I first read about the Golden Eagle Zipline in a blog post about family-friendly activities on the North Coast 500 (and subsequently asked the author to write a guest post about visiting Scotland with kids)! The beach has some of the whitest sand I have seen in Scotland and is well-sheltered from the wind. It is just under 5 km (3 miles) and takes only 1.5 hours – or a little more if you bring a picnic, for example from the Loch Torridon Smokehouse in the village. I drove the NC500 as part of a paid project with Hostelling Scotland. Wild camping is legal in campervans as long as you stick to the rules of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code regarding the duration of stays and waste disposal. From here, the route leads south back towards Inverness. Then we spent 7 days on the road trip. The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile scenic route along Scotland's northern coast, offering drivers rugged landscapes, sandy benches, wildlife, museums, castles, whisky distilleries, and so much more! The main road of the North Coast 500 route is scenic as it is, but there are many little detours you can drive to reach even more off the beaten path villages and mountains views. DETOUR TIP: 13.5 miles east of Achmelvich Beach stands another one of the picturesque castles of the NC500. Fancy visiting the northernmost point of mainland Britain? See map North Coast Map NSW - Mid North Coast Map NSW - Far North Coast Map NSW.. There are several highlights here including Smoo Cave (the largest cave in Scotland) and Balnakiel beach which also happens to provide a beautiful backdrop to the ruins of the old Balnakiel Church. This is a place that you will want to savour, so give yourself plenty of time to explore it. PS: We used the OS North Scotland Road Map to find and navigate these detours! Launched in 2015, the North Coast 500 encompasses over 500 miles of wild scenery, secluded beaches and historic castles in Scotland’s northern highlands. Along the route and at the top, which climbs to 626m, you will be rewarded with incredible views of Wester Ross, Isle of Skye, Isle of Rum and the Outer Hebrides. 2 nights the minimum to explore the best things to do on Lewis. Their 5-day Highland Explorer tour from Edinburgh also takes in the southern part of the NC500. Spend endless days on uncrowded beaches, swim with dolphins, indulge in incredible food and wine, explore pristine volcanic hinterland and hike through ancient rainforest. For more information read our Affiliate page. Durness is the most north-westerly village in the British mainland and a good stop on the NC500 to stock up on the essentials such as fuel. The trail is waymarked – a rare occasion for mountain trails in Scotland – and is just over 6 km (4 miles) long. There are many single track roads, particularly in the far northern regions and many of the detours I suggest in this post also make use of steep single track roads. I was expecting a gorge alright, but this one went above and beyond what other gorges look like! Have a great trip . The Most Spectacular Places To Visit On The North Coast 500 wanderlust.co.uk - Kav Dadfar | 05 January 2021. It is small, but there are many international flights to Inverness. The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile scenic route along Scotland's northern coast, offering drivers rugged landscapes, sandy benches, wildlife, museums, castles, whisky distilleries, and so much more! The cafe offers a variety of refreshments and snacks as well as cakes, teas and coffees in a quirky setting among model gondolas, national park stickers and shelves filled with adventure books. There are also a number of public swimming pools along the … Hiking at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve, 20 Tips for Wild Camping in Scotland (Tent + Campervan), North Coast Journey: The Magic of Scotland’s Northern Highlands, My Favourite Hikes in Scotland – From Easy Trails to Munros, 18 Fun Outdoor Activities to Try in Scotland, The Best Places for Wildlife Watching in Scotland, The Go Ape Ziplining & High Ropes Course in Aberfoyle (Review), Scotland Travel Guides and Resource Library, Best Road Trips in the World (The Last One is Epic!) When you have had enough of the views, take the same road back to Torridon and continue on the main route of the North Coast 500. In may places along the North Coast 500, there are no fences separating the fields and road. However, this is not a drive for the faint-hearted! Open 10 am to 5 pm (1 April to 31 October). There are not many parking places on this single track road, so take it slow and enjoy the view. Its biodiversity of fauna and flora make it a site of special scientific interest and attracts a wide range of botanists, biologists and geologists. However, keep in mind, that being the only car that goes against the stream can be annoying and tiring on single track roads. Our days out consist of visiting two or three of the places you mentioned. I’d say as far as kayaking trips in Scotland go, this was my favourite yet! Or book a private walking tour in Glasgow with me! You can find out more about my visit to Handa Island here. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 20 Tips for Wild Camping in Scotland (Tent + Campervan). Get a detailed trail description here. Lying about halfway through the NC500, it makes for a great stop with its restaurants, shops and pubs. Want to know where to go, what to see and what not to miss? Sandwood Bay and Sandwood Loch (Kav Dadfar). Ardvreck Castle might just be the most popular castle in the west of the North Coast 500. Check out my map for the North Coast 500 including all scenic stops, recommended activities, places to eat & stay and useful facilities outlined in this post. Best Places for Shopping Along the North Coast 500 Shopping around the north coast of Scotland can prove to be an expensive affair if not done properly. North Coast 500 Itinerary. Many people who hire campervans or motorhomes in Scotland are driving these for the first time and thus, a road like this can be very stressful and even dangerous – i.e. Dunrobin Castle is one of my favourite castles in Scotland, and Golspie itself is a really nice town. The narrow single-track road to Redpoint leads through several small villages and finally, to a gorgeous red sand beach. If you have a bit more time and would like to stay in the area, get in touch with Gairloch Trekking Centre who offers guided pony trekking in the area. Dunnet Head and Dunnet Head Lighthouse (Kav Dadfar). You can take anywhere between four days and three weeks to drive it, so check out these 30 EPIC things to do on the North Coast 500 and work on your itinerary! There is also the historic town of Dornoch itself with its beautiful cathedral and stone houses. It is a combined sea and freshwater cave which means it has been formed from two sides at the same time. I’m sure you have seen it before on Instagram! Another worthwhile detour as you make your way through West Sutherland is to the Old Man of Stoer. However, if you are in a campervan or a nervous driver definitely follow this advice! Explore the Route. South Africa is blessed with 2500 kms of stunningly beautiful coastline, and this 280 kms of lush green coastline along the east coast overlooks the warm Indian Ocean. There are a campsite, restaurant and bar here, making this a perfect place to spend the night. The further you walk along the cliff tops the more your angle of view changes and the quieter the experience becomes. Seeing wildlife is never guaranteed on the North Coast 500, but Chanonry Point might be your best bet. If you don’t want to rent a car for any reason, the best option to still experience the North Coast 500 is to book a guided tour. On the final day, we drove back down to Edinburgh. A carefully designed itinerary, travelling the North Coast 500 driving route – covering more than 500 miles of the best coastal scenery the North Highlands has to offer, but within a leisurely week’s holiday. I love a surprise, so when I stepped onto the suspension bridge above the gorge, I was blown away by how narrow, deep and long it was. Continue to make your way west and you will reach Lochcarron and the adjoining Loch Kishorn. I would like to know if this particular trip is wheelchair accessible or could modification be made . During peak season, I also recommend booking campsites in advance if you travel by campervan. I recommend you do the same. An ultimate guide on where you have to stop and eat along the North Coast 500 route. From here, the walk down (and back up) involves scrambling on very steep rocks and great care should be taken. Sturdy hiking boots are an absolute must and so is a general comfort with light scrambling. The views from the causeway, which has a couple of car parks, are impressive. Visitor Attractions - North Coast 500. Check out my Covid-19 page for updates, travel tips and advice for your itinerary. While the beach is not situated on the NC500 route, this short detour is well worth it for the stunning vistas you will be treated to. This is also the place for possibly the most peculiar structure in the whole of Scotland. Due to its fame, unfortunately this is not somewhere you will find solitude. You can return the same way or take the slightly longer ¾ mile route back to the car park. I would set aside at least 4 hours to visit the island – the more the better. During my last visit to Scotland I decided that I would go on an epic road trip and take on the highlights of the North Coast 500. The North Coast 500 is Scotland’s answer to route 66 and one of the most beautiful coastal touring routes in the world (well, we think so, anyway!). The path leads through lush green vegetation to a series of awe-inspiring waterfalls. Before you decide on am NC500 itinerary and how many days you spend on this road trip, go through this list of things to do on the North Coast 500 or inspiration. Our Recommended North Coast 500 Hotels Guide - where to stay along the NC500. Others believe it was built by the Mackay family or the Bishops of Caithness in the 1500s. Stac Pollaidh and Loch Lurgainn (Kav Dadfar). Standing at 613 metres, Stac Polly, or Stac Pollaidh as its officially called, means “peak of the peat moss”. This is an area teeming with wildlife including the golden eagle. Some of the highlights are a collection of Californian Redwoods, Himalayan blue poppies and various species of rhododendron. Here are some tips for driving on the North Coast 500: For more tips, read my post about driving in Scotland. There is plenty of parking and easy access to the shore of Loch Maree with possibly the best view of Slioch mountain peak in the distance. John O Groats gained fame as the northernmost point of mainland Britain (today we know it’s at Dunnet Head Lighthouse) and is thus the natural endpoint of so-called end-to-end walks and cycles. Balnakiel Church with Balnakiel Beach in the background (Kav Dadfar), Viewing platform on Sango Sand beach (Kav Dadfar). We had to do it! From there, you'll venture to some of the most northerly coastal points in Scotland, passing by Caithness and John o' Groats before heading south again through Dingwall and finally back to Inverness. Like most places, the summertime is going to be the ideal time to travel the North Coast 500 in terms of weather. Wondering which places to visit? From exploring the castle or a taking a riverside stroll to trying out the city’s mouth-watering Scottish cuisine, make this the first highlight of your NC500 road trip. Will took us out to the Isle Martin, the furthest outlier of the Summer Isles and the one with the most impressive sea cliffs (40m tall and another 40 m under the surface). The infrastructure in northwest Scotland is definitely sparser than in other parts of the country. It has one of the largest sea cave entrances in the UK – over 50 ft high! The true summit requires a fair bit of technical scrambling, but even without that this mountain makes for a great half-day hike on your way north from Ullapool. North Coast 500 Highlights (The Best Places to Eat on the NC500 Route) by Ivana December 10, 2018. Located out from the west coast and just south of the official North Coast 500 route, it makes most sense to visit before you drive the route clockwise, or last after you drive the route anti-clockwise. The path leads down to the water and to the ruins of Am Ploc church. On Watch Me See I share my top tips and travel stories from around Scotland. Eat For Free! Hi June, thanks for pointing out this error in the article! Day 1: Inverness to Torridon via Applecross, Distance: 115 miles, Overnight at Torridon Youth Hostel, Day 2: Torridon to Gairloch incl. The most common off-road walking route is even longer – 1,900 km (1,200 miles). Join here!). 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