Comprehensive North Coast 500 Road Trip Planning Guide



We have prepared a comprehensive North Coast 500 guide to help you plan the perfect trip to Scotland's North Coast 500. North Coast 500 is an 800km scenic route along the north coast of Scotland that begins and ends in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

The North Coast 500 route offers visitors the opportunity to see rugged landscapes, have fun on sandy beaches, watch wildlife, visit museums and historic sites, sleep in castles, drink whiskey, try regional products and the people to meet, they live there. The NC500 route was developed to encourage more visitors to visit this sparsely populated region of Scotland and was very successful.

Laurence and I have traveled the entire route several times and have compiled this guide to help those planning their trip to the north coast of the 16th century. a year to plan a trip, how many days it takes to drive the NC500, tips on where to sleep and eat on the way, what to pack, and tons of other tips and tricks on how to drive the North Coast 500,

Travel planner on the north coast 500

Planning a trip to the 500 North Coast can be a bit overwhelming as it is a relatively new route and not so much information is available online or in travel guides compared to other major road trips around the world. Don't worry, we will provide you with all the information you need to plan your NC500 trip.

In this first section we will try to answer the most common questions, e.g. B.: What is the route, how many days do you need to drive the North Coast 500, what time of year is it best to drive the route, where should I stay? the length of the NC500, how far in advance to start the booking and other common questions.

In the next section, you'll learn how to get past and stay on the North Coast 500, how to get road safety tips, list local rental car and RV rentals, and analyze options for guided tours. The last section contains packaging tips and a list of the consumables required for the NC500 journey. So let's start!

What is Route 500 on the north coast?

The North Coast 500 (NC500) was launched in 2014 by the North Highland Initiative, a non-profit organization founded by Prince Charles in 2005 to promote economic growth in the northern highlands. The NC500 is not a real highway or expressway like Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway, but a series of existing expressways that form a circuit around the northern highlands.

The route is just over 800 km long and mainly covers the north coast of Scotland, hence the name. It was designed to show the natural beauty and local businesses of this part of Scotland that had previously received a relatively low level of tourism. It has become a huge tourist hit in Scotland. Tens of thousands of people have already traveled the route.

The North Coast Route 500 stretches 828 kilometers to and from Inverness and encircles the northern highlands. So if you cover the entire route, it ends where it started. This can be very useful when entering and leaving Inverness or renting a car. Of course, you can also start and stop your device at any point. The route runs through several undefined areas or historic counties in Northern Scotland, including Inverness-Shire, Black Isle, Wester Ross, Easter Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness.

What do I see along the North Coast 500 route?

The north coast 500 follows the main roads through the coastal edges of the northern highlands. By far the largest city is Inverness with almost 50,000 inhabitants and the largest cities such as Ullapool, Durness, Dornoch, Wick, Thurso, and Lochinver each with less than 2,000 inhabitants! So expect to spend time in many small towns and rural areas.

Is the 500 North Coast similar to Route 66?

The North Coast 500 is often referred to as the "Scottish version of Route 66", especially by the mainstream media. In a way, they are similar in that they are excellent routes for a road trip and both offer great landscapes and attractions.

We have described Route 66 and can say that there are many differences between a historic route that spans 2,400 miles and crosses 8 states in the United States. UU. And the north coast 500. The NC500 is a mainly coastal road that crosses small towns. rural areas in a sparsely populated area in northern Scotland.

If you drove Route 66, do not expect the different landscapes, the diversity of small towns and cities, the extravagant attractions of the route or the historical guests of Route 66. It is probably more like the Wild Atlantic Way from Ireland, but further all Streets have their own personality and unique charm!

Travel on Route 66 to discover American culture along the way, and ride the NC500 to learn more about the culture, historic sites and panoramic views of the Scottish Highlands.

When is the best time of year to travel along the 500 northern coasts?

The best time to travel to the north coast of 500 for most people is between May and October, when most of the sights and restaurants are open, the largest selection of accommodations and the best opportunities for a certain period. warmer. , However, this is also the busiest time along the north coast of the 500 from early May to late September.

If you plan to travel the route in a quieter season, consider April, early May, late September, or October to avoid holidays, festivals, special events, and school holidays.

Winter can be a good time for photography and loneliness, although the weather can be bad and some side streets (e.g. Bealach Na Ba) can be closed due to bad weather. If you plan to drive the NC500 out of season (e.g. from October to March), keep in mind that many businesses (including hotels, restaurants, tourist offices, and attractions) in the Scottish Highlands are seasonal or have fewer winter hours

The best time to travel to the North Coast 500 is, of course, the time you have, and if you have to leave at a less favorable time of year you should be prepared and flexible.

If you want to plan your trip based on Scottish weather, the climate in Scotland is mixed and we experience rain, clouds and cold all year round (Green Scotland maintains that!). However, we also have sun and heat explosions that can occur at any time of the year, and May and September were probably the best two months of our experience to date.

The first time on the NC500 in August we were lucky with a few days of warm and sunny weather. After an 8-day NC500 trip in May, we had 2 particularly rainy days with bad weather, 3 mixed days (part of the rainy day, sunny part of the day) and 3 days with good weather.

During our 12-day winter trip in February, most of the days were mixed (rain / light snow/clouds / some sunshine) and it rained a little almost every day. During this time we spent 2 bad days (snow all day, free roads, we stayed inside) and 1 particularly pleasant and sunny day.

Get ready for the weather and don't let your trip put you off!

How many days does it take to drive the 500 North Coast?

It really depends on what you want to see, what you want to drive every day and how many detours you will make. You can accelerate 500 miles in less than 24 hours if you don't mind not sleeping or seeing anything on the road!

But the North Coast 500 is designed to visit, visit and do everything smoothly. The recommended minimum duration for trips on the north coast 500 is 5 days, but ideally 7-10 days. If you intend to accelerate, you can do it with 3 full days and overnight, but we recommend more time.

I don't have time for the entire route. Which route should I drive?

If you only have 2 or 3 days, you can still try some of the North Coast 500 offers without accelerating the entire route. I would focus on a section of the itinerary or on a specific topic or interest (e.g. castles, historical sites, beaches, distilleries). Read this article for more reasons to review the NC500 and sections.

Here is a shortlist of suggestions:

Locks: There are several locks along the way, from ruins to the ancient home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, to the picturesque Disney-style locks.

Some that you should visit along or near the route (all are open to the public, some have seasonal opening times) are Cawdor Castle, Dunrobin Castle, the ruins of Sinclair Girnigoe Castle, and Mey Castle, which are found along the eastern part, from the road between Inverness and the city of Mey.

You can improve your stay at a castle hotel like the Kincraig Castle Hotel, the Tulloch Castle Hotel or the Dornoch Castle Hotel, which is also on the east side of the street.

For more information on hotels with a castle on the way, see our North Coast Accommodation Guide 500, which offers over 25 recommended accommodations on the way from hotels with a castle to a B&B and vacation homes. breakfast

Dunrobin Castle North Coast 500 Road travel guide

Distilleries and breweries. Scotland is known for its whiskey and almost all Scottish visitors want to try at least a glass or two of whiskey on their trip. But Scotland also has a growing craft beer and gin scene, and you can find a little of everything on the north coast of the 16th century.

Whiskey distilleries are more common in the eastern part of the Inverness-Dunnet road and include the Glen Ord Distillery, the Glenmorangie Distillery, the Clynelish Distillery, the Dalmore Distillery, and the Old Pulteney Distillery. For a whiskey-free stopover, visit the Black Isle Brewery and Dunnet Bay Distillery (better known for gin and vodka). Most distilleries offer guided tours and public tastings, but some must be booked in advance. Hopefully, they will continue to appear more as tourism in this area increases.

Wildlife: Anyone interested in Scottish wildlife should be able to find places of interest. For those interested in marine mammals or seabirds, I would recommend the section between Inverness and Thurso. Chanonry Point (one of the most famous places), North Kessock, Fort George and Spey Bay are famous places near Inverness for bottlenose dolphins, seals, porpoises and whales. The Scottish Dolphin Center in Spey Bay is a great place to learn more about dolphins and other wildlife in the area.

For whale watching, we were told that Duncansby Head, Dunnet Bay, and Strathy Point are popular places for whale watchers, as well as dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and other marine animals. There are wildlife cruises that you can take in the Caithness area for more chances to see wildlife. The Orkney Islands (accessible by ferry from John O 'Groats) are also an excellent location for wildlife, including marine mammals, field mice, and sea birds.

For bird lovers, I recommend consulting the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) website for more information. I would consider contacting them before you travel or visit one of their centers. to get local information to find the best places. depending on the type of bird you are most interested in (e.g. birds of prey, sea birds, waders).

The RSPB has several reserves near the NC500 that help protect local wildlife. For seabird lovers, there are several places along the way, but I recommend Dunnet Head Nature Reserve, which is home to several species depending on the season, including cormorants, puffins, razors, guillemot, gulls, and lightning