The North Coast 500 road is a 500ish miles journey through some of the most remote areas of the north of Scotland. On this road trip you will marvel at beaches, mountains, lochs, fresh sea food and much more.
This is the story of a 7 day road trip on the North Coast of Scotland. The idea had been planted in my head several years ago, during a previous Scottish trip. We met travellers who couldn’t stop but raving about the wild beauty of the deserted North. We swore to come back and to see it with our own eyes.
on our North Coast 500 Scottish roadtrip.
Planning your trip
We had a week for the road trip and after a bit of research decided to start by the east coast. The West coast is definitely the most spectacular part of the road and packed with hidden gems. I would definitely recommend spending more time there. For the same reason, try to drive anti-clockwise (starting from Inverness) to go from beautiful to grandiose. You won’t regret it.
Let the landscape and a good map be your guides. As a co-pilot (with the boyfriend being the driving wheel), I planned our stops around view points, beaches and cafes, following the pictograms on the map. The below itinerary is inspired from our own trip in September 2019. Like all articles on this blog, I only highlight places we visited/ stayed/ ate that we particularly enjoyed.
The article at a glance:
- NC 500 7 day road trip itinerary
- Budget of the road trip
- When to go and a few tips
- Maps with highlights
North Coast 500: 7 day itinerary and points of interests
Getting there
We woke up with the murmur of the rolling train. It is the beauty of taking a night train, fall sleep in London and waking up in the countryside, on the over side of the country! The Caledonian Sleeper train links London to Inverness in 12h. Prices vary but a twin classic cabin with 2 bunk beds is likely to cost you around 200-250GBP (one way).
Inverness also has an airport if you prefer that option ; we actually flew back to London to save a bit of budget as economy flights were available.
Day 1: Inverness to Thurso
The beauty of the night train is that you arrive on the morning to your destination, fully rested and excited for what lies ahead. After picking up the rental car, we started to make our way straight up north under a constant succession of showers and sun breaks with strong winds. We stopped at the beautiful Dornoch beach.
The rest of the first day was quite uneventful. After travelling all the way to Land’s End in Cornwall a few months ago (Britain’s most southern point) It felt we should make a stop in John o’ Groats which is on the North Coast 500 road. Amateurs of long distance challenges cycle, run (or even swim) from one point to the other, in epic adventures to cross the length of the country. The trips are usually called “LEJOG”, referencing the initials of the most southern and the most northern points in main land Britain. John o’ Groats itself turned out to be quite disappointing I suppose, as the scenery wasn’t particularly exciting.
We pitched our tent in Thurso on one of the campsite by the main road, it wasn’t particularly exciting but we managed to get a slightly sheltered place from the strong winds behind the toilet block!
Day 2: Thurso to Durness
On day 2 we started travelling full west, the landscapes started to get more and more grandiose. The beautiful Strathy beach, a beautiful, long beach in a cove, almost deserted offers the perfect opportunity for a short walk.
On the cute area of Bettyhill, we stopped for a coffee and cake at “The Store Launderette & Cafe“. Hikers, cyclists and drivers alike stop in this charming little hut which also serves lunch.
Hiking to the top of Ben Hope
“Munro bagging” is a national sport. It consists in summiting all the munros (Scottish mountains above 3,000 feet (914m). Ben Hope is the northernest of all munros and, on a beautiful day offers 360 degree views of desolated wilderness, a rare sight in Europe.
It was one of the most beautiful half day hike I have done, and though it’s is a constant climb and should therefore not be taken lightly, it is still relatively easy and unexposed. I would not want to get stuck there on a foggy day though!
Night at Sango Sands Oasis, basic but good campsite on a beautiful setting and I can recommend the home made food of the restaurant.
Day 3: Durness to Drumberg
Smoo Cave
Just a stone throw from the campsite, lies the Smoo cave, a beautiful natural cave once used by the vikings to repair their ships. We didn’t expect much but the cave’ setting is quite extraordinary and well worth a stop.
Faraid Head peninsula
A short drive from the cave, we stopped at the peninsula of Faraid Head for a walk (2h). By following the track to the military base you get a view over Cape Warth, a few pretty beaches and the exposed and the rugged coast. As the weather started to turn again we stopped at the Cocoa Mountain for one of the best hot chocolate in the world and some delightful white chocolate croissants!
We now started to head south towards the west coast, and passed the impressive Kylesku bridge. Thanks to the compact size of our car, we were able to following the more scenic, touristy road but that is a no go if you have a caravan or a big camper van. You need to be able to reverse easily your vehicle and the road gets flooded at times in some places.
Drumberg is the perfect stop-over after a busy day. There are no camping & caravan sites but severals BB and a fantastic view point for an evening picnic on a sunny day.
Day 4: Drumberg to Achiltibuie
Lochinver is one of the few small towns in the area, stop at the lovely Lochinver Larder (Pies and Coffee) to buy and take away delicious pies for the day ahead.
Stac Pollaidh hike
If you only do one hike on the North Coast Road I would probably recommend this one. The Stac Pollaidh ridge and circuit (hike, 2-4h) easily fits in half a day but the landscape is simply breathtaking. In true Scottish fashion, the weather changed as we got to the top and we ended in rain clouds. But it the sky cleared up as we walked down, allowing us to fully soak in the amazing views.
Night in a cozy pod at the Acheninver Hostel, Acheninver Achiltibuie. The hostel has existed for 80 years and has spectacular views over the Summer Isles.
Day 5: Alchiltibuie to Little Loch Broom
The Summer Isles is the perfect area for kayaking and we were hoping to include a day or half day trip but failed as we didn’t book in advance. 580miles Seal Colonie walk along the coast.
Ullapool
Stop for a gastronomic lunch in Ullapool. Be ready for a feast of sea food served in low fashion. The Seafood Shack is the only place where I have been served lobster and oyster in a take away (compostable) box! Simple butter and garlic dressing enhance the flavours of the delicious raw products. You can finish with a gelato next door at Gelato Ullapool.
Shortly after Ullapool, don’t miss Corrieshalloch Gorge. Take a look at the spectacular one mile long canyon, featuring a suspension bridge.
“Drive till the end of the world and when you arrive, pitch the tent” could be the description of the small, simple and remote Badrallach Campsite where we spent the night.
Day 6: Little Loch Broom to Gairloch
On the sixth day, blue skies, bright sun and 20+C temperature meant that we travelled slowly, taking the time to enjoy every view point and stopping at Mellon Udrigle beach to relax for a couple of hours. The sea would probably be considered as “cold” (14C) for many but it’s Scotland after all! The dip with view over the Summer Isles definitely remain one of the highlight of this road trip.
We ended the day with a drink, enjoying an incredible sunset over Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides, on the porch of our wonderful tiny house for the night. The Shepherd’s Hut, in Melvaig, now ranks as of the best places we ever stayed at.
Day 7: Gairloch to Inverness
You can’t help but feeling a bit sad when you wake up on the last day of the trip! Luckily there is more Western Ross to explore on the way back.
Loch Maree and the Bein Eighe Nature Reserve
Park the car and enjoy an easy walk (30min – 1h) in the Bein Eighe Nature Reserve. The short 1.5km trail guides you through woodland up to a viewpoint overlooking one of the most beautiful loch of Scotland, with the mountain of Slioch in the background. Perfect if the weather is not at the best or if you are travelling with the family.
On your way back to Inverness you can’t miss the impressive Glen Docherty mountain pass and its view point. It’s a fantastic area for trekking, we will definitely have to go back one day.
Just before the pass make a stop at the Whistle Stop cafe. It is located in a refurbished old church and serves scones to die for. We couldn’t try everything on the menu but the scallops were amazing too!
We drove back to Inverness to end this spectacular 600 miles journey.
Budget for road trip on North Coast 500
Transportation
Renting a car is relatively cheap and pretty much essential for this trip, it is a road trip after all! We rented a small car, easier to drive on the narrow roads and to reverse, which costed us 245GBP for a week (including insurance and petrol).
Accommodation options
- Prices for a double room in small hotel or B&B usually start at around 60-80GBP per night.
- If you have a tent, a night at a camping site will rarely break the bank, (around 20GBP parking fee included).
- Hostels are not reserved for 20 years old backpackers. Many offer private rooms at a good price and you get access to a kitchen which can help you to keep food costs down.
- Renting a camper van allows you to remain more flexible as you can always cook indoor and drive away if needed. If you need toilet/shower facilities, you will need to factor in campsite fees and it can get quite expensive.
Activities
If you go to Scotland, you are likely to be an outdoor lover. Hiking is free. You will need to budget for activities such as kayaking, whisky tasting or boat trip which are popular in the region (50 to 80GBP per person)
In total, the trip costed us 95GBP/ person/ day, transportation from London included (trip done in 2019)
A few tips for your North Coast 500 road trip
When to go on this road trip?
The weather is more likely to be favorable between May to September in Scotland and I found that September was a good compromise with thiner crowds, decent weather and most midges gone. Don’t plan to sleep in a tent if you go out of season!
Plan more than you would think!
- Plan where to eat (or always carry enough food for a lunch or dinner). We didn’t really think about it as we had a car, but places to eat can be quite limited on some sections of the NC500, restaurants may be full or supermarkets already closed by the time you get there.
- Book well in advance as accommodation on the north coast 500 road is sparse and even September is still high season (tent camping is a bit easier). If you travel off season lots of places would be closed so you still need to plan!
- Some activities such as sea tours or kayaking are really popular and needs advance booking (even in September as we realised)
- Explore the fantastic resource that is https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ for hundreds of hikes of all lengths and difficulty level
Dealing with the Scottish weather
- Come prepare for the 4 seasons, whatever the time of your visit. Even during the summer, nights can still be as cold as 5C. Bring a warm sleeping bag, several layers and of course a good rain jacket and a hat wherever you go.
- Mix nights of camping and night in B&B to be flexible, enjoy the nature and but remain sane if the weather is not on your side. A couple of years before, on another Scottish trip, after 3 consecutive sleepless nights of cold, battling rain and strong winds I gave up and decided to quit and to drive back home! Lesson learnt for our second trip, we alternated camping nights and B&B nights. We had a great time, and kept our average cost per night just below 50GBP for 2 people.
- Embrace the weather and stay flexible. Think of several hikes you could do over the course of your trip, and adapt your plans on the day, based on the weather.
For those ready to give a bit of comfort, a road trip on Scotland’s North Coast 500 road promises a journey full of adventures. Travelling in Scotland is not all rainbows and unicorns, it’s rugged, isolated, and extreme at times but if you can put aside comfort, you will be rewarded with beautiful landscapes, untouched nature and a strong feeling of being alive thanks to all this fresh air in your lungs!
Use my Google Map to start planning
I hope you enjoyed this article, maybe you never considered going to Scotland and the variety of the landscapes and activities possible surprised you? To start planning your own trip, I have gathered all the places mentioned in this article in a handy map.
If you liked this article, check out more adventures in the UK.
