The NC500 route offers visitors the opportunity to see rugged landscapes, frolic on sandy beaches, spot wildlife, visit museums and heritage sites, stay in castles, sip whisky, sample the local produce, and get to know the people who live there. The route was designed to encourage more visitors to visit this sparsely populated region of Scotland and it has been very successful.
The North Coast 500 (NC500) was created in 2014 by the North Highland Initiative, which is a non-profit organization that was established by Prince Charles in 2005 in an effort to develop economic growth across the North Highlands. Following its creation, private investment was raised and the route is promoted by a for-profit corporation called North Coast 500 Ltd. The company provides a number of resources for both visitors and local businesses.
Download Nc500 Route Google Maps
Download 🔥 https://tinurll.com/2yGcrV 🔥
The route is just over 500 miles and mainly hugs the northern coast of Scotland, hence the name. It was designed to showcase the natural beauty and local businesses in this part of Scotland which has previously received a relatively low level of tourism. It has become a major tourism success in Scotland with tens of thousands of people having already driven the route.
However, you can of course start and end your drive wherever you please. The route runs through a number of loosely defined areas or historical counties in northern Scotland including Inverness-shire, the Black Isle, Wester Ross, Easter Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness.
The North Coast 500 route follows the main roads across the coastal edges of the North Highlands. The largest city (by far) is Inverness with a population of close to 50,000 people and the next biggest places are towns and villages like Ullapool, Durness, Dornoch, Wick, Thurso, and Lochinver which each have a population of under 2,000 people! So expect to spend time in lots of small villages and rural areas.
We have driven Route 66, and we can say that there are a lot of differences between a historic route that spans over 2,400 miles and crosses 8 U.S. states and the North Coast 500. The NC500 is a mainly coastal route that goes through small villages and rural areas in a sparsely populated area of northern Scotland.
Winter can be a nice time for photography and solitude, although the weather can be bad and certain minor roads (e.g. the Bealach Na Ba) may be closed due to bad weather. If you plan to drive the NC500 out of season (e.g., October to March) just note that many businesses (including hotels, restaurants, tourist information offices, and attractions) in the Scottish Highlands are seasonal or have reduced winter hours.
If you are trying to plan your trip around Scottish weather, weather conditions are fickle in Scotland and we experience rain, clouds, and chilly weather year round (that is what keeps Scotland green!). However, we also get these bursts of sunshine and warm weather than can occur any time of the year with probably May and September being two of the better months in our experience thus far.
Our first time along the NC500 we were lucky in August with a few days of sunny warm weather. Out of an 8 day NC500 trip in May, we had 2 particularly rainy bad weather days, 3 mixed days (rain part of day, sunny part of day), and 3 nice weather days.
During our 12 day winter trip in February most days were mixed (rain/light snow/clouds/some sun) and it rained at least a little on almost every day of the trip. During that time we had 2 bad days (snowed all day, roads uncleared, stayed inside) and 1 especially nice and sunny day.
If you only have a 2 or 3 days, you can still get a taste of some of the things that the North Coast 500 has to offer without speeding along the entire route. I would focus on either a section of the route or focus on a special interest or theme (e.g., castles, historical sites, beaches, distilleries). For more reasons to drive the NC500 and themes read this article.
Some that you might want to consider visiting along or near the route (all open to the public, although some have seasonal hours) are Cawdor Castle, Dunrobin Castle, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe ruins, and the Castle of Mey which all lay along the eastern part of the route between Inverness and the small village of Mey.
For more on whisky, see our comprehensive guide to whisky distilleries in Scotland, which has everything you need to know. We also have a guide to whisky distilleries on the North Coast 500 specifically.
Deer lovers can spot red deer throughout the Scottish Highlands and the best time to see them is early in the morning in the fields away from villages. We saw loads of them, especially along the western and southern parts of the route. If you want to get really upclose to a large herd of deer, we can recommend a guided tour with gamekeeper Colin at Reraig Forest near Lochcarron.
Laurence personally favors the western side for landscape photography, but we found great photography spot throughout the route. Here is a guide to some of the photography highlights of the North Coast 500.
Coastline & Beaches: The route has coastline (and several beaches) along its western, northern, and eastern sections. Our favorite coastline in terms of views is probably the rugged western and northern sections. Our favorite beaches are around the northwest between Melvich and Sandwood Bay in the northwest, and then around Achmelvich Bay.
Melvich Beach, Durness Beach, Balnakeil Beach, Sandwood Beach, and Achmelvich Beach are a few of our favorites in the northwest. Closer to Inverness, you can also find some nice little local beach spots around Nairn, the Black Isle, Potmahomack, Dornoch, and Embo. There are lots of seldom visited sandy spots along the route, and you can discover your own spots by just asking a local villager.
Just note that the water is always cold, even in the summer so bring a drysuit or wetsuit if you want to spend some time in the water! Many Scottish beaches have limited or no facilities so be sure to bring anything you may need.
There are over 10 golf courses in this area but a few golf courses to consider are the Inverness Golf Club in Inverness, The Nairn Golf Club in Nairn, Nairn Dunbar Golf Club in Nairn, Castle Stuart Golf Links near Nairn, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club in Fortrose, Invergordon Golf Club in Invergordon, and the Royal Links Championship Course & Struie Course in Dornoch.
For those with younger kids, you might consider camping as a family (lots of campsites along the route for tent camping and motorhomes), planning picnics, or staying in self-catering accommodation. Not only can this save you money, but they are also great ways to accommodate picky eaters or early dinner times.
The above are just some suggestions, and there are many more places your kids are sure to love. With a bit of imagination, we think just about any stop, whether it be a historical site, museum, beach, or archaeological site, can be fun for kids.
Many travelers, especially those who live in the UK, want to do the North Coast 500 with a dog. It is definitely a place that you can bring your dog, but a dog will limit some of the places you can visit or stay. Here are some tips for traveling the North Coast 500 with pets and how to find dog-friendly lodging.
If you are traveling from outside the UK you will need to make sure you check the laws and guidelines (papers, vaccinations, quarantine) for bringing a dog into the UK as it differs depending on the country of origin. You can find out more about that here.
Spring and summer is also bird nesting season and dogs can disturb ground nesting birds so good to be aware of if doing walks/hikes. Some of the bird and wildlife reserve areas do not allow dogs for obvious reasons.
Many of the indoor and paid attractions (museums, castles, guided tours, gardens) along the route do not allow pets. If you are traveling with a partner or group, you may want to take turns spending time with your dog and one going inside.
Of course, it is required that dog waste be picked up by dog owners and then properly disposed of. At some places, there are places to dispose of it, but not in all places so be prepared to pack it out and dispose of it properly later.
For dog-friendly accommodation along the North Coast 500, you can see our North Coast 500 hotels guide and NC500 B&Bs guide as both note if each recommended hotel or B&B is dog-friendly or not at last check. Always be sure to double check pet policies before booking.
Most campsites along the North Coast 500 allow pets so camping is a pretty popular for pet owners who want to drive the NC500. You can see individual campsites mentioned throughout our suggested 1 week NC500 itinerary and you can also see our NC500 campsite guide for more information on camping along the route.
The busiest months are going to be the summer from June to August with some crowds in May and September. Festivals, special events (e.g., music concerts, bike races, car rallies), and holidays (e.g., Christmas, Hogmanay) also bring more people to the area. So avoiding these times of year can help but since they are also when there are the most daylight hours, most open attractions and lodging, and perhaps best chance of warm weather, chances are this is also when you plan to drive the route.
To get even further away, head to towns and areas located just off the official route, such as Nairn, Borgie, Altnaharra, Portmahomack, Cape Wrath, Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve, or Bonar Bridge. Follow themed trails like the Strathnaver Trail, Pictish Trail, or Pebble Routes to learn about some specific subjects and get off the beaten path.
If you plan to hike, just be prepared by bringing along good hiking shoes, rain gear, midge repellent (May to September), and hiking supplies so you are prepared to go off and find the peaceful spots along the route.
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). 152ee80cbc
uscg exam questions and answers pdf free download