… until lately when someone said, ‘When this Covid thing is all over, would you like to come with me to do the NC 500?’
Well, l had never heard of it and imagined it was something like Route 66.
Then he explained what it is and l had never heard of it! I have only been to Scotland once, to the Isle Of Bute, which was lovely.
So l wonder if you would’ve known what NC 500 is? Have you ever done the trip?
It’s sounds and looks wonderful from the pics l have seen but l imagine it would be a long trek there, around and back.
The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile scenic route along Scotland’s northern coast that begins and ends in the city of Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. We’ve put together this comprehensive North Coast 500 guide to help you plan the perfect North Coast 500 road trip in Scotland.
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.
How Many Days Does it Take to Drive the North Coast 500?
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!
But the North Coast 500 is designed for touring, sightseeing, and taking things slowly. The minimum number of days we’d recommend to drive the North Coast 500 is 5 days, but 7 to 10 days would be ideal. If you plan to speed around, you could do it with 3 full days and night, but we’d recommend more time.
Art, my son and his wife hired a motor home and spent their honeymoon doing this trip. They really enjoyed it. During their journey (in September) they had a couple of days of rain but it didn’t stop them from recommending it.
It’s currently very unpopular with the locals due to people in camper vans ignoring the covid-19 restrictions. Most of the whingers are probably “white settlers” though.
Omah, Thanks for the info.
I am surprised you hadn’t heard of NC 500 as l thought you were a ‘man of the world’ and pretty knowledgeable about most stuff.
Thanks LT. I am pleased they really enjoyed spending their honeymoon there.
I don’t know when l will eventually get to go there but l am sure of one thing, it won’t be to spend my honeymoon there! I run away from marriage proposals as fast as my legs will take me!
Would love to go back to the Highlands again, have been five times so far but not been further than Dornoch. Not sure if we will get back up there again, they don’t like us Southern jessies up there at the best of times let alone with Covid.
Art, Please don’t listen to the ones who don’t live in Scotland and really have no idea what goes on, they make most of it up as they go.
I live on the top coast, right in the middle of the NC500 and know first hand what’s what here. The roads are too narrow for how it’s being used now, a lot of it is single track and during the summer months it turns into the Wacky Races, with people driving far too fast and causing accidents, parking where they shouldn’t and leaving a hell of a mess behind them. It’s go nothing whatsoever to do with the SNP or their supporters. It’s the locals who are the ones who are sick of it. This News item is Durness, a quiet wee sleepy hamlet on the north coast, who gets over run every year with people who think they can just come up here and do what they want, park where they want and drive off to the next village they want to stop at and do it all again. The Highlanders, myself included, are welcoming to tourists who respect us and our communities. Ask yourself if you’d like this mess in your back yard, because we certainly don’t.
