8 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
NC500 named (second) best road trip in Europe by Reddit
Now car insurance firm Saga has taken a deep dive into the online chatter, and discovered that the NC500 was listed as one of the top car journeys for Europhiles, coming second only to the stunning landscape of Iceland's Stokksnes Peninsula.
The NC500 is a 500-mile circuit of the north coast of Scotland which takes in mountain scenery, waterfalls, castles and stunning beaches.
Starting in Inverness, the 516-mile route loops around the entire north coast, taking in Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross.
Now world famous, the road trip has been hailed for revitalising a neglected area, but also criticised for the increase of traffic and jams caused by motorhomes.
A sign near Thurso on the NC500 (Image: George Clerk) Saga Car Insurance studied which destinations are trending with travellers, based on real-time comments on the forum site Reddit, used by people across the world.
Using a unique scoring system, the firm combined total mentions (25%) and total comment likes (50%) and also analysed the average sentiment of comments (25%), Saga scoured more than 73,000 Reddit comments and rated the top 10 countries and destinations for road trippers this summer.
Placing the NC500 second on the list, ahead of Ring of Kerry in Ireland, the trip between the ancient sites of Meteora and Delphi in Greeca, and a visit to Stonehenge in rural Salisbury.
'Just one drink could take you over the limit, versus up to two in England.
'Pavement parking is illegal in Scotland which also bans double parking and parking on dropped kerbs. Offenders can be fined £100 by local authorities.'
Complaints have been made about the number of motorhomes on the route (Image: George Clerk) Overall, Scotland as a whole was ranked third on a list of the best destinations for drivers, behind Iceland and Italy, but ahead of Norway and Ireland.
Saga's Car Insurance Product Manager Ali Ingram-Seal urged motorists to be safe wherever they travel:
She said: 'With so many accessible destinations in Europe to choose from, a little preparation goes a long way to ensure a smooth, stress-free road trip.
'If you're taking your own vehicle, start by checking that your car insurance covers driving in Europe, and what it covers, like loss or theft, accidental damage or medical costs following an accident.
'You'll also need to carry some important documents, such as your driving licence, V5C logbook, and proof of insurance.
'Some scenic roads, while beautiful, can include steep gradients, narrow passes, or long rural stretches without fuel stations.'
