Cover Story…
Paramotor along the North Coast 500 with Dan Burton
SINCE its launch in 2016, many thousands of people have toured Scotland’s answer to Route 66 – the North Coast 500. The 830km (516-mile) route circumnavigates the north of the country from Inverness, and has attracted visitors from all over the world. But only two men have travelled the route by motorised paraglider – Dan Burton and James Borges.
“As far as I’m aware no one has ever done it before,” says professional photographer Dan. “Five years ago I drove the NC500 with my family. It was one of the most amazing places I’d ever been, and I told my wife there and then that I was going to fly it. At the time she laughed, but I couldn’t get it out of my head. I had to do it.”
“My wife laughed when I said I was going to it” fly the North Coast 500, but I had to do
Dan is based in Devon, and first learned to paraglide in 2004 in order to get a better angle for his landscape photography and videography commissions.
In August 2020, after some careful planning, Dan and his friend James packed their paramotors – motorised paragliders – into the van and set off for Inverness.
“The planning was difficult as several sections are within military airspace but the Ministry of Defence were very helpful and friendly,” Dan says. “In fact, everyone we met along the route was friendly.”
The pair flew – glided? – west from Inverness, with a support vehicle on the road below packed with camping equipment and extra petrol for the journey.
“The best moment was flying over Bealach na Bà on the second day,” Dan says, referring to the notoriously steep pass in Applecross. “A few years ago I drove up and down the pass, and it’s just the most amazing place. I remember thinking that I had to fly it. The view was spectacular. That was such a special moment.”
Dan had taken enough fuel and food for three weeks, in case of bad weather, but the wind was with them and the whole trip took them seven days and 17 hours.
“We definitely could have done it faster,” he says, “but you want to enjoy the views.”
Paramotoring has become something of a passion for Dan, who takes to the skies as often as he can and has great plans for future tours from the air – both around Scotland and beyond.
“The next plan is from the south coast of England to the north coast of Scotland. We’re hoping to do that this summer. I want to do the Outer Hebrides – top to bottom – and Skye. I also want to fly round the Orkneys. And the walking route along Loch Lomond up to Fort William... the West Highland Way! I’d love to fly that.”
For more stunning images of Dan’s paramotoring adventures – and his underwater photography – visit www.instagram.com/dan_d_diver.
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The view was spectacular. It was such a special moment”