Remote guest house on NC500 sees local regulars pushed out by rising tourist numbers
- UK Hidden Gems
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
A pub landlady in a quiet part of Scotland has said that the famous North Coast 500 route is putting off regular customers.
Judith Fish, who runs the Applecross Inn, says the route, known as “Scotland’s Route 66", hasn’t helped local businesses, and has instead turned peaceful places into quick stop-offs.
Judith has looked after the inn, which has seven guest rooms with en-suite bathrooms, for over 35 years. She says local people were “never really asked” if they wanted to be part of the 516-mile route.
She also said there was no proper discussion with the people who live in Applecross, a small village with only around 544 residents.
Judith believes tourists now treat Applecross as just another stop on a road trip, instead of a place worth visiting for longer.
“We live in a very remote area – it’s five hours from big cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh,” she said. “There’s not loads to do here, and that’s the point. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, and many of us like it that way.”
She explained that even when things were busier, it didn’t bring much extra business. “We had about six months of work and not much more than usual,” she said.
Judith added: “The route has turned us into a one-night stay, not a proper stop where people get to know the area.”
“Some people in the village think we should leave the North Coast 500 route, and I can understand why.”
She said that although she first thought the route might help local businesses, she now sees that the long distances and busy single-track roads are putting off visitors who used to come back.
“It’s a 500-mile journey – that’s a lot of driving,” she said. “People are often on a tight schedule, so they don’t have time to return.”
“Some still do come back because Applecross is such a lovely place, but it’s harder now to get repeat visitors.”
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