Friday, 11 February 2022

Waste Disposal and Fresh Water Stops on the NC500



Please let me know if you have information on other places that I can add to the list.  I have included some sites that are not "technically" on the NC500 as most people travel up to do the route passing through either the West Highland Way or taking the A9 from Stirling. 

Most sites are charging around £5.00-£7.00 per vehicle as an average, so I hope that gives you an idea of prices you should expect to pay to dispose of your waste responsibly. Please note that most sites in the Highlands can only take Green Chemicals as they drain into septic tanks and blue fluid will damage these.


Motorhome Service Points on the NC500
           

Located at Lovat Bridge in Beauly, near Inverness. IV4 7AYThis site offers a service point for motorhomes providing you only use GREEN chemicals. Grey & Black water discharge, drinking water refill for a £7.00 charge for those not staying on site. Showers are £5.00 per adult.

Blue and grey waste disposal facilities will be available for touring vans.

Motorhome empty waste and fresh water refill is priced at £11.00 and the most expensive we have found so far.

Located on the B864 near Achany, Lairg, Highland, IV27 4EX. £3.00 so a bargain! Black Waste & Grey Water Disposal and Fresh Water Supply, Rubbish Disposal Open all year 24hrs, 7 days a week

Located  just off the A836 at Gills Bay, between Thurso and John O'Groats. 
No pitch, includes water refill and all waste & recycling disposal for a fee of just £7.50
Just turn up between 10am & 4pm.  Outside those times, please call ahead and give 30 minutes notice
Showers only - £2.50 per person (as above for times)

£5.00 Fresh water, Grey water & Black waste Open April - October 09:00 - 19:00, 7 days a week. Located at Wester Greengates, Fortrose, Ross-Shire, IV10 8RX Tel : 01381 621927

Black waste disposal & fresh water and Open all year 24/7, Donation box with a paypal app and QR code are now in place. Located in Gairloch Harbour, Pier Road, Wester Ross, IV21 2BQ 

KW10 6SE - Located just off the A9 in the village of Golspie, Scotland.
I have had confirmation that they provide waste disposal for non residents for £10.00 per vehicle

Located at Kerrowaird Farm House, A96, Dalcross, Inverness IV2 7JQ.  Their service point is available 
Monday - Saturday 08:30 - 17:00 and they offer Motorhome toilet disposal (Septic tank friendly chemicals only) Grey water disposal, Fresh water fill point, Recyling bins AND rubbish disposal - all for only £5.00

Open all year.  £5.00 Come to the house to pay when you arrive, and we will be pleased to allow you to get rid of both your grey and black water deposits, and to fill up with drinking water.

Community-owned stop-over overlooking Loch Clash, with five EHU's, fresh water, and chemical toilet waste disposal. The £15 overnight charge and £5.00 waste and water charge goes to community improvement projects. Payments for pitches and waste disposal/ water is at Bervie Stores in the village. Please do not be tempted to occupy the picnic site opposite as this denies its use to other people and it is very close to occupied properties.

The new camper van chemical waste facility is now operational for public use. Please donate generously to this community run project. It is great that local people are now helping us to enjoy the route and dispose of our waste correctly.

Lochinver Leisure Centre Waste Disposal - CURRENTLY OUT OF ORDER
£9 Black Waste and Fresh Water and overnight parking. Pay at Leisure Centre front desk. 
11-9 Mon-Thurs
11-5 Fri
12-5 Sat
U1119, Lochinver, Lairg, Highland, IV27 4JR, United Kingdom

Located off the B876 £5.00 Fresh water, Grey water & Black waste. Open all year 8:00 - 20:00, 7 days a week

£10.00 charge per vehicle for Grey & black waste, fresh water fill and does include rubbish disposal. Open April - October 09:00 - 19:00, 7 days a week. Located at 211 Achiltibuie, Altandhu, Ullapool IV26 2YR 01854 622339

Seaboard Centre at the Seaboard Memorial Hall on East Street in Balintore has hot showers, washing machines and a lovely cafe too. The toilet and shower have disabled access too. You will need £1 coins for the showers and washing facilities. There is a Chemical Disposal Point at the rear of the Seaboard Centre Garage. Please donate generously when using this community provided facility.


Motorhome Service Points on the way up to the NC500


Located on the West Coast not far from the Isle of Skye and offering water and waste disposal for non residents at the very reasonable price of £5.00. Payment is by paypal on their website.

Loch Lomond Tarbet Pier
Located on the A82 in Tarbet, Arrochar G83 7DE. Convenient for visitors coming up via the West Highland Way. £5.00 for Black & Grey Waste Disposal and Fresh Water

Donation - Black & Grey waste disposal, Fresh water, Rubbish bins. Open 24/7. Based on other places we would recommend a donation of £5.00 per vehicle.
Right in the village beside the Railway Stations just 200m from two pubs and only 400m to the shops, 
A Motorhome Service Stop for water and to empty Grey Water and Chemical Waste (Elsan) is £5.00 per visit. Our Camping experience is Rustic and we describe our camping as "Semi Wild Camping" mostly "Off Grid" - call for more details - Ruari on 07831 338012.


LPG Gas on the way to, and on the NC500 route

(Close to Inverness on the East Coast of the NC500)
Tore Service Station, TORE, ROSS-SHIRE, IV6 7RZ , Telephone 01463 811603
24/7 Forecourt Pumps, Diesel / Unleaded / LPG
Shop & Cafe/Most Major Fuelcards Accepted
Open - Mon - Thurs 06.00 - 22.00, Friday 06.00 - 21.00, Saturday 0.700 - 20.00, Sunday 09.00 - 20.00

(Just outside Ullapool on the West Coast of the NC500)
Morefield Industrial Estate, 2, Morefield, Ullapool IV26 2SR
LPG Pump on right hand side of yard.
Call into reception first and ask for LPG.

Skiatch Services near Dingwall
Tel - 01349 830888  Skiach Service station is open 24 hours a day.  We are situated just off the A9 by Evanton near Dingwall


Updated prices on 3rd August 2023. Please feel free to add your details at the bottom if you are a site offering facilities, we are always happy to add new businesses or community project to the list. 



Thursday, 10 February 2022

Invitation to Pay Car Parks

Pay to Stay Car Parks



It was a few months ago that we heard about the exciting proposal for 'invitation to pay' car parks. The proposals have now been approved by the various area committees and the Economy and Infrastructure Committee.  Hopefully it won't be long before parking bays and ticket machines are installed. There will be 21 'Pay to Stay' car parks. About one-half also allow overnight motorhome parking. All of the locations are in tourist hotspots. 

Please keep these places spotless if you use them. This program will be reviewed at the end of the year so if visitors don't donate, camp instead of park for the night, or leave a terrible mess, then they will be discontinued.  This is a great way for us to contribute to the local economy, and gain great places to park. These are places to park up for the night. They are not camp sites so please don't set up tables and chairs or put up awnings etc.

The idea is that visitors may want to "chip in" to infrastructure costs. The program will be reviewed at the end of the year. 'Invitation to pay' car parks have already been trialled in Nairn and Inverness.

After expenses, 50% of the net revenue will go to local areas via the relevant Local Area Committees on a 'per car park' basis. The 'invitation to pay' car parks can be implemented quickly and don't require any legislative changes. 

Here is a list of the 'invitation to pay' car parks. There is a google map in our FB group.













(Those in orange permit overnight motorhome parking)

Caithness (all 7 will have overnight motorhome parking)

Dunnet Head

Dunnet Seadrift

Noss Head, Wick

Duncansby Head

Reiss Beach

Wick Camps

Wick Riverside

Wester Ross (Ullapool, Gruinard Beach and Gairloch Harbour now have overnight motorhome parking)

Latheron Lane, Ullapool

Gruinard Beach

Gairloch Harbour - also has a CDP for a £5 donation

Kyle of Lochalsh Upper Village

Dornie Hall Car Park

Plockton Village

Sutherland (Golspie Shore and Durness Village Centre will have overnight motorhome parking)

Golspie Shore

Durness Village Centre

Achmelvich Beach

Golspie Fountain Road

Clachtoll Beach

Dornoch Beach

For more information including proposed charges please see the detailed proposals in the November agendas of these 3 local Area Committees: Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross.

I will update this page when I have more information. Under the proposals put forward, cars and motorhomes would be asked to pay between 8am and 8pm, with the rates set at £1 for up to two hours, £2 for up to four hours, £3 for up to 12 hours and for a maximum stay of up to 24 hours the cost would be £5. Motorhome users would be charged the same except they would be invited to pay £10 for an overnight stay.