SCOTLAND’S answer to America’’s Route 66 and an Edinburgh hotel have been named as among the best value for money tourism experiences on the planet.

The North Coast 500 (NC500) scooped Travel magazine’s VFM Award 2018 in the road trip section.

The 35-bedroom Dunstane Hotel in Edinburgh won best value UK hotel. The NC500 drive has become a road paved with gold adding £9 million-a-year to the far north economy, according to an official report.

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The 516-mile circuit was created by Prince Charles’s North Highland Initiative (NHI). Its aim was to boost tourism in the north Highlands and generate economic opportunities for the area.

The magazine said: “When it comes to the crucial ‘stop-and-get-out-scenery-per-kilometre’ ratio, Scotland’s circuitous route of its Highland coastline proves you don’t need a pricey trip to the states to get your road trip fix.

“Go in spring for sparkling lochs, valleys puff-balled with blossom, and views of the mineral-blue sea lapping spotless, strawberry-blonde beaches.

“Cosy B&B line the route, such as the converted Auld Post Office, set among rolling farmland in Caithness near John O’Groats.”

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The tourist route, launched in 2015, has had a positive impact on both visitor numbers and business trade, according to a report commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

The study, carried out by the University of Glasgow Training and Employment Research Unit, estimates the route has attracted 29,000 additional visitors and £9m additional spend in its first year.