I have just added this to the map of places to fly your drone at Drone Scene:
The iconic Bealach na Ba, 'Pass of the Cattle' on the NC500, Applecross, WesterRoss, Scotland.
The road over the historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. It has the greatest ascent of any road climb in the United Kingdom, rising from sea level at Applecross to 630 m (2,070 ft) in about 6 km (3.7 mi), and is the third highest mountain pass in Scotland.
A feature of the NC500 and mobbed during summer months we planned our recent NC500 trip to ensure we were able to take in this wonderful place for the first time - the last section of the NC500 we had left to do.
The drive is steep and twisting, and can be extremely busy, but in late October we only saw a handful of cars, and were fortunate that the weather was perfect, views that stretched for miles and late afternoon light with some drama in the skies.
There is a decent car park at the top, with plenty of space, amazing views over to Skye, Arochar, Rum and Eigg (when the weather plays ball), and the road has recently been resurfaced. As to difficulty, in a modern car it is not too bad, in a camper van it would be challenging. I would rate it not quite as difficult as Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, but not far behind…
No facilities at the car park, but plenty in Applecross and Lochcarron
The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 27/10/2025. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.