Scotland's North Coast 500: The Ultimate Road Trip

Launched in 2015, the North Coast 500 is a circular route starting and ending in Inverness, winding through the Scottish Highlands along 516 miles of single-track roads, past ancient castles, white-sand beaches that would look at home in the Maldives (if they weren't freezing), and landscapes of such emptiness and grandeur that they seem to belong to a different planet.

The Route (Clockwise, 7 Days)

Day 1: Inverness → Dunrobin Castle → Caithness Drive north up the east coast past Dunrobin Castle (the largest house in the Northern Highlands) to the grey-stone county of Caithness.

Day 2: John o' Groats → Thurso → Dunnet Head The most northerly point of mainland Britain. The Dunnet Head lighthouse views extend to Orkney on clear days.

Day 3: North Coast — Tongue, Durness, Smoo Cave The north coast road is spectacular: sea stacks, peat moorland, the Kyle of Tongue. Smoo Cave is a sea cave accessible by small boat.

Day 4: Ullapool & the Northwest Highlands Ullapool is the main town on the northwest coast — ferry port, excellent fresh seafood, and access to Inverewe Garden and the Torridon mountains.

Day 5: Torridon, Applecross, Kyle of Lochalsh The Bealach na Bà road to Applecross (the most dramatic road in Scotland) and the view of Skye from the Kyle of Lochalsh Eilean Donan Castle.

Days 6–7: Isle of Skye → Inverness A detour to Skye is technically off the NC500 route but almost universal. The Fairy Pools, Old Man of Storr, and Quiraing are among the most spectacular landscapes in Britain.

Single-track roads
Much of the NC500 is single-track with passing places. Scottish driving etiquette: use passing places to let oncoming vehicles pass and to allow faster vehicles behind you to overtake. Never park in passing places.

Whisky Distilleries Along the Route

The Highlands are Scotland's whisky heartland. Don't miss:

  • Glenmorangie (Tain): the tallest pot stills in Scotland
  • Balblair (Edderton): exceptional single malts
  • Deanston (on the way south): tours including peat bog visits

Where to Stay

Inverness (Luxury): Rocpool Reserve Hotel & Chez Roux — boutique luxury in a Georgian villa with Albert Roux's restaurant. The finest address in Inverness.

Along the Route (Boutique): The Torridon — a Victorian shooting lodge in an estate of 58 acres on the shores of Loch Torridon. Activities range from kayaking to archery to a whisky lounge with 350 malts.

Kinloch Lodge on Skye is the home of the MacDonalds of Sleat — a genuine Highland estate hotel with one of Scotland's best restaurant kitchens.

Mid-range: The Royal Hotel Thurso offers comfortable, well-priced rooms in the most functional town on the north coast.

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