North Coast 500 Guide and Route Planning, NC500

Scotland’s iconic North Coast 500 is our answer to America’s Route 66, the North Coast 500 (NC500) touring route promises to reward those who travel it with a fantastic Scottish experience. With towering Scottish Mountain’s (Munro’s) and vast Scottish lochs, to secret beaches and war torn castles. Does this sound like the adventure you’ve been craving? Here’s the lowdown so you can start making your trip a reality, including our best route from Edinburgh with additional stops and places you will not want to miss!

NORTH COAST 500 ROUTE MAP

So before we start, we thought you would like an overview of the North Coast 500 drive. It’s called the NC500 because it’s 500 miles long and as you can see it’s a nice loop around the northern highlands of Scotland!

What are the official Stops for the North Coast 500

Inverness

The official start point of the North Coast 500, Inverness is often called the Capital of the Scottish Highlands, perfectly located to begin your road trip. Close by to Inverness you have Fortrose & Chanonry Point which are very popular spots due to the high chance of seeing our wild dolphins in their natural habitat. Rogie Falls is also relatively close by which are a series of freshwater waterfalls. These waterfalls are beautiful to witness but also very popular with wild swimmers taking a refreshing, albeit cold swim.

Brora

Further North lies Tain, Brora and Lybster. The Mermaid of the North, Brora Beach and Whaligoe Steps are all worth a visit here. As are the Whisky Distilleries, Glenmorangie, Clynelish and Old Pulteney Distilleries are all relatively close by.

John o’Groats

One of the most iconic stops during the North Coast 500 road trip is a picture by the famous John o’Groats signpost. There are several other places worth visiting here also, including Duncansby Head Lighthouse and Sinclairs Bay.

Durness

The lovely small village of Durness boasts several beauty spots along its wonderful coastline. Durness Beach, Sango Sands, Smoo Cave and Cape Wrath Lighthouse to name but a few. If you like the beach you really could spend a couple of days up in the Durness area.

Ullapool

South of Durness lies Kylesku, Lochinver and Ullapool all of which are fantastically picturesque in their own right. Kylesku Bridge makes a lovely stop and you can also get a local boat tour from here that allows you to experience the landscape from a unique perspective. Achmelvich Beach is also relatively close by which is again another beautiful sandy beach in Scotland! We know, it’s hard to believe until you see it for yourself.

Applecross

Applecross and the Belach na ba mark the turning point on your NC 500 road trip, if you are following the official route you will start heading east back towards Inverness after experiencing the infamous Belach na ba. The Road to Applecross (Belach na ba) is a mountain pass road with a steep incline and several hairpin bends on a single track road.

Our best route for the North Coast 500 with additional stops

This route for the North Coast 500 closely follows the traditional route with some additional extras we think you should include, bringing the mileage from Edinburgh and back to approximately 1,000 miles. Our Campervans come with Unlimited Mileage so you need not worry about racking up the miles!

Cairngorms National Park

From Edinburgh we suggest heading North over the Forth Road Bridge and into Perth which is close to the magnificent Scone Palace. Following our route heading further North still takes you deep within the Cairngorms National Park which we just love to drive through and this could well be an ideal first stop for the night.

After exiting the Cairngorms National Park you will reach the official start point of the North Coast 500 which is Inverness and from there you can follow the traditional route right up to John o’ Groats, stopping at all the locations you had originally planned.

Isle of Skye

The North Coast 500 will take you gradually round the spectacular coastline and down into Applecross. From here the North Coast 500 should take you along the A890 back towards Inverness but our route will take you in the opposite direction on the A890 down towards the iconic Isle of Skye which we absolutely love, it is a really popular destination and once you are there you can see why!

After the Isle of Skye our route takes you past Loch Cluanie and into Fort William which sits in the dominant shadow of Ben Nevis, our highest mountain in the British Isles. From Fort William before heading further South, we recommend making a small diversion to see Glenfinnan which is one of our favourite places to visit. The Glenfinnan Viaduct and Loch Shiel is truly outstanding and worth the detour! You may recognise Glenfinnan Viaduct from Harry Potter, this was featured in the scene when Harry and his friend Ron flew across the bridge in their flying car chasing the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Express or Jacobite Steam Train continues to run and makes for a great photograph when it steams over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Once you have had your fill of flying cars, wizards and steam trains head back to Fort William and then South towards the iconic Glencoe. This is another very popular beauty spot and is home to the famous Blackrock Cottage which is one of the most photographed cottages in Scotland! From Glencoe our route takes you into the wilderness of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National park. Experiencing both of Scotland’s largest National Parks is what we think makes this route so great. You will follow the length of Loch Lomond all the way down to Balloch where we then recommend you head East on the A811 which takes you into Stirling.

Stirling Castle

Stirling is an amazing place for History lovers, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument are both super places to visit and learn about the history of Scotland. You could also stop by the famous Battle of Bannockburn site which has a visitor centre and cafe for refreshments. From Stirling our route takes you back into Edinburgh from where you started.

Let us know if you have any questions about our route, we think it is a fantastic touring route for a campervan or motorhome as you are not travelling the same roads on your return journey. Adding in the Isle of Skye, Glenfinnan, Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Stirling and both of Scotland’s largest National Parks ensures it is packed full of interesting stops all along the way.

The North Coast 500 is really what you make it, there are some amazing places to stop and visit, some of which you will not want to leave once you get parked up!

How Long Does It Take To Drive The NC500?

There is no right or wrong answer here, well technically you could drive the whole route in a day or two but you would not get to experience a whole lot.

How long you choose to take is entirely up to you and how much time you have to dedicate to exploring this iconic route. There are many people who do the NC500 over a long weekend but you can imagine that doing it in that amount of time would require a lot of sightseeing from the vehicle, rather than heading out and wandering around. We would recommend giving yourself at least 5 days as there are lots of places to visit and explore.

Is the North Coast 500 actually 500 miles?

Yes, The NC500 is actually slightly over 500 miles long full of beautiful coastal scenery. 516 miles to be exact, however there are also some very popular diversions along the route which you won’t want to miss either. So leaving from Scotland’s capital – Edinburgh, where we are based you would expect to do at least 800 miles from start to finish, taking into consideration some must see diversions along the way. That is why we offer Unlimited Mileage Allowance as standard, so you are able to explore Scotland at your own pace.

When Is The Best Time To Drive The NC500 Road Trip?

The NC500 can be driven all year round, each season has both positives and negatives which we will detail below. Our personal picks are the months of March, April, and October.

‍Summer

This is the peak season for the North Coast 500. June, July, and August will be the busiest the NC500 will get. The sun will be shining, the popular stops will be busy and you will have a good chance of meeting some friendly campers along the way to share your experiences with. The downside is that you will need to plan and book your campsites in advance as they can become full. Pubs and Restaurants may also be near capacity at peak times. Midges can also become a nuisance in some locations during the Summer.

Autumn

This will be quieter and you should have no problems getting parked up close to some iconic beauty spots. The Autumnal colours are also a big plus, another big plus for travelling during the Autumn is the chance of experiencing the Northern Lights. You are most likely to see the Northern Lights Aurora in Scotland between September and March. However the weather will be cooler with more chance of rain and wind. Also some visitor attractions which are staffed will close outside of the peak months.

Winter

North Scotland can become a haven for Snowboarders and Skiers during the winter as it can get a lot of snowfall during the winter months. These conditions are certainly not for everyone and can also make driving more treacherous. The weather will be cold, icey with a good chance of a dusting of snow. Seeing the mountains white with snow is amazing however Winter is not a good choice if you are planning on whizzing round the NC500 in a few days.

Spring

Definitely one of our preferred seasons to go, the weather is more pleasant, the midges are not out, there is still a good chance of viewing the Northern Lights at night. The roads will be generally quieter as many wait until the start of the Summer Holidays, so you can get some fantastic trips in before it becomes busy.

Is The North Coast 500 Suitable For Motorhomes And Campervans?

Yes, it was actually designed to encourage visiting commerce. The beautiful winding roads of the NC500 can be narrow at points but with sensible driving even the largest of Motorhomes should have no problem.

There are many ‘Passing Places’ dispersed throughout the route, if you see an oncoming vehicle in the distance you should look to stop at your side of the next ‘Passing Place’ you encounter. Additionally if you are taking it slow and enjoying the beautiful scenery from your window (who would blame you!) Look to stop at ‘Passing Places’ and allow vehicles behind to overtake you as some may be local residents who are not as lucky to be on holiday and trying to get on with their daily tasks.

So, Aye! The North Coast 500 road trip is suitable for campervans and motorhomes.

Is the North Coast 500 signposted?

There are Brown ‘NC500’ signs located all around the route, Brown signs are coloured for Tourist Information so keep your eyes peeled for them while driving as they will generally point you to some well known Castles, Beaches and other well visited sites you may have otherwise missed.

Local towns and villages will also be signposted, so if you know where you are planning on stopping next for the evening you will be able to follow the signposts for that particular town or village.

Are there Shops and Petrol Stations along the North Coast 500?

Yes, the route goes through many small towns and villages and the vast majority of them have Shops and Petrol Stations. Some of the smaller Villages may only have a small village shop but neighbouring towns will have larger Shops with petrol Stations so their is no shortage of fuel for yourself or your vehicle while traversing around the NC500.

Should I Drive The North Coast 500 Clockwise Or Counterclockwise?

Honestly, it does not matter a whole lot, we prefer going anti-clockwise and will detail our reasoning behind this.

If you were to go clockwise around the NC500 then you will arrive at the Road to Applecross within the first 70 miles of your official start point of Inverness. The Road to Applecross (Belach ne ba) is a mountain pass road with a steep incline and several hairpin bends on a single track road. Now our preference is to leave this section for towards the end of our trip so you are most comfortable with your vehicle as arguably this is one of the most challenging roads to drive during your North Coast 500 trip. We definitely recommend including this on your trip as the views are absolutely spectacular but be cautious, especially attempting to tackle this on a vehicle you may not be fully familiar with.

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North Coast 500 Guide and Route