 hours. Taking the pressure off that fragile system whilst this virus does it's thing is the decent thing to do....

We have cancelled our plans
Common sense to not go
Also reading about the amount of camper vans that headed up there Friday and Saturday

£850 down but it’s only money

We’ll return when we can

[Poseidon]

Heard from a friend who lives along the NC500 route that the locals are starting to take matters into their own hands now, there have been banners put up asking (telling) all tourists to leave and entrances to campsites have been blocked.

[Welshbeef]

We’ve an issue our other house - family home for 45 years which parents go back and forth to every 6 weeks there have been 7 slates slip leaving a gaping hole in the roof - no felt it’s an old Victorian house.

So I’m going to have to go up there and get it fixed or the weather will wash through ceilings electrics walls and quickly cause huge damage.
When we go there though nearest house is half a mile away. We would take all the food and drink we need not leave the property and once fixed return here.

[Burnzyb]

Welshbeef said:

Rabble = Wives girlfriends and Kids?

If so that is shocking. Nice holiday and one of the no doubt few a year and you then stay away from the Rabbks as you’ve shipped them to Loch Ness.

Yes, although not really shocking, they wouldn’t of enjoyed it, none of us don’t particularly like having the misses and kids in the car when pressing on especially on roads like we was, they loved Loch Ness, the Wag’s where drinking wine on the boat in the blazing sunshine, it was for one day, everyone was a winner

[towser]

Welshbeef said:

We’ve an issue our other house - family home for 45 years which parents go back and forth to every 6 weeks there have been 7 slates slip leaving a gaping hole in the roof - no felt it’s an old Victorian house.

So I’m going to have to go up there and get it fixed or the weather will wash through ceilings electrics walls and quickly cause huge damage.
When we go there though nearest house is half a mile away. We would take all the food and drink we need not leave the property and once fixed return here.

Use a local roofer

[Welshbeef]

towser said:

Welshbeef said:

We’ve an issue our other house - family home for 45 years which parents go back and forth to every 6 weeks there have been 7 slates slip leaving a gaping hole in the roof - no felt it’s an old Victorian house.

So I’m going to have to go up there and get it fixed or the weather will wash through ceilings electrics walls and quickly cause huge damage.
When we go there though nearest house is half a mile away. We would take all the food and drink we need not leave the property and once fixed return here.

Use a local roofer

The pad is locked up as in the gates are padlocked - they would have to climb over the tallish and extremely rusty gates to get in. Plus I’ve covered the top of the gate with that anti vandal gunk.

[HarryW]

Poseidon said:

Heard from a friend who lives along the NC500 route that the locals are starting to take matters into their own hands now, there have been banners put up asking (telling) all tourists to leave and entrances to campsites have been blocked.

I find it extraordinary Behaviour tbh, almost verging on the nimbyish.
I’ve toured the Highlands and Islands in Motorhome’s for a few years in the spring time. It quite easy to not cross another soul for days at a time whilst carrying enough food to see you through. With planning the only thing you need is fuel and water, even then automated (unmanned) petrol stations can be had, so not even getting close to the locals then.
However that all said and given the current situation I won’t be going this spring. Might give it a go in the autumn weather permitting.