Funnily enough, my last experience of a VFR transit across the top of Inverness involved us being cleared through the overhead when an Easyjet was taking off, without us being asked if we were visual with him and without the controller asking the Easyjet if he was visual with us or even being told of our presence. Got to admit I was horrified. Wasn't unsafe cos we were visual throughout but I watched him like a hawk in case he did an early turn to the south.
If the tower controller can see you both your deemed separated. Remember they have two modes radar and procedural. In procedural mode the tower guy doesn't need a radar release. And its not unsafe. I suspect if the radar had been live you wouldn't have got through the overhead.
I agree about the VFR routes. The heilmed transiting to and from the hospital will be the usual user if not the only user of that route. If folk are going to the Great glen they will either head straight over to the Black Isle or run down the glen to the South to see the rail viaduct and culloden then head straight from there.
As for Nairn I always went from there towards Cawdor castle and then held near the Junction which meant you then had the choice of both runways at that end.
The main issue is that they clear airspace to give the IFR a chance of a clean run in separated on a visual. Which is one of the reasons why I think the CAS will help VFR traffic they will be forced to keep the IFR high to remain in CAS. The IFR will be effected because to remain in CAS they won't be able to blast towards a 3 mile final and still get there profile smooth they will have to slow up getting towards the CTR edge then dump the height so they can make their 500ft gate. If they want a 3 deg approach they will have to head out for a 6-7 mile final every time visually which removes any benefit and fun to be honest.
But this will only really screw with Logan. Now the local BE crews are gone I suspect that visiting crews will be just sticking to the full procedures. EJ always have done.
And as for the first comment. Its exactly what the main problem is with the current situation. And why I think the CAS will benefit the VFR traffic. As I said its a two ended stick. The Munlochy to the dual carriage way then to the canal at not above 1000ft north of the bridge I was screamed at for refusing coordination with a saab in sight since it came past dingwall coming in from NW cleared down to 2k ish I can't remember what it was but know there was zero chance getting anywhere near it unless I was flying with the only tommy with afterburners on the planet. Now the Saab will be at 3500ft and I would be left alone. I can't see them being able to get them lower than that as they will just have TCAS events all the time. The can't lower that area because they wouldn't have 500ft over the top of Mount Eagle mast.
And as I said for all the profiles I would fly in the area VFR SEP apart from stalling and PFL's and to be honest I would more than likely go and hide in Tain range anyway, this CAS would not effect me. It would remove a heap of bollocks unrequired separation due to the way the ATSOCA is implemented.
Personally I think they are making a rod for their own backs in typical HIAL style with this and it will be seen to spectacularly backfire. All it will take is one attempt to move VFR SEP in class G so an IFR can leave then enter again to get a visual profile and report straight in to chirp with it and then they will be more constrained with their IFR traffic than currently.
Personally I would say leave as is apart from the class E+ bits need raising a bit and possibly an exemption for transponders in the bit near Feshie at weekends.
GA users get a meeting together get everyone 100% up to speed with there airlaw concerning Controlled airspace. Don't get someone from HIAL to tell you the rules because they will just make up rubbish to get things to work the way they want them to. Get Die HH up from Perth or Stuart H from Prestwick. And when they take the piss file a chirp on them. MOR's are pointless because they sit in a Q for 3 months and then all ATC have to do is reply "resolved the issue internally" with a chirp the CHIRP ATC guy gets on the phone to the head ATC airspace bloke at the CAA and says "got one for you to look at".
Let them have it but make sure they run it properly and don't invent crap under the heading of "best practise" " industry standard" "We do it this way for expeditious safe handling of traffic".
Get them to do it by the book and report them when they take the piss.
If you do quite quickly they will be wishing they never applied for it.