North Coast 500

[MFB Scotland]

My partner is 50 in July and we are booked to goto Mexico on a family trip. I want to take her on the North Coast 500 as a surprise.

Before googling it I thought maybe be lazy and see if there is a standard route and good recommendations on B&Bs etc from Tz'ers. PS what time should I be allocating in days.

Any recommendations, experiences, must do stop offs most welcome. As a lowland Scot the Highlands are a mystery. PS can we avoid any Wicker Man experiences unless a young Britt Ekland is dancing

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[Martylaa]

My partner is 50 in July and we are booked to goto Mexico on a family trip. I want to take her on the North Coast 500 as a surprise.

Before googling it I thought maybe be lazy and see if there is a standard route and good recommendations on B&Bs etc from Tz'ers. PS what time should I be allocating in days.

Any recommendations, experiences, must do stop offs most welcome. As a lowland Scot the Highlands are a mystery. PS can we avoid any Wicker Man experiences unless a young Britt Ekland is dancing

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Did 3 days in Scotland last summer on the bike and throughly enjoyed doing it, I’m now looking to do this with a few friends maybe May time this year, going to watch this thread with interest.

[CardShark]

My partner is 50 in July and we are booked to goto Mexico on a family trip. I want to take her on the North Coast 500 as a surprise.

Before googling it I thought maybe be lazy and see if there is a standard route and good recommendations on B&Bs etc from Tz'ers. PS what time should I be allocating in days.

Any recommendations, experiences, must do stop offs most welcome. As a lowland Scot the Highlands are a mystery. PS can we avoid any Wicker Man experiences unless a young Britt Ekland is dancing

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Lots (and lots!) on info here about the NC500 and Highland roads in general.

In short, try to go out-of-season if you can as there'll be fewer tourists about and less traffic in general.

Edit to add the link - doh!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...f=45&t=1157234

[blackal]

Search NC500

first one here: https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ighlight=Nc500

[I a n]

I did the NC500 on bikes with 2 friends in September. Fantastic.
We went anti-clockwise starting in Edinburgh ... the best bits are on the West coast so we wanted to do them last.
John O Groats was a let down ... we were persuaded by one the others in the team to go so we could tick it off - but it's easily missable.

How are you travelling ? There are lots of campervans on the route - even in Sept.

Going in Sept we avoided the worst of the summer traffic. I would imagine the narrow roads on the west coast could be really really busy in the peak season.

I've got details of hotels we stayed at if you want ?

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/ed...uf&usp=sharing

We ended up in the lake district so you see we adapted the route accordingly.

[Skier]

If you're committed to the NC500 then fine, others will be able to better advise. If you want to visit the west and north coast then I would suggest doing something different. The NC500 is about spending a lot of time in a car and seeing little. I would suggest the opposite and choose an area and explore that area. I lived in Scotland for many years and have a trip planned to the West Coast and Moray coast this coming Summer. I'm sure I've posted previously and will look for that post.

[dice]

I did the NC500 last year in a convoy with a few mates. We camped the whole way through for 10 days, making sure to take our time and explore/hike. Best trip I've ever done.

Camping is very viable since Scotland have very relaxed rules on wild camping. Not an option for everyone though, of course.

[JasonM]

If you're committed to the NC500 then fine, others will be able to better advise. If you want to visit the west and north coast then I would suggest doing something different. The NC500 is about spending a lot of time in a car and seeing little. I would suggest the opposite and choose an area and explore that area. I lived in Scotland for many years and have a trip planned to the West Coast and Moray coast this coming Summer. I'm sure I've posted previously and will look for that post.

Theres a lot to be said for this, we stayed for a week near Ullapool 3 years ago and explored the area, absolutely stunning scenery, lovely people, we did take a drive to Durness for a day and was a lovely drive and the beach there is amazing, but doing 500 miles of it, whilst it would be fun, won't be relaxing I don't suppose.

[Lazydonkey]

All good advice so far, especially the out of season point. Book accommodation and even food ahead and take as long as you can over the route. Also watch your speed - sadly the days of getting away with silly speeds is well and truly over.

I used to help run a group taking englanders round west coast elements of the (now) NC500 when i was in the vx220 forum. Seeing people's jaws hit the floor with the scenery and roads was a great experience.

Don't focus just on the nc500 though, take a detour onto skye too.

[blackal]

I did the NC500 last year in a convoy with a few mates. We camped the whole way through for 10 days, making sure to take our time and explore/hike. Best trip I've ever done.

Camping is very viable since Scotland have very relaxed rules on wild camping. Not an option for everyone though, of course.

Last year - it was open season for people who simply read: “You can camp/park wherever you like”. It ain’t that simple.

Last year saw a huge abuse of facilities, emptying of toilet cassettes in ditches and public toilets, crap and toilet paper in lay-bys, scorched ground from campfires, abandoned ‘festival tents and sleeping bags’ and even motorhomes parked in cemeteries.

Scotland welcomes tourists, but sadly the ‘Benidorm Brigade’ and the likes - ruined it.

[johny]

Last year - it was open season for people who simply read: “You can camp/park wherever you like”. It ain’t that simple.

Last year saw a huge abuse of facilities, emptying of toilet cassettes in ditches and public toilets, crap and toilet paper in lay-bys, scorched ground from campfires, abandoned ‘festival tents and sleeping bags’ and even motorhomes parked in cemeteries.

Scotland welcomes tourists, but sadly the ‘Benidorm Brigade’ and the likes - ruined it.

I agree. Last year was the worst I have ever seen.

[neebsta]

We did the NC500 in our Campervan with the kids in 2017. The kids absolutely loved it, despite them both having been on multiple ski trips - the NC500 is the one they always talk about with fond memories.

We stayed in official campsites, rather than wild camp.

[bandylegss]

Back in the day I delivered school furniture that was my favourite route, hard work with a artic but oh so beautiful met some great people over the years got snowed in a few times though.

Loved Thurso especially in those days there was no bridge at Inverness it was a long haul around but fun.

[blackal]

Back in the day I delivered school furniture that was my favourite route, hard work with a artic but oh so beautiful met some great people over the years got snowed in a few times though.

Loved Thurso especially in those days there was no bridge at Inverness it was a long haul around but fun.

Jeez! That was over 40yrs ago!!

For anyone contemplating the north coast - miss out JoG.

I’d recommend going down through Altnaharra, Lairg and join the A9 over the Struie at Skiach Services. (Unless you want to see the Stacks of Duncansby)

[J J Carter]

Drivers planning post-lockdown North Coast 500 trips warned of route’s ‘terrible’ condition

https://www.scotsman.com/news/transp...dition-3180908

[Halitosis]

As others have suggested, unless you're determined to tick the box of doing the NC 500 then there are quieter and prettier routes to take. Personally I think it would be criminal to miss out Skye

[higham5]

We did it in 2015 on a motorcycle, B&B 6 days including getting up and back. Key points from my perspective
1) Do it anticlockwise, the reveals at every corner of the west coast are jaw dropping.
2) We didnt bother with JOG choosing to go to the lighthouse to watch the killer whales swim past
3) Whilst not wanting to generalise the east coast is boring and things improve from Scourie
4) Back in 2015 I spent nearly all day trying to book accommodation on the west coast so book ahead
5) If you you want to make the 50th special, get over to Skye
6) Watch out for campers and car owners clubs, they move in convoy, easy to pass on a bike, not so in a car.
7) Eat sea food at the Applecross inn and enjoy the pass of the cattle


Controversial suggestion, have you considered the Wild Atlantic Way in Southern Ireland. We did that in 2016. Its quieter, easier to find accommodation, fantastic welcome from the locals and the scenery is stunning.

[Skier]

7) Eat sea food at the Applecross inn and enjoy the pass of the cattle

An absolute must. I cycled there (and back) when much younger and fitter in the 90s when I lived in Scotland (Culloden) - think Tour de France alpine switchbacks and serious heart palpitations! If you go to Applecross, walk along the coast; North takes you around a beach (if low-tide) and South to stunning views of rocky outcrops and, slightly inland obviously, some lovely waterfalls.

[blackal]

In Ullapool - ‘Deli-ca-sea’ takeaway for fish and chips………. Stunning haddock and chips.

Also - ‘The Seafood Shack’ for a new take on seafood.

But- expect there to be high prices/staff shortages/closures - due to lack of migrant workers.

Ullapool has a real buzz about the place, and in good weather, a lovely place to soak up the sinking sun, with a large malt in your hand.

[JasonM]

In Ullapool - ‘Deli-ca-sea’ takeaway for fish and chips………. Stunning haddock and chips.

Also - ‘The Seafood Shack’ for a new take on seafood.

But- expect there to be high prices/staff shortages/closures - due to lack of migrant workers.

Ullapool has a real buzz about the place, and in good weather, a lovely place to soak up the sinking sun, with a large malt in your hand.

Fun fact, my cousin Josh is the partner of Kirsty who owns / runs the ‘Seafood Shack’ he’s a boat fisherman that goes out everyday to catch the produce used in the shack.