NC500 glitch

[Tenmill 0]

Good morning,

I'm trying to route plan to go clockwise around the NC500 next week. The app won't allow me to travel along the A838 from Hope to Tongue. Instead it wants to divert me 100+ miles down to Achnairn to go across the other way.

This is happening when I download others routes too, for example:

https://www.myrouteapp.com/route/open/9062849

Are others having the same issue? What is the solution to this problem?

[Nick Carthew]

@Tenmill-0 No problem for me, but I would advise reversing the route and doing it anti clockwise from Inverness. Then the route just gets better and better.

[Tenmill 0]

I have no idea what happened but it now seems to have resolved itself.

I’ve heard that anticlockwise is the way to go, unfortunately I’ve already sorted accommodation so need to go clockwise this time.

That said I’ve factored in the A686 on my way back down south so I’ll have that to look forward during the less interesting parts of the 500 route.

[Maarten v]

Hi , when you make the route you have to select “short” by planning en not leave it on “fast” . Maybe that is your problem. Always plan with “short” route .

[Nick Carthew]

@Maarten-v said:

Hi , when you make the route you have to select “short” by planning en not leave it on “fast” . Maybe that is your problem. Always plan with “short” route .

Not correct.
What makes you suggest using shortest for route optimisation?

[richtea999]

Check if Toolkit -> Disable seasonal closures. That lets you show/hide road closures as well as seasonal stuff.

Ticking it will ignore any traffic/road closure info, and therefore tell you if there's some sort of closure that's causing the route to re-calculated to go around the problem.

If it is, go to https://www.roadworksscotland.org/ (or https://one.network in England and Wales) and check what the closure is and whether it affects the time you'll be travelling.

From a quick scan, it might be this (but no guarantees):

SW100-02106101/CSD (4137262)
Church end cottage Durness IV27 4PZ
A838 B801 Junction Rhiconich - Rispond Road Junction, Durness
Scottish Water
0800 077 8778
0345 601 8855
help@scottishwater.co.uk
www.scottishwater.co.uk
[Start date] 01/09/2026
6 Working Day(s)
REPAIR BURST MAIN

Maybe they finished early!