Mobile phone signal in the North Highlands

Mobile phone coverage in the North Highlands has improved considerably, but you should not expect a reliable connection throughout the North Coast 500 or on roads through the interior. Reception varies between networks, and you may be able to make a call or send a text while finding that websites and apps will not load reliably. Hills, buildings and your position can affect reception, so treat your provider’s coverage map as an indication rather than a guarantee. Ofcom’s mobile coverage checker can help with planning, but it cannot promise the connection you will experience at a particular spot. I don’t have an additional mobile phone antenna on the Land Rover’s roof for no reason.

Make use of Wi-Fi at your accommodation or lunch stop to plan before setting out. Check your route, opening times and expected journey times, then download maps and save booking confirmations, addresses and important telephone numbers where you can access them offline. Downloaded maps can remain useful when mobile reception disappears. Set off with a fully charged phone and bring a suitable in-car charger and cable, or a power bank. Guests regularly leave chargers and cables behind in hotels, which is why I keep spares in the car. Remember that distances alone are a poor guide to travel time here. Single-track roads, traffic and an obstruction can turn a manageable journey into a lengthy delay, so review your plans before leaving your lunchtime stop rather than assuming the morning’s arrangements still apply.

Be prepared to change direction too. I once had a family in the car when we encountered a traffic jam that was not going to move for hours. One person was keen to reach the hotel to watch cricket, while the other three had a much more pressing interest in finding a bathroom. Turning around and returning to the nearest town, some twenty miles behind us, provided toilets, a restaurant and an internet connection. Waiting in the queue wasn’t getting anybody what they needed. If a delay puts food, facilities or onward arrangements out of reach, returning to somewhere you know can be more useful than waiting indefinitely.

Working public telephone boxes still provide a useful fallback in some locations, although the presence of a kiosk does not guarantee that it contains a functioning telephone. If you have broken down and cannot make contact, don’t be embarrassed to ask another road user for help where it is safe to do so. Their phone may use a different network, or they may be willing to pass on a message when they reach reception. For a genuine emergency, try 999 or 112 even if your own network is unavailable: the call can connect through another network if one is within reach. An emergency call over the mobile network still needs reception from at least one network.

Plan while you have a connection, keep essential information available offline and leave yourself alternatives for when the signal disappears.