NC500 In September

[Norfolk Jim]

I'm fairly certain you can still fly by (small!) plane and/or helicopter. If you haven't been you really must go, simply stunning.

We'd need to under sling the camper though

 

[Velma's Dad]

We'd need to under sling the camper though

Chinook can do 10 tonnes under slung (if memory serves) so that would be at least three Calis each rotation but you'd have to put some cardboard or something between them or the paintwork would be buggered.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

Excellent - I have a friend in RAF logistics so who else wants the lift??

 

[subthree]

Excellent - I have a friend in RAF logistics so who else wants the lift??

Yes please. If your friend could please collect ours from Emden (German port), where it has sat for several months, and then across to Scilly that would be awesome!

 

[Norfolk Jim]

Hmmmmm.... I was talking about Harris but suppose could do a detour for you; chinooks have a decent range.... I can see next year there's going to be a plethora of us on either Harris or Scillies.............. I haven't been to Scillies as last time we were in Penzance they were moving the helipad so never did the trip - since then it's always been Scotland away from everything - just man, woman and dog

 

[subthree]

Hmmmmm.... I was talking about Harris but suppose could do a detour for you; chinooks have a decent range.... I can see next year there's going to be a plethora of us on either Harris or Scillies.............. I haven't been to Scillies as last time we were in Penzance they were moving the helipad so never did the trip - since then it's always been Scotland away from everything - just man, woman and dog

I would be very happy with either. I just want to get out of the house!

 

[BeagleMum]

Yes please. If your friend could please collect ours from Emden (German port), where it has sat for several months, and then across to Scilly that would be awesome!

No visitors vehicles allowed on the Isles of Scilly you walk, cycle, hire a golf buggy. There is an island bus & a couple of taxis. We’ve been over 2 dozen times, first time 1995 we couldn’t believe the scene as our helicopter approached the islands, just magical. There weren’t golf buggy’s then & only one taxi which we much preferred.

 

[BeagleMum]

Hmmmmm.... I was talking about Harris but suppose could do a detour for you; chinooks have a decent range.... I can see next year there's going to be a plethora of us on either Harris or Scillies.............. I haven't been to Scillies as last time we were in Penzance they were moving the helipad so never did the trip - since then it's always been Scotland away from everything - just man, woman and dog

That’s you scuppered you will never be allowed on the islands if you call them ‘Scillies’ it’s sacrilege! Always known as the Isles of Scilly, the islands hate anyone calling them what you did

 

[subthree]

No visitors vehicles allowed on the Isles of Scilly you walk, cycle, hire a golf buggy.

No visitors' "vehicles" allowed, but you can get your kayaks on the ferry!

 

[Karlos]

Re NC500, we should have been there in the last week in March. I was thinking of going up for 2 weeks in September after the kids are back at school if we are allowed or Cornwall and leave the NC until next year.

 

[Vagophile]

I bought these in anticipation of doing the route in May 2018. Circumstances prevented it and I have yet to use them!

 

[Craig Morrison]

I grew up in the very north of Scotland (Halkirk) and my parents still stay there. At this moment I wouldn’t make any plans to do the NC500. At the moment there are still people appearing in the area doing wild camping and the locals are taking a very huge disliking to this. The people traveling believe they are safer as it’s less populated area than further south, the issue with this is it will put even bigger strain on the very limited medical resources we have in the North. So basically what I’m saying is for everyone please do not go there until all of this is over. I personally doubt there will be any kind of holidays away for anyone this year but guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[xkirkba]

NC500 is now so fashionable we steer clear. We have walked into Sandwood Bay twice, the first time alone, the second time was like going up Cat Bells on a sunny Sunday. You can imagine our disappointment. For us wilderness experiences don’t work in crowds so we are going to less busy places like Ireland and will go back to the North of Scotland when it’s quiet again. And the locals do resent you especially if you wild camp.

 

[Stewart1150]

We did the NC500 some years ago, before the NC500 was established as a “route” - albeit on a motorbike (R1100RT), staying at B&Bs / guest houses. Fantastic memories and definitely felt very different (and special) to our trip a couple of years ago.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

We did the NC500 some years ago, before the NC500 was established as a “route” - albeit on a motorbike (R1100RT), staying at B&Bs / guest houses. Fantastic memories and definitely felt very different (and special) to our trip a couple of years ago.

Yes - we did it the first time before the NC500 started and as you say totally different.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

NC500 is now so fashionable we steer clear. We have walked into Sandwood Bay twice, the first time alone, the second time was like going up Cat Bells on a sunny Sunday. You can imagine our disappointment. For us wilderness experiences don’t work in crowds so we are going to less busy places like Ireland and will go back to the North of Scotland when it’s quiet again. And the locals do resent you especially if you wild camp.

We are thinking Ireland (need green card now!) as our sons partner lives in Galway so would be nice to visit there.

 

[BeagleMum]

We are thinking Ireland (need green card now!) as our sons partner lives in Galway so would be nice to visit there.

We were planning on Ireland last year but you can’t take the dogs with you on board. They either have to go in kennels or stay in the car. The car deck is incredibly noisy with alarms etc going off.
Also there are incidents of dogs being lost/running off scared from the ship which really concerned us so we reluctantly changed our plans.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

We were planning on Ireland last year but you can’t take the dogs with you on board. They either have to go in kennels or stay in the car. The car deck is incredibly noisy with alarms etc going off.
Also there are incidents of dogs being lost/running off scared from the ship which really concerned us so we reluctantly changed our plans.

We would leave Skye here in kennels if we did go. Last year on Arran ferry there was a horse box and as you says alarms were going off left right and centre and horse was kicking the sides like mad - scary and sad. The owners simply turned up just before docking and drove off as if nothing had happened - disgusted with them not even looking in on the horse.

 

[barry]

Sadly it doesn't look like you'll be doing the trip - however if you do and don't mind a walk (erm about 4 miles) there is a fantastic beach just south of Cape Wrath called Sandwood Bay. There is no motor access to this beach, just a long windy track so if you wanted a BBQ on beach you need to carry everything. You can't walk round the coast either but when you get there - wow, massive sand dunes and beautiful beach. Most remote beach in UK. You can park free at Blairmore where there are toilets and off you go - here's map and yes there weather was stormy last time we went but spectacular looking towards Cape Wrath
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I'd second the 4 mile walk to Sandwood bay. Some 40 years ago we rented tzhe little cottage at the gate to the 4 mile 'road'. Excellent neck of the woods. It DID rain for 2 weeks though.

 

[BeagleMum]

We would leave Skye here in kennels if we did go. Last year on Arran ferry there was a horse box and as you says alarms were going off left right and centre and horse was kicking the sides like mad - scary and sad. The owners simply turned up just before docking and drove off as if nothing had happened - disgusted with them not even looking in on the horse.

We wont leave our 2 in kennels
Thats disgraceful we will never understand how some people can have animals & not care for them properly

 

[Norfolk Jim]

Skye is fine in kennels as he goes to the breeder we had him from. All our labs have always done and been fine. Reason we did it was we have elderly parents and they live some distance away so it could be we need to go and cannot take Skye with us and no one else to leave him with. He goes happy and comes home happy and is always safe. Normally he's with me day in day out as I work from home but sadly there are some places he cannot go. I'm also happy that our vet leaves his dog with the breeder as well and is his vet so not an issue. We've had a lab for 36 years of our 37 year marriage and sometimes there are places they can't go!

 

[B J G]

Hopefully it'll be OK by then---

North MP demands Scottish Government give clearer instructions to police to send tourists back home

A north MP has written to Scottish justice secretary Humza Yousaf to give clearer instruction to Police Scotland to send tourists and second home owners

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

 

[BeagleMum]

Skye is fine in kennels as he goes to the breeder we had him from. All our labs have always done and been fine. Reason we did it was we have elderly parents and they live some distance away so it could be we need to go and cannot take Skye with us and no one else to leave him with. He goes happy and comes home happy and is always safe. Normally he's with me day in day out as I work from home but sadly there are some places he cannot go. I'm also happy that our vet leaves his dog with the breeder as well and is his vet so not an issue. We've had a lab for 36 years of our 37 year marriage and sometimes there are places they can't go!

We’ve had Beagles all our lives but none of them have ever been in kennels, not saying kennels are wrong it just isn’t for us.

 

[Norfolk Jim]

We’ve had Beagles all our lives but none of them have ever been in kennels, not saying kennels are wrong it just isn’t for us.

I fully understand but sometimes it cannot be helped. We were thankful for it just over 6 years ago when our best man of 37 years died suddenly in Toronto. We were very close friends and he and his wife moved to Canada 15 years ago working for a top end newspaper. They couldn't have children and loved my boys to bits. He was from small family and they asked if we could go to the funeral as we meant so much to them. There was no question of us not going. Dropped dogs (we had 2 labs then) at kennels on the Tuesday, funeral Thursday and back home Friday night collecting 2 happy dogs Sat.

 

[Duncan]

We are hoping to do it still this year but will be supporting the small hotels and b&b's instead of camping. They will have to open at some point or else they will all go bust