152 GO (OLD) PRO...

A few years ago, I bought a GoPro to record the first epic driving journey we made, a seven-day trip around the Highlands of Scotland, completing the NC500 in a motorhome. If you haven't already, I recommend you try it—it is fantastic.

For those unaware, the NC500 (North Coast 500) is one of Scotland's most spectacular scenic driving routes, often called 'Scotland's Route 66'. It is a 516-mile circular route around the northern Highlands of Scotland, starting and ending in Inverness. The route hugs the coastline, taking you through some of Britain's most remote and dramatic landscapes.

We completed it anticlockwise, starting at Loch Ness and driving along the rugged east coast to John o' Groats. We then went to Dunnet Head, the most northernly part of mainland Britain (which is closer to Iceland than London, fact fans). Then across the top of Britain to Thurso and on to Durness.

We then headed south, crossing the stunning Kylesku Bridge, hugging the west coast to Lochinver, before travelling to Ullapool (where there is a Boots, Lisa excitedly proclaimed!). Next were Poolewe and Applecross, then the Isle of Skye, before returning to Inverness and starting the long, long journey back to Liverpool.

The 500-mile trip actually covered a whopping 1200 miles by the time we got to and from Scotland.

On Friday, I dug out my GoPro to check if it still worked and was browsing through the various memory cards I never got around to downloading and sorting, and found some footage of us traversing part of the way down the Bealach na Ba.

The Bealach na Bá ('Pass of the Cattle' in Gaelic) is a mountain road linking Applecross to the main roads in the area. It is the third-highest road in Scotland, rising to 2,053 feet, with gradients reaching 20%, comparable to some Alpine passes. There are warnings that it's not suitable for motorhomes or nervous drivers, but we crossed it anyway—we are rebels!!!

The clip starts almost at the top, in typical Highland weather—drizzle and mist—and documents us navigating our way down a single-track road barely wider than our motorhome, with genuinely scary drops to the side. The rate of descent isn't obvious looking straight ahead, but looking to the sides gives an idea of just how steep it is. It was a great experience that I want to do again someday.

What I found is significant deterioration in video quality as the clip was transferred from its raw state to MP4. I need to find a better way to convert the clips, since my first attempt doesn't do them justice. Click below to watch the clip.