North Coast 500

It has been brought to my attention that I have been quoted in your newspaper as being opposed to the North Coast 500 on environmental grounds.

I recently posed a couple of questions on my Facebook page, as follows:

1) Should we really be promoting the idea of people driving petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles for 500 miles around the north of Scotland? Shouldn’t we be encouraging people to come to Scotland to walk or cycle or ride a horse instead?

2) For a country whose government is so concerned with renewable energy and climate change is it not hypocritical for its tourism body to support such a way of seeing Scotland?

Please note these were questions I was asking those who follow me on Facebook, and not personal views. As a writer I am interested in hearing the views of others and social media is a good way of discovering such views and opinions.

One of your journalists sent me an email with a list of questions which I couldn’t answer because I was filming with the BBC in a remote area. When I did get a signal I emailed him and advised him I would be out of contact for several days.

However, your journalist chose to go ahead and publish his piece anyway and gave the distinct impression, as your Leader emphasised, that I was personally opposed to the North Coast 500 on environmental grounds.

For the record I am personally ambivalent about the NC500. While I appreciate the economic benefits I am also aware of the “overcrowding” that occurs in certain areas. I am, however, more concerned about a journalist writing a story based on assumptions rather than fact.

I accept he may have formed the wrong opinion from my Facebook questions, but if he had read on further he would have seen comments from me making it quite clear these were not personal opinions.

While I appreciate that comments on social media like Facebook are in the public domain I think it would have been better for everyone if your reporter had bided his time and had spoken to me personally before jumping to conclusions.

CAMERON MCNEISH Glen Road, Newtonmore