Tonight we recommend staying around Kinlochewe. There are a few dinner options in Wick, and you can also check with your lodging in advance if they do evening meals. We’ll do our best to answer your questions about the NC500 and provide our advice based on our experiences. Waiting until the last minute to book lodging can leave you with few options, particularly if you are traveling between mid-May to early September. Thank you for your reply. The PDF files allow you to still use the links. The campsites are also usually located in scenic places and are a great place to meet other travelers. If you only stop for one geology focused hike during your NC500 trip. You can check the latest road conditions and traffic in Scotland online at Traffic Scotland. For those planning to do a lot of hiking, cycling, or climbing along the North Coast 500 (or elsewhere in Scotland), we highly recommend using Ordnance Survey maps. If you don't see the confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder. It only takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from Kinlochewe to Inverness using this route. So if you have a question about something after reading over the itinerary, feel free to ask us in the Comments section at the end of this article. Home The Trip 2017 Western Europe The Best North Coast 500 Itinerary, Campsites & Hotels in Scotland The North Coast 500 is the best road trip in Scotland. There are a few of them now, and you can see them here. Hope that helps, and just let us know if you have any further questions! Mileage: 122 miles / 196 km  (~ 95 miles / 153 km if do the A896 shortcut) We are planning a Northcoast 500 tour next Sept. 2020. We’ve put together this comprehensive North Coast 500 guide to help you plan the perfect North Coast 500 road trip in Scotland. If you are planning to sleep in your campervan, we’d recommend booking campsites so you have a safe place to stay, have access to running water, showers, electric, WiFi, and other amenities as needed. There are a few of them now, and you can. For a better chance, you may consider taking a detour off the route and heading further north for part of your trip to the Orkney or Shetland Islands. Hopefully things will be open and restrictions will be lifted in Scotland by then! Tain also has a golf course and a whisky distillery. Bleakly beautiful, the North Coast 500 is Scotland’s very own Route 66. You can easily adjust this itinerary if you have a bit less than 7 days to drive the North Coast 500. Could you suggest changes we should make to your itinerary. We designed this North Coast 500 itinerary with the idea that you would leave Inverness the first day with little time to explore the city. They will take care of the planning, ensure you see all the main highlights, and keep you safe on the road. Day 6: Ullapool to Kinlochewe But once you get back to Ardarroch and Strathcarron, you are indeed back on an A road and it should take about 1 hour and 30 minutes or so to get back to Inverness without making any stops. If you are arriving elsewhere in Scotland or the UK, you’ll have additional options such as Rent a Motorcycle in Edinburgh. Strathcarron – 3 nights. This guide to the North Coast 500 campsites details location facilities, advice on wild camping on the NC500 and campervan options. For anyone planning to take the NC500 road trip, you are reading the right article. There is also lots of stunning scenery along today’s route and several popular spots to stop and park for scenic views and photos. Many hotels and inns serve meals in Ullapool. Another recommendation would be to stay an extra night in Lochinver as there is lots of driving detour options and hiking/outdoor/scenery opportunities in that area. I don’t have a specific date in mind yet because as you say it needs a bit more planning. There are opportunities for hiking, tasting local seafood, visiting gardens and waterfalls, learning about local history, and much more today! It is your trip! The area of the Moray Forth and Beauly Firth around Inverness and North Kessock is well known for wildlife and people often spot birds, otters, and dolphins here. It can be a magical time to take in the scenery. If you are coming from Ireland, ferries regularly run between Belfast in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland. The coastal road around the Applecross peninsula is a slow-going minor road and the Bealach na Bà pass is obviously a section of the route you need to take slowly (and tourist traffic can make it even slower). Best, Jessica & Laurence. – Summer Isles Hotel in Achiltibuie So plenty to fill up a full day. It takes travellers along the coast and through beautiful valleys across six remote regions of the Scottish Highlands: Inverness-shire, Wester Ross, Easter Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, and the Black Isle. Thank you so much for such a useful blog! Starting & Ending Point: Tongue to Lochinver Required fields are marked *, Notify me of replies to my comment (just replies to your comment, no other e-mails, we promise! These are good places to stock up on groceries if you are staying in self-catering lodging or camping. -Day 2 Dog friendly B&B near Wick – Thrumster House Many dining options in Ullapool are clustered around the harbor. Ross-shire and Ross & Cromarty), and Sutherland. Note that if you are really short on time today, you can skip part of the route today and drive straight from Kinlochewe along the A832 towards Achnasheen to Inverness. I am just beginning to think about planning a trip round the NC500 and am finding your guides extremely comprehensive, a lot to try to take in looking at a screen. The more time people take, the more they tend to enjoy the trip. You can easily adjust this itinerary if you have a bit less than 7 days to drive the North Coast 500. Again today is not a long drive but the single track roads can make for slow going in places and there are some steep sections so drive cautiously. Dornoch -1 night So being flexible is definitely good as we had to change around our schedule a bit and stayed extra days in one area because of the bad weather. Route:  Inverness –> Beauly –> Dingwall –> Tain –> Dornoch The North Coast 500 has become increasingly busy and there are a limited number of lodging and service options along the route. Inverness is the largest city in the Scottish Highlands, and it has an airport, train station and bus station, making it easy to get here using a variety of transportation options. Thanks again, Hope that helps and just let us know if you have further questions as you plan your trip! Use this 7 day North Coast 500 itinerary to plan your travels around this beautiful part of the northern Scottish Highlands and get the most out of your NC500 road trip! I would recommend taking clothing for all weather. – Bank House in Thurso Thank you so much, hope you’re all well. Here is our suggested 1 week North Coast 500 itinerary. Here are suggestions for lodging in Wick and John o’ Groats across a variety of budgets: Today you finish your exploration of the western section of the NC500 and begin your exploration of the far north of Scotland. Don't miss out on our exclusive monthly giveaways with lots of fun travel and photography related prizes! Jessica. I’d take a look at what is listed under Day 6 and 7 of the itinerary, see what sounds appealing, and then estimate the time each day you think you’d need. We recommend purchasing train tickets in advance to ensure a seat and for the best prices. The route today is the longest on our 7 day itinerary, although you can shorten it if you need to as you can take shortcuts if you need to get to Inverness sooner. This gives you plenty of time to see all the highlights, visit attractions, do some hiking, do some outdoor activities, and really see the area without feeling rushed. There are no major detours recommended today since you have a longer day of driving today. The snow also meant that some of the walking and hiking trails weren’t really possible so it can also limit outdoor activities as well. North Coast 500 Dinner Recommendations: In this section, we’ll tell you about your options for dinner in and around the town where we recommend staying for the night. Hi there, Thanks so much for letting us know that our North Coast 500 itinerary has been so helpful. If you want a printed guidebook for the NC500, you can try Amazon as there are a few of them out there now, although we have never used them. When you’re driving Scotland’s North Coast 500—a 516-mile route circling the upper Highlands, around rugged mountains and rocky shores, majestic lochs and lush glens—there’s only one option for the first track: Late Night Option – If you are arriving into the town late, Highland Spice, an Indian restaurant and takeaway, usually offers takeaway until 11pm. Your email address will not be published. Just note if you plan to make a lot of detours (or do long ones such as out to the islands) you will likely want to add more days to your trip. The North Coast 500 is a defined 516-mile road trip route starting and ending in Inverness. Since you used to live in Inverness, I am guessing you have already seen many of that attractions around the eastern and southern parts of this route so this looks perfect in that case. Just for a quick idea if you wanted to generally follow our suggested 7 day North Coast 500 itinerary and stay in dog-friendly B&Bs on the NC500: -Day 1 Dog friendly B&B in Dornoch – Heartseed House B&B If you have less than 5 days, we recommend driving only a portion of the route or considering joining a guided tour. Want to keep up to date with us and our latest travel tips? So please tell me about the campgrounds on the NC500. I very much agree, I am planning a trip as well, the information you provide is excellent! North Coast 500: Road trip - See 704 traveler reviews, 806 candid photos, and great deals for Inverness, UK, at Tripadvisor. Note that there are no super late night dining options in Tongue or Durness and most places stop serving by 9:00pm (21:00). This is wonderful. There are lots of options in Inverness but your options become more limited in the smaller towns along the route. I think the biggest downside is that so much is closed. We hope that you have found this itinerary helpful in planning your own NC500 road trip. Day 2: Dornoch to Wick I would be sure to book these before your trip. There are some hiking opportunities, such as, If you are looking for activities like fishing, deer stalking, falconry, guided hikes, or archery, you may want to make a short detour towards. There's a few things you need to know before you take on one of the most beautiful drives in the world which is often regarded as the Route 66 in Scotland. But if you are planning to head along the west coast and/or visit the Isle of Skye, you may want to head south at Strathcarron. My friends and I are planning on doing the north coast 500 In a campervan and wondered what your thoughts/ general rules are around wild camping? – The Torridon in Torridon The Orkney “mainland” (the largest and main island of Orkney) has a number of important historical attractions – just note that some attractions will require you to book in advance to be able to visit them. You can get to Inverness from Edinburgh or Glasgow in about 4 hours and from London in 8 to 10 hours. Each year, people descend on this world-famous road trip in the thousands, all hungry to experience Scotland’s raw, natural beauty. There are OS 1: 50,000 scale Landranger maps (good for cyclists, drivers, and hikers planning to stick to well-established paths) as well as the OS 1:25,000 scale Explorer Maps for those hiking and wanting to get off the paths. If you are not a subscriber, it is free and easy to join and you can learn more and join here. There have been a lot of issue with people parking alongside the North Coast 500 route and the issue that go with that (blocking traffic, parking illegally, litter, irresponsible waste disposal, leaving ruts, etc). If you want a physical copy of the official North Coast 500 map before your trip, you can often find it on ebay, such as this listing. Glad you are finding our North Coast 500 travel tips useful! I’ve noted down lots of information but I did want to ask whether you’ve ever done the NC500 in winter? Thank you, Thank you Geoff & Joyce for taking the time to let us know that you have found it helpful in planning your June trip. Now you’ll arrive at the fairytale castle of the Scottish Highlands, After leaving Dunrobin Castle, you will soon see a sign for Càrn Liath which is an Iron Age, Just outside of the village of Brora is the, About 5 miles north of Helmsdale is the former clearance village of, Just outside Dunbeath along the route is the, Our recommended final destination for the day is the town of, Looking for activities? Our planning guide covers background information about the North Coast 500 route, advice on when to go, an overview of the highlights, car and campervan rental options, tips for traveling with your dog, camping tips, guided tours, safety and driving tips, a suggested packing list, and a list of helpful resources. Although i’m a full time chair user i’ll be traveling with my partner and together there isn’t much that stops us.I think initially looking for places to stop along the route. If you are looking for a stroll in Ullapool, there are nice places to walk around the harbor area and around Loch Broom. How do you decide how long to drive the North Coast 500? You only have a few options for dinner in Tongue or Durness so it is good to plan ahead, especially if traveling off-season, so that you know your options as some restaurants are seasonal and/or are not open 7 days a week. We’d also highly recommend doing some, If you are looking to extend your road trip consider heading south into the Cairngorms National Park and heading along the east coast along the scenic, If you are looking for more places to visit in Scotland we have a lot of guides to places to visit in Scotland including. Area of Scottish Highlands: Sutherland. Where would you recommend along the route? – Travelodge City Centre in Inverness. You have the option to visit a lovely garden, walk across a gorge, walk along sandy beaches, see waterfalls, learn about the Arctic Convoy, and visit a local heritage museum. Almost all take advanced bookings. As you plan your NC500 trip, just let us know if you have any questions, we are happy to try to help. The route is pretty easy to follow and we recommend picking up the official North Coast 500 route from the visitor center in Inverness before your trip to help keep you on track. Lochinver has a number of lodging options but most are bed-and-breakfasts which have only a handful of rooms. For instance, instead of sea kayaking we did loch canoeing in winter. Thankyou so much, we have just had the best week with glorious weather on our nc500 trip, using your itinerary as a guide. Reservations are recommended at many of the restaurants so I’d recommend calling ahead to book if there is one you really want to eat at during your stay. 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