I’ve always wanted to see more of Scotland, and I’m toying with the idea of doing the NC500. Has anybody done it and got any advice?

I’d be flying into Inverness and will have 7-10 days to do it in. Can’t decide between hire car and accommodation or campervan/motorhome and campsites. Really want to drive Bealach na Ba but won’t be able to do it in anything larger than a T5 (or so I’m told).

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

It’s getting very busy! Scotroutes will have more info.

I’d be flying into Inverness and will have 7-10 days to do it in. Can’t decide between hire car and accommodation or campervan/motorhome and campsites. Really want to drive Bealach na Ba but won’t be able to do it in anything larger than a T5 (or so I’m told).

Are you planning on driving it or riding it on a bike..?

You mean drive it of course (hence the Chat forum…)

If you are planning B&B/Hostel/Hotel/Campsite then book early. Really early. What are you doing tomorrow morning????

You will be able to hire a small campervan from the likes of Highland Campervans. They are out between the town and the airport, so really convenient. Stay compact. Large motorhomes are a nightmare on the narrow roads.

DO NOT expect to turn up in some scenic layby with your camper, sit there and take in the views. It’s busy. Really busy.

It’s good that you have lots of time available. That means you can park up and actually explore the area. Take a pair of walking shoes/boots and look up http://www.walkhighlands.com for lots of graded walks. With that amount of time, you could even fit in a visit to the Western Isles or Orkney.

Many will tell you that coming back down from JOG on the east coast is a disappointment, Don’t listen to them! Take the same approach, stopping to get out of the car/camper and do some exploring.

Look at NC500 route.

Use it to cross off every road and spot to avoid in your time in Scotland and identify the bulk of the honeypots in the area.

Then plan a nice route. One of the best bits about that sort of tour is last minute changes of plan and booking ahead no more than 24hrs ahead so you can linger or press on as the mood takes you. Also the ability to soak in the view or the perfect wind camping spot in splendid isolation. You can’t do this on the NC500 at the moment unless properly out of season.

Don’t me wrong, there are some lovely spots on the route that I have spent years visiting and I would class as some of my favourite on the planet. But they are for the moment tarnished. The great news about this route being published is it is perfect for soaking up all the numpties that have barely driven on a remote narrow road, cannot park and also the bulk of the garish Americans in stupid golf trousers.

Feast on a bunch of the other amazing places there are to see in the highlands and wait 5-10 years until the fuss is over and come back and do the bits you missed when they have quietened down.

I work in Sutherland a fair bit. As others have said, accomodation is proving hard to get. Also, watch out for the fast car strava type people who can go from not visible in your rear view mirror to past you in a few seconds. And the tourists who swerve across the white line or stop dead in the middle of the road for a view / photo. And the ones who don’t know etiquette for single track roads and don’t know how wide their car is. And the ones who park in passing places and wander off. You’ll be fine as long as you allow plenty of time.

Plus 1 either do it out of season or go else where.

Spend money in the town villages.

Don’t park in front of an official camp site/someone’s front door or worst I’ve seen -in a **** passing place

Much better bits of Scotland to see in season. As for bealach – if you are driving a vehicle your not used to they are right. I’ve been over it in my bus thought -could get a T5 In side it 🙂

We did it last year in the camper and took the bikes. I suggest the camper option myself. I’d really recommend planning in a stop at Sandlewood Bay. It’s not accessible by road, but there is a small car park with public toilets and a donation box. A 4 mile walk/mtb ride and the reward is the nicest beach I’ve come across so far in the UK. Take a picnic and enjoy it.

If you stop at Ullapool, there is only one campsite which doesn’t take pre-bookings but its very big and you shouldn’t have any problems getting on.

I’m not sure the impact of the publicisation of this route has been thoroughly assessed.

Quite, but it was done by a private company, not a government/council/NGO so it’s difficult to see what intervention would have been possible.

I’m sure it’s fun if you don’t know the area but by god the constant engine noise when you’re enjoying the scenery and terrible driving gets very annoying very quickly. A lot of people playing out their Clarkson fantasies in their phallusmobiles.

was up there in September. We drove some sections of the NC500, although we didn’t know it at the time.

As others have noted, the north of Scotland is pretty beautiful wherever you go – you don’t need to be on the NC500 to see spectacular scenery. By all means take in a couple of days worth of it, but you’ll have just as much fun when you wander off piste too 🙂

I did a ride from Ullapool up some of the sections of NC500 last September. The roads were noticeably quieter off it. Don’t get me wrong, it was all spectacular but it was marred by occasional convoys of camper vans all trying to negotiate tight bends and once a convoy of MX5s all going way too fast for the roads and then encountering a clutch of camper vans coming the other way.

I was camping so no issues with accommodation and it was mostly out of season anyway. Wouldn’t fancy it in June!

It’s a been a masterpiece in what can be done simply by giving folk a focus. I just hope the Snow Roads doesn’t end up as popular.
How many **** people are there on MY beach 👿

https://visitcairngorms.com/snowroads

Thanks for the advice. Bit of a reality check really.

Perhaps I will look into more off piste/different areas.

Cheers!

As a suggestion…

If you fancy the Bealach anyway, head across from Inverness towards Ullapool, then make your way south through Torridon, Applecross and to Kyle. Go through Skye to Armadale then take the ferry to Mallaig. Now just follow the coast all the way to Ardnamurchan. Backtrack a little to Kilchoan and cross over to Mull. Do a day out to Iona (fantastic campsite at Fidden Farm). Eventually get back to the mainland at Lochaline and back to Fort William. Now go up Loch Ness back to Inverness.

You’ll see great beaches, loads of wildlife fantastic mountains. Of course there will still be tourists, but not so many.

what scotroutes says .

top tip though , if your in a motorhome/van book the ferry if your traveling too/from mallaig or be prepared to wait. we turned up on spec out of season (october) and got told – aye itll be wednesday before we can get you over…..

it was monday !

Quite, but it was done by a private company, not a government/council/NGO so it’s difficult to see what intervention would have been possible.

It was started by a private company, but H&I Enterprise, The Highland Council and VisitScotland are all partners.

As a tourist, the thing I hate most is loads of tourists, and on parts of the NC500 there are many. We did half of it last year, missed out the North East section and applecross, but added in bits like a day trip to handa isle, and also the macaskill museum in dunvegan. Went to the fairy pools in skye, but didn’t stop due to the sheer amount of folk. Keep an eye on the weather, and plan your route accordingly, follow the best weather

And don’t go past Doonray at shift change in the pi$$ing rain, a day to forget…

It is very very busy in comparison to almost everywhere else. But, on the upside, if they’re all charging around the NC500, the rest is left in peace. Bit like Betwsy in North Wales, the grockles get ‘stuck’ and then stay out of Snowdonia 🙂

That’s a great suggestion Scotroutes has posted above. I would point out that the road on Ardnamurchan is single track and fairly twisty, but it’s a magical place.
Secondly if you are coming in high season the A82 from Fort William to Inverness will be chockablock and there are frequently long delays getting out of Fort William northwards.

Did it last May (well, everything except Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh) having spent the previous 10 days on the Isles. Disagree with Scotroutes – JO’G was a shithole when I last visited in 1984 and nothing much has changed – couldn’t find anywhere for decent hot food on a Monday afternoon in May! Turn right at Kyle of Tongue and go down to Lairg instead. Needed 1st gear on my ’74 VW camper on quite a few roads!
Some advisories:
Small camper is ideal – some roads too small for motorhome
You’ll go slower than you expect – enjoy the view
Lots of drivers who have difficulty engaging reverse gears on narrow roads even when the passing place is just behind them!
Secret Garden in Applecross for breakfast – bacon and maple syrup pancakes.
Applecross Inn is OK, but a bit over-hyped
Take the road to Inverpolly – not on the official route.
Fresh scallops and black pudding in Ullapool
Hike over to Old Man of Stoer
Visit Drumbeg Stores and fill up on local produce
After Scourie, lunch at the Shorehouse at Tarbet, lovely fresh lobster
Walk along the beach / dunes at Balnakiel, near Durness. Smoo caves too.
Off-route, but head to Rosemarkie / Chanonry Point to watch the dolphins – timing is critical

Last summer I dropped my wife and a friend off at JoG (it’s a shitehole as Fraser says) – they were biking back down south, and drove along the north coast to Durness.

Lovely until you met the “wave” of NC500ers heading the other way. They’ve no idea on how to adjust their speed so that you meet each other at the passing points and so don’t actually have to stop.

The “mad road” between Inverpolly and Lochinver is worth doing – it’s not part of the official route as there’s some very tight bends and RVs, motorhomes, coaches etc would get stuck.

Take your time – there’s plenty of parking spots which tend to be at those points for a reason! There’s also plenty of stuff just off the actual route.

Apart from all that: drive and act as you’d want someone visiting your area to do. You wouldn’t want someone parking in front of your drive/gateway or taking a piss there so why do it in front of someone else’s house?

scotroutes – Member

As a suggestion recommendation…

If you fancy the Bealach anyway, head across from Inverness towards Ullapool, then make your way south through Torridon, Applecross and to Kyle. Go through Skye to Armadale then take the ferry to Mallaig. Now just follow the coast all the way to Ardnamurchan. Backtrack a little to Kilchoan and cross over to Mull. Do a day out to Iona (fantastic campsite at Fidden Farm). Eventually get back to the mainland at Lochaline and back to Fort William. Now go up Loch Ness back to Inverness.

You’ll see great beaches, loads of wildlife fantastic mountains. Of course there will still be tourists, but not so many.

Cross the Skye Bridge, park at the far side and walk back across it. You really need to take your time to soak it up
Try and time the trip for either a meal at the Applecross Inn (been there recommended)or Kishorn Seafood Bar (haven’t been but have heard amazing things about their seafood platter) .

JoG (it’s a shitehole as Fraser says)

It totally is – but you can get the passenger ferry over to Orkney (Sth Ronaldsay) from where you can cycle or bus over the Churchill Barriers to Kirkwall, then to Stromness, ferry back to Scrabster and continue along the North Coast

Oh and stop in Durness, visit Smoo Cave and take the tour

Don’t bother with the Loch Ewe distillery. Or if you do, don’t be tempted to sample the spirit. Don’t know if it’s on the NC500 or not, we were up there touring in blissful ignorance of it until we started seeing all the t-shirts .

Avoid Dunnet Bay caravan site, most miserable Parkie the Park-Keeper owners/attendants imaginable.

To prove the Inverpolly road isn’t worth the detour:

Another glorious coastal drive a bit further south – ferry from Oban to Craignure, Mull and then drive up the west side, stopping at Ulva Ferry, Calgary Bay, Dervaig and Tobermory. Ferry across to Kilchoan, out to lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point, the along to Salen and if you have time around Moidart and back around to Spean Bridge / Fort William. Stop for 20 minutes after getting off the ferry at Kilchoan and you’ll have little following traffic.

Visit Drumbeg Stores and fill up on local produce

And the whisky 😀

My dad managed to drag a 7m+ caravan round all that though to be fair I think that was (just) pre-NC500. From what’s been said I’m not sure I’d like to try that now.

Nannies for breakfast at Sheildaig – super….