North Coast 500 The Road Trip of a Lifetime – NC500 Guide Book by Robbie Roams

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Many locals feel that the infrastructure around the Highlands is not set up for this number of family cars, sports cars and campervans.

They don’t like the wind so although it may be ruining your holiday photos, it is keeping the mass midge party at bay. Read more: my guide to the best places to stay on the North Coast 500 Do I need to pre-book NC500 accommodation before I set off?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. This easy hill walk takes approximately two hours and the views from the top are now amongst my favourite in Scotland. For more on castle hotels along the route, you can see our North Coast 500 accommodation guide which has over 25 recommended places to stay along the route, from castle hotels to B&B’s and guesthouses. This really depends on how much you want to see, how much you want to drive each day, and how many detours you plan to make. You could speed along the entire 500 miles in less than 24 hours if you don’t mind not sleeping or seeing anything along the way! Durness – has two beaches, Sango Sands and Balnakeil Beach, and shops, cafe and a petrol station, you can also visit the Balnakeil Craft Village most known for the hot chocolate atCocoa Mountain – you won’t regret it.

The Split Stane, Sutherland– the boundary between Sutherland and Caithness – said to have been split by the devil’s tail. Find the stone at Drumholliston near Melvich.

You can wild camp on the NC500 too! Do we aware of the wild camping rules which we discuss extensively in our guide to camping on the North Coast 500.