Destination NC500 - The Ultimate North Coast 500 Road Trip Guidebook

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Exact Locations: All of the exact locations of over 110+ Sights and Attractions, as well as Accommodation, Restaurants, Campervan Water and Waste Faci But the North Coast 500 is designed for touring, sightseeing, and taking things slowly. The minimum number of days we’d recommend to drive the North Coast 500 is 5 days, but 7 to 10 days would be ideal. If you plan to speed around, you could do it with 3 full days and night, but we’d recommend more time. Since the NC500 is not a single road or highway like Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway, you won’t find it on a regular map and your GPS probably won’t know the route. So just to be clear, there is no actual road named North Coast 500 but it is a designated tourist route.

Planning a North Coast 500 road trip can be a bit overwhelming as it is a relatively new route and there isn’t as much information available online or in guidebooks compared to other top road trips around the world. But not to worry, we’ll provide all the information you’ll need to plan your NC500 road trip. In this section, we’ll assume you have decided to drive the North Coast 500, and we’ll discuss how to find the route, how to stay on the route, safe driving tips and laws you should know, and where you can rent a car, motorcycle, or RV for your North Coast 500 road trip. Hope this helps get you started at least for accommodation. We’ve stayed at all but one of the above properties so do let us know if you have any questions about any of them. Several of these are reviewed in our North Coast 500 Accommodation Guide. But keep any eye out for new posts over the next couple of months.That is just a short list of some of the hotels that accept dogs along the North Coast 500, but hopefully it will give you a good place to start. Beaches & Pools– There are dozens of beaches along the North Coast 500 and they are great places to stop and let the kids explore and let out some energy. The water is often too cold for much swimming, so I’d consider bringing wetsuits or drysuits if the kids want to spend a lot of time in the water. Remember there are no lifeguards at most beaches. There are also a number of public swimming pools along the route as well if the kids prefer indoor swimming. Wow! What a terrific source of inspiration! Thank you SO much for taking the time and put it together!

Evanton Woods – There is a very nice woodland playground here developed by the local community in Evanton. It is about a 10 minute walk from the parking area across from the free parking area across from the pub in Evanton. I think if there is one general piece of advice that people who live and work along the NC500 route would give tourists is to slow down, stop rushing, and spend more time helping support the region. We’ve probably heard some version of this hundreds of times and totally agree with it. For whale watching, we were told that Duncansby Head, Dunnet Bay, and Strathy Point are popular spots for whale watchers as well as for dolphins, porpoises, and other sea animals. There are wildlife boat tours you can do in the Caithness area for a better chance to see the wildlife. The Orkney Islands (can be reached by ferry from John O’ Groats) is also a great place for wildlife, including sea mammals, voles, and sea birds. Staying in cozy bed-and-breakfasts, historical properties, and luxury castles was part of the experience we wanted on our North Coast 500 journey, and our lodging choices definitely added to the experience. Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for going whale watching off the west coast or hiking.You might find this suggested 7 day camping itinerary useful as it provides a suggested NC500 itinerary and tips for those planning to camp or stay in motorhomes along the route. Currently few companies are offering NC500 tours, especially group tours, but the options will likely increase as the popularity of the route increases. We’ll try to keep this list updated but if you know of any other group tours, please let us know! Glad you are finding our content on the NC500 and Scottish Highlands helpful in planning your trip 😉 For those wanting a private tour, you can arrange a private NC500 tour from Rabbie’s or other local tour companies.Most Scotland-based tour companies should be able to arrange a guided NC500 private tour to suit your needs although you will pay a lot more than you would if you did a group tour or a self-drive trip.Inverness is probably the most convenient place to start a NC500 tour, but tours can also be arranged to depart and return from Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness.

Have at least a tentative itinerary can also help you identify and fit in places you really want to see that have limited opening times (e.g., a museum or attraction only open 3 days a week or a restaurant only open on weekends for dinner). Just come prepared for the weather and don’t let it stop you from enjoying your trip! How Many Days Does it Take to Drive the North Coast 500? Guided Activities– There are many opportunities to book some fun activities and tours along the route. Examples include wildlife boat trips with EcoVentures, Caithness Sea Coast, or Hebridean Whale Cruises,ziplining with Golden Eagle Zip Line, geology walks (kids 10+ only) with Deep Time, fishing with Assynt Fly Fishing, loch canoeing or kayaking with Kayak Summer Isles, pony trekking with the Gairloch Pony Trekking Centre, and deer spotting and ATV trip at Reraig Forest. Note many of the above activities have age limits and most require advanced booking. Glad you enjoyed our North Coast 500 guides. Yes, since many of the attractions are outdoors and natural, some may not be an option for someone with restricted mobility. However, many of the scenic viewpoint stops are viewable from the parking area or a very short walk from it and even some of the longer paths have been designed for those with restricted mobility in mind such as this one in Assynt. But for the most part, the hiking trails and beaches are difficult in terms of accessibility. The above would give you about 6 days for the NC500 and you wouldn’t do the southern section. So it will be a bit fast, but you will still have time to see a lot. So planning in advance your stops is a good idea so you don’t waste time planning too much during your trip.If the license is not in English or Latin alphabet, then you will need to get a validated English translation or have an International Driving Permit. If you need an International Driving Permit, you will need to apply for this in your home country prior to your trip. I’d recommend at least 3 nights to do the NC500 – 5 days is ideal. We have a NC500 hotel guide that has all the main castle hotels listed. Let us know if you have a specific question about any of them. We only have a camping itinerary up so far, but will have more NC500 itineraries up before your trip in Sept., if you want to sign up for our monthly newsletter to be alerted with our new articles. You might also be wondering if you can do the North Coast 500 by train. The simple answer is no, there is no train route that approximates the route and an entire portion of the northwest of Scotland has no train connections.