A great spot for chilling, paddleboarding or dipping your toes in the crystal-clear waters. The healing works as the cloth rots, so if you leave a non-biodegradable cloth wrapped around a tree, it won’t heal you! Your adventure can be as exciting or as relaxing as you wish it to be. Check out the official page for Smoo Cave to see if the tours are still running. But you might want to slow down and snap a few shots of this tiny island, Eilean Choraidh, connected with the mainland by a causeway. Follow the link to check accommodation options in this area and keep exploring. It’s relaxing and picturesque. Unfortunately, there’s nowhere you can stop to take a photo of this stunning road. Allocating a good chunk of time is a good idea. Drive further west from Priory for just under 2h and witness the scenery get increasingly more dramatic. We chose the latter. It houses the famous Applecross Inn and Smokehouse. Hey Nick, glad you found the post useful! You’ll have to either do it from the car or simply enjoy the ride. Once you cross the Kyle of Tongue bridge, join the A836 road for Bettyhill. There is a hut with lots of information about, supposedly, the oldest rocks in the world, at the start of the walk. Tony. You don’t even need to make a special effort to stop here to admire the view. We missed the sign for the viewpoint and went all the way up into the tiny village. From Duncansby, it’s a straightforward drive along the A99 road to Wick where Noss Head is located. It’s a lovely site to explore and also very peaceful. At Kinlochewe the road turns to the left onto A832 all the way to Shieldaig. It was busy during the day, but the traffic died down at around 9 pm. The detour drive from Clashnessie Bay all the way towards Balchrick (detour for Sandwood Bay) is lovely, even on a misty day. As you leave Dunrobin Castle, you’ll cross the bridge into the Black Isle, towards Inverness. Even though they aren’t the original pieces, they are fun to investigate. Here we learned about how continents collided millions of years ago and we had a great circular walk atop the ancient crag. It’s a good stop before tackling the remaining east coast of the Scottish 500 route. Charlie had lots of fun demolishing and arch that looked like a mini version of the long lost Azure Window in Malta. The castle is currently undergoing renovation, but part of it is open for an atmospheric wander in the courtyard just across the windy bridge. It took us around 11 days to cover it and it has been a spectacular road trip . This slightly alternative North Coast 500 was made in collaboration with the people behind the official driving route, to make an official NC500 Cycle Route. No matter where you wish to go... from the rugged West Coast and North Coast 500 route to the Cairngorms National Park and the many beautiful Islands, ... Zefiro 675 and Zefiro 690 motorhomes are all 2018 or 2019 registered and come in a choice of manual or automatic. The valley was covered in thick mist when we were driving through the pass. With picnic tables, fantastic views of Little Loch Broom and An Tellach, the highest mountain in the area, this place is what the NC500 route is all about. We highly recommend staying here before visiting Dunrobin Castle if you want to beat the tour buses and get there as soon as it opens. Scotland at its best. North Coast 500 Itinerary. Be sure to book early and enjoy your stay stress-free. Due to the dangerous tide and often wild weather, the ferry and bus service don’t have a regular schedule so it’s best to contact the minibus company first. You’ll see a plaque tribute for him as you explore the information boards outside the cave. The trek might be rewarding on a clear and dry day, but when you have constant rain drumming into your face and a hazy beach at the end for a reward, it’s not much fun. Clootie Well or a Cloth Well is associated with ancient Scottish and Irish traditions and dates back to pre-Christianity. A spectacular fine-sand beach, no doubt. North Coast 500 Scotland's answer to Route 66, the new scenic route showcasing the fairy tale castles, beaches and ruins. A hidden gem for sure and worth the detour if you are after a good wild camping spot on NC500. The North Coast 500 route has almost caused overload on parts of the route, and even the locals grumble about some of the congestion in places, but are still happy to try emptying our wallets. There is a substantial patch of gravel land for overnight parking. They filled bombs with the Bacillus anthracis bacteria and dropped it on Gruinard island in order to check if they could contaminate cities in Germany. The turn off for the beach is at Kerrisdale. There’s a big car park located right on the A835 with plenty of space to park up even the largest motorhome. As you join the A837 road at Ledmore towards Inchnadamph, make a quick stop to explore the ruins of the 16th Century Ardverk Castle, once owned by the Macleods of Assynt Clan. From Balchrick head towards Rhiconich and from here join the A838 road all the way to Durness. What are the highlights of the North Coast 500? In 1986, the government started the cleaning process and declared the island to be safe to visit in 1990. We christened it “the most boring walk in Scotland” as we were sloshing through the puddles. It’s broad and easily accessible with a small patch of land for parking. Sadly Colin, the main Smoo caver and tour operator has passed away in early 2019. The journey to cross the Kyle of Durness takes around 10 minutes. But don’t rush just yet to complete the Scottish 500 route. The spot is peaceful, offers great walks and views. The start of the North Coast 500 motorhome route: Inverness The NC500 route starts at Inverness, the gateway to the Highlands. It’s up to you whether you want to spend a day in the city, but we really recommend spending an afternoon here. The 15-minute drive along the road hugged by the Scotch pine trees is as lovely as the beach itself. Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a small commission for any purchases at no extra cost to you. The viewing platform here is perfect for an overnight stop if you are doing the North Coast 500 route in a campervan/motorhome. As you wander around the seafront, look out for “Bread in a cupboard.” It’s a nest looking hut filled with sourdough, rye and (the tastiest) banana bread for sale. Nice read. From Dunnet Head, head east for John o’ Groats. Similar to the mountain passes in the Alps, Bealach Na’ Ba, aka the Pass of the Cattle, is the steepest road ascent in the UK. We would have loved to see what’s inside further down the cave. From John o’ Groats, drive up to Duncansby Head. This is the most northerly point of mainland Britain and home to puffins, razorbills (which we were lucky to spot), shags and cormorants. Because of the scenic surroundings, Shieldaig is a popular spot among the NC500 tourers and gets booked up quickly. The parking lot for the beach can be accessed via the town and then a drive through the campsite. We recommend the longer route and taking a few detours along the way, such as Torridon glen. Look to your left to discover a lovely waterfall rushing down the impressive rocks. That way you’ll never be caught out but there are often toilets at the carparks by the start of walking trails. There’s a nice view of another bay from up here. On a sunny day. 99. Stay focused, keep your eyes on the road and enjoy the ride. Achnahaird beach requires a slight detour from the main NC500 route, but what a find! It’s a wishing well where pilgrims would make offerings by leaving a piece of cloth to the water spirits. At times it felt like we were in a movie set when passing by the deep green and brown coloured rocks perfectly reflected in the mirror-like lakes. A deluxe en-suite pod with a hot tub and views of … Don’t chance it, follow the link to check out the accommodation options before all the best rooms get sold out. It was quite fascinating to see the river quickly eating into the sandy ridge. The NC500 highlights are all hyperlinked so you don’t have to keep on scrolling up and down. You can take the quick route (approx 2h) but you’ll miss some epic drives. The Scottish 500 route is becoming increasingly popular and you might miss out on great places to stay if you don’t book in advance. Cape Wrath is a serious detour on the NC500 route. Need a few tips and inspiration before you go? Recent Posts. Planning Your Motorhome Trip for Winter. If you’re doing the opposite, and cruising dow… It’s a lovely peaceful spot for the night. But The Junction Cafe nearby serves up a really good full English including a fab veggie option. North Coast 500 Road Trip Motorhome / Camper Van Journal / Notebook: Treasure Your Memories. Then book a glass-bottomed boat tour to sneak on sea stars, urchins, seals and sea birds. The family still lives here but a large chunk of the manor is open for exploring. Bringing together just over 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery, the route follows the main roads along the coastal edges of the North Highlands. It was a new moon that evening, so we were hoping to get clear dark skies in order to photograph an abundance of bright stars! The discovery that the older rocks moved on top of the younger rocks due to tectonic action had a significant impact on the science of geology. To plant and grow as many exotic plants as possible be careful when crossing the road is quite.. 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