North Coast 500
830 km of wild coast around Scotland's roof: Caribbean-looking beaches (minus the water temperature), alpine passes and fishing villages — the "Scottish Route 66" earns its legend.
Suggested stay — 5 to 8 days
From Inverness, the NC500 loops the northern Highlands via the shattered west coast (Applecross and its Bealach na Bà, Britain's most alpine pass; Torridon; Assynt and its sculpture-mountains like Suilven), the north-west cape (the white sands of Sandwood Bay and Achmelvich, Smoo Cave at Durness), then the north coast to John o'Groats before easing down the gentler east.
Allow 5 days minimum, 7-8 to enjoy it: the western half concentrates the wonders and the slowest single tracks. In a campervan the loop is bliss provided you play fair: use sites and designated overnight spots rather than the wild parking free-for-all that rightly irritates residents.
Don't miss
- The Bealach na Bà pass and the drop into Applecross (caravans prohibited, rightly)
- Assynt: Suilven, Achmelvich beach, the ruined Ardvreck Castle
- Durness: Smoo Cave, Balnakeil beach and the Cape Wrath minibus-ferry
- The east coast's harbours and Dunrobin Castle on the becalmed return
Our tips on the ground
- Anticlockwise recommended (east coast first) to finish in apotheosis with the west — or clockwise to keep the easy part for dessert: decide by the forecast.
- Book the key nights in summer (Ullapool, Durness, Applecross): the north-west's capacity is tiny.
- Fuel: fill at every town (Ullapool, Scourie, Durness, Thurso) — stations are scarce and close early.
Our flagship guide — €44
Guide available“Scotland on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
No time to do it yourself?
A professional can take care of it: tailor-made trip, equipped 4x4 rental or a local guide. Describe your plans and, with your consent, we pass them on to partner professionals.
1. What you need
Before you go
Readers' questions about North Coast 500
Is the NC500 doable in an ordinary car?
Perfectly: everything is tarred, including the Bealach na Bà (steep and narrow, but a city car passes in decent weather). The issue isn't the vehicle but the pace: the western single tracks impose 40 km/h averages — whoever plans 300 km a day turns the dream into a chore.
Campervan or hotels/B&Bs?
The van offers supreme freedom on this loop (waking to the sea, cooking aboard in drizzle) at the cost of more attentive single-track driving. By B&B, the NC500 becomes a tour of memorable Scottish breakfasts — but each summer night must be booked far ahead.