North Coast 500

[Sean1875]

Hi all,

Myself and the Mrs looking to do the North Coast 500 for a couple of weeks in the middle of next month - probably gonna sort myself out with a wee guide book beforehand but just wondered if anyone had any tips/recommendations of where to stay or things to do, or even just experiences they wished to share?

Packing up our tents so planning on camping most of it but I've already been warned that we will need to splash out on the odd hotel/Air bnb so the Mrs can get a hot shower and do her hair :rolleyes:

Any help is much appreciated - the route looks incredible so canny wait!

[Hiber-nation]

Hi all,

Myself and the Mrs looking to do the North Coast 500 for a couple of weeks in the middle of next month - probably gonna sort myself out with a wee guide book beforehand but just wondered if anyone had any tips/recommendations of where to stay or things to do, or even just experiences they wished to share?

Packing up our tents so planning on camping most of it but I've already been warned that we will need to splash out on the odd hotel/Air bnb so the Mrs can get a hot shower and do her hair :rolleyes:

Any help is much appreciated - the route looks incredible so canny wait!

I did it solo in 2 days (missed out John O'Groats though). Stayed in 2 really nice wee hotels, not expensive. The Kinlochewe Hotel on the way up and the Cairn Hotel in Carrbridge on the way back. Be prepared for the notorious single track road to Applecross! It was thick fog when I drove it and people kept pulling into the side to let other drivers go to the head of the queue because they were bricking it....scary but definitely worthwhile. Luckily most drivers were heading west. Some of the scenery up in the north west in particular is amazing.

The weather is obviously a big factor, I had no rain hardly but no sun. So not bad for all the spectacular photos. Just makes me want to do it again at short notice when I see the weather looking good!

[JeMeSouviens]

There's been a load of controversy this year because numbers of people roadside camping are huge. Loads of mess including broken glass, scorched ground from fires and bbqs, "human waste" :bitchy: The locals are understandably not best pleased.

So you might not get the warmest of welcomes but if you do go then make sure you "leave no trace".

[Moulin Yarns]

I have a friend who is a small independent yarn dyer in Clachtoll. If you know of anyone who knits they would be happy to get some hand dyed yarn from Ripplescraft.

[Northernhibee]

Sango Sands campsite in Durness is excellent. Good facilities, nice pub and restaurant on site.

When there do the tour of Smoo Caves (the chap who does them is excellent) and the Golden Eagle Zip Line if weather allows - add them on Facebook as they update daily if it’s on or not.

[goosano]

As Northernhibby says Durness is nice. We stayed at the hotel in Bettyhill and loved it. The bay there is absolutely stunning and there are plenty of good places to camp nearby

[Colr]

Hi all,

Myself and the Mrs looking to do the North Coast 500 for a couple of weeks in the middle of next month - probably gonna sort myself out with a wee guide book beforehand but just wondered if anyone had any tips/recommendations of where to stay or things to do, or even just experiences they wished to share?

Packing up our tents so planning on camping most of it but I've already been warned that we will need to splash out on the odd hotel/Air bnb so the Mrs can get a hot shower and do her hair :rolleyes:

Any help is much appreciated - the route looks incredible so canny wait!

Did this a few years ago with my wee boy to show him his ancestral homelands!!

Did Inverness to Duntocher then onto Wick/Ackergill. Wee day over on Orkney then via Ben More and Durness (Cocoa Mountain) to Kylesku ( great restaurant). On Ullapool and then via the Balach Na Ba pass On to Torridon and then a night on Skye (book early as decent accommodation’s in short supply) then back cia Loach Ness to Inverness.

I’d live to do something similar in other parts of Scotland like the borders. Really great week!!

[Colr]

Sango Sands campsite in Durness is excellent. Good facilities, nice pub and restaurant on site.

When there do the tour of Smoo Caves (the chap who does them is excellent) and the Golden Eagle Zip Line if weather allows - add them on Facebook as they update daily if it’s on or not.

Cocoa Mountain in Durness does the best hot chocolateI’ve ever had (second best according to my son).

[nairn hibee]

If the weathers good try to go to achmelvich the beach is amazing white sand like being in a tropical island ,and if your lucky chance of seeing basking sharks .achiltibuie to lochinver is the scariest road I’ve ever been on worth doing ,just hope you don’t meet another vehicle coming towards you

[Mon Dieu4]

If the weathers good try to go to achmelvich the beach is amazing white sand like being in a tropical island ,and if your lucky chance of seeing basking sharks .achiltibuie to lochinver is the scariest road I’ve ever been on worth doing ,just hope you don’t meet another vehicle coming towards you

Always good to find the hermits castle when you are there too

Assynt is my favourite place in Scotland, having Suilven, Canisp and Stac Pollaidh in one place :agree:

[JeMeSouviens]

If the weathers good try to go to achmelvich the beach is amazing white sand like being in a tropical island ,and if your lucky chance of seeing basking sharks .achiltibuie to lochinver is the scariest road I’ve ever been on worth doing ,just hope you don’t meet another vehicle coming towards you

Sandwood bay is a cracker of a beach. A few miles walk from the road keeps the crowds at bay as well.

[Hibrandenburg]

I planned to do this this year but due to Corona I cancelled and stayed within Germany. The plan was to leave the caravan near Inverness and use a couple of hotels on the round trip. Will definitely do it at some point.

[Colr]

I planned to do this this year but due to Corona I cancelled and stayed within Germany. The plan was to leave the caravan near Inverness and use a couple of hotels on the round trip. Will definitely do it at some point.

I did it at a leisurely pace staying in hotels all the way round.

[Hibrandenburg]

How many days did you take Colr? Is there anything you would consider must see/do?

[degenerated]

There's been a load of controversy this year because numbers of people roadside camping are huge. Loads of mess including broken glass, scorched ground from fires and bbqs, "human waste" :bitchy: The locals are understandably not best pleased.

So you might not get the warmest of welcomes but if you do go then make sure you "leave no trace".I travelled up from Edinburgh to Skye the other day and the amount of campervans was unbelievable, some right mess left at parking spots as well.
I'm in Harris just now and plenty campervans but not seen any mess up here as yet.


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[Moulin Yarns]

I have a bit of sympathy for people wanting to camp in a tent. I met a foreign couple yesterday who had trouble getting into an official camp site as they are not accepting tents up here. They were unable to afford a hotel and the backpackers hostel is closed due to the difficulty of complying with regulations. I gave them directions to the site used in Outlander for the Mohecan camp which is a bit away from public paths.

[Pretty Boy]

I travelled up from Edinburgh to Skye the other day and the amount of campervans was unbelievable, some right mess left at parking spots as well.
I'm in Harris just now and plenty campervans but not seen any mess up here as yet.


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The NC500 as a concept is unsustainable. The infrastructure is just not built or designed to cope with the volume of traffic and the type of vehicles it is now seeing. There is a grassroots campaign in the local communities demanding a forum is set up to discuss ending the promotion of the route which is a new concept. It's not just the roads either, people who have little experience of wild camping pitch tents in unsuitable locations such as sand dunes (a particular issue in Durness) or areas where there are likely to be ground nesting birds. As one local put it in an article I read the other day 'the area has significantly changed from an unwanted promotion'.

I don't want to be Mr Spoil the Fun because I am sure there are many people who use the route every year who treat the area with the utmost respect. However as soon as you start marketing something in the aggressive way the NC500 has been marketed you start to attract people who are unfamiliar with ideals such as 'leave no trace'. I'd liken it to the 'tourist path' up Ben Nevis. That commonly used name leads to people with minimal skills and little outdoor knowledge piling onto a mountain that sees several deaths every year without waterproofs or even basic warm clothing.

It's something of a catch 22 because Scotland is a beautiful country that we should want to explore and share. However the internet age has probably meant that hidden gems have transformed into Princes Street in a Saturday. That's not a plea for exclusivity but there has to be an acceptance that increased tourism is not without it's problems and the infrastructure, particularly in a year like this has been, is at breaking point.

[Moulin Yarns]

I have a friend in Assynt. A tweet from yesterday


An early start this morning and we drove through a midge storm, the like of which I don't think I've ever seen before. I *almost* felt sorry for the occupants of the 16 tents around Ardvreck Castle. Almost. https://t.co/gMria3Vkg1

[Moulin Yarns]

I have a friend in Assynt. A tweet from yesterday


An early start this morning and we drove through a midge storm, the like of which I don't think I've ever seen before. I *almost* felt sorry for the occupants of the 16 tents around Ardvreck Castle. Almost. https://t.co/gMria3Vkg1

And this


Quite astonishing that it has come to this, but still .... better than nowt I guess:
BBC News - Trowels in lay-bys for 'urgent toilet breaks' https://t.co/HBTBRo8QT7

[degenerated]

I have a friend in Assynt. A tweet from yesterday


An early start this morning and we drove through a midge storm, the like of which I don't think I've ever seen before. I *almost* felt sorry for the occupants of the 16 tents around Ardvreck Castle. Almost. https://t.co/gMria3Vkg1The midges up in Harris and Lewis are absolutely brutal. Jungle formula, smidge... doesnt matter what you use they just wade in with their dm boots on.

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[Fuzzywuzzy]

You might have already seen this site

https://independenttravelcats.com/north-coast-500-road-trip-planning-guide-nc500-route/

[Colr]

How many days did you take Colr? Is there anything you would consider must see/do?

I did it in 6 days but added a day trip to Orkney and I added Skye.

I added Skye late on and the choice of hotels was poor and over priced.

Climbing Ben More was good. Dinner in the Kylesku hotel was good. Couple of neolithic sites and Orkney were good.

I might have booked Syke earlier and did more there.

The MUST do is driving the Bealach Na Ba pass. Real test of your driving skills!!

[Colr]

I do love a road a road trip.

North Coast 500 is a good one. I really think the tourist board in Scotland should identify a few more loke this.

I was in the process of planning something similar round the boarders and Galloway before 2020 happened. Perthshire/Aberdeenshire, the west coast and Kintyre as well as the islands might be other routes.