Scotland's “Route 66”

Paul F Cockburn discovers how the initiative is creating a real buzz and attracting many new visitors – and jobs – to the North Highlands

COMMITTEES, cynics say, have a reputation for designing camels rather than champion racehorses.However, the Tourism Project Board established by North Highland Initiative appears to have produced a genuine winner: a new scenic route showcasing ancient castles, glistening sandy beaches and spell-binding heritage that’s been knowingly promoted as “Scotland’s answer to Route 66”.

Officially starting – and finishing – at Inverness Castle, the North Coast 500 consists of just over 500 miles – 516, if you’re counting, or 830km – following the roads along the coastal edges of the North Highlands, taking in Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness-shire.

The main man behind the North Coast 500 is Tom Campbell, chief executive of North Highland Initiative, a non-profit organisation that was established by HRH the Duke of Rothesay in 2005 with the aim of developing economic growth across the region.

He was struggling with two puzzles: assisting the sustainability of North Highland communities and businesses by lengthening the tourism season, while also persuading visitors to travel north of Inverness without necessarily heading on up for a ferry to Orkney.

“I wondered if a touring route would achieve both,” Tom says. “So we put the idea to Professor John Lennon, director of the Moffat Centre for travel and tourism business development at Glasgow Caledonian University, who did the ‘proof of concept’.

“Among other things, John said, ‘If you get this right, it will be of global significance.’ That’s what gave us the confidence to launch it – and he turned out not only to be a brilliant academic, but a prophet as well!”