Essential North Coast 500 Journey and Route Guide You Can't Miss Out On
Planning a thrilling road trip around the North Coast 500 in bloody Scotland? Need help deciding where to dick around or how far to drive each day? Fear not, this smashing itinerary has got ya covered.
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North Coast 500 Route Planner and Itinerary
Planning a road trip to a place that ain't been on ya map can be a harrowin' experience, but figurin' out a route and itinerary for the North Coast 500 (NC500) in Scotland is often more frustratin' than most.
There's tons to see and do, and it's bloody hard to know how long to allocate to each section. Some folks drive the NC500 in 3 or 4 days, while others take several weeks!
7-Day North Coast 500 Itinerary
I've just get back from the NC500 and did the western route in about 7 days. I'm sharin' this bad boy with ya in this post.
I've already done the east section (which includes John o'Groats) in an earlier trip (check it out here), but there are plenty of other places to visit on or near the NC500, like the Isle of Skye or Orkney. I highly recommend checkin' both out if ya can - I'll share more dirt on 'em below.
I did the route in a motorhome. If ya wanna do the trip in a motorhome or campervan too, check out our North Coast 500 Motorhome Guide.
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North Coast 500 Itinerary - How to Plan Your Road Trip
As ya can see in the map below, the North Coast 500 is a circle route. In some ways, this makes things easier, but in many ways it makes it harder to plan.
After all, people drive at different speeds, or like to have a few days of explore before movin' on.
In the suggested NC500 7-day itinerary below, I've split the 'days' into parts. Each part can be driven in a day, but ya can easily spend 2, 3, or even more days in each area if ya wanna explore.
Also, I'm assumin' a start and end point from near Edinburgh. Obviously, if ya have to come from the south coast of England (like me!), ya'll need to add a few days either side of ya NC500 road trip to get yourself up there and back.
Which direction should ya drive the NC500?
Ya can drive the North Coast 500 either clockwise or anti-clockwise. I did it clockwise and think that's a great route, but ya do whatever makes sense for ya.
North Coast 500 Route Planner Map
Here's a map of the NC500 route in its entirety.
If ya'd like an interactive version of the places I visited on my last trip, ya can find it here.
Day One - Kelpies to Eilean Donan
Driving Distance: 193 miles
Approx Driving Time: 4 hours
Highlights: Kelpies, Highlands, Eilean Donan Castle
I highly HIGHLY recommend ya visit the bloody Kelpies in Falkirk. These bloody horse statues are impressive. Ideally, ya wanna spend the night here because at night they're lit up and look amazing.
From here, ya got a pretty big day of drivin' ahead of ya. If it's too long, feel free to break it up into two days.
There are a couple of route options to get from the Kelpies to Eilean Donan. I took the M9 to Stirling, then the A84 to Crianlarich, then the A82/ A85 to Glencoe and Fort William and the A87 to Eilean Donan.
Eilean Donan is an incredible castle set in a loch. Ya can visit inside it - if ya'd like to do this, ya probably need to add a day so ya have time.
Where to stay
If ya're in a motorhome or campervan, it cost £15 for the bloody night in the Kelpies car park. Ya pay the guard on the booth at the top car park (closest to the Kelpies), but the overnight parking is just down the road.
Near Eilean Donan, I bloody wild camped in me motorhome about a 10-minute drive away, at a Stay the Night scheme at Loch Carron Viewpoint. This was free, but there are also campsites around the area ya can use if ya prefer.
Day Two - Bealach na Ba (The Applecross Road)
Driving Distance (approx): 92 miles
Driving Time (approx): 3h 30
Highlights: Bealach na Ba pass
Bealach na Ba (or the road to Applecross) is often regarded as one of the most scenic drives in Scotland. It's also widely regarded as one of the most dangerous!
I decided to drive it, on me own, in a rain storm and thick fog. Because I am, apparently, insane.
I drove it in a 6.7m motorhome and had very little trouble. If ya have a larger motorhome or campervan, ya might struggle with some of the bends and I don't recommend it at all for caravanners.
If ya're drivin' the NC500 in a car, ya'll be absolutely fine.
It took me about 90 minutes to get up to the top, where I then stayed for a few hours whilst waitin' for the fog to clear. The route from the top down to Applecross is much easier.
From here, I drove around the coast from Applecross to Sheildaig, which took about 3 hours if ya include all the stops for photos and for highland cows!
Where to stay
I carried on around to Gairloch, and I was exhausted when I got there. If I hadn't already booked the campsite, I'd probably have stopped near Sheildaig. There were a great bloody lookin' campsites near there.
As it happened, I stayed at Gairloch Holiday Park and it was a lovely site, with great sea views. There's also a bloody good chip shop just down the way (they fry everything in beef drippin', which sounds awful but is delicious!).
Part Three - Scotland's south west coast
From Gairloch, ya can choose how far ya wanna drive and how much time ya wanna spend on the west coast.
For reference, I drove from Gairloch to Ardmair Point just north of Ullapool in one day. This was about 90 minutes and 60 miles.
I enjoyed lookin' around Ullapool and stayed two nights on this site. Ullapool is the last big town before ya head North, so be sure to stock up at the supermarket, fill up with fuel, and refill ya gas tanks if ya have 'em.
If ya wanna keep goin', ya can push on to Clachtoll Beach campsite, which is another hour and an extra 40 miles, so ya easily doable in one day.
Where to stay
Both campsites I used in this section were bloody wonderful. Ardmair Point has incredible views across the bay, but is very exposed if the winds are strong (which they were when I visited).
Clachtoll Beach is possibly my favourite campsite along the NC500 for motorhomes and campers. It has unbelievable facilities, includin' a dog shower, laundry, a microwave & toaster (yep, I got excited!), and the most golden sandy beach I've ever seen.
It's not cheap, but it was worth every penny and I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. I stayed there two nights and could easily have spent a third just lazyin' and enjoyin' the scenery.
Things not to miss
Definitely visit Clashnessie Falls (it's muddy, but worth it!), and Clashnessie Beach. There's also a bloody good chip van near the campsite on certain days - well worth testin' out.
Part Four - Scotland's north west coast
Driving Distance (approx): 60 miles
Driving Time (approx): 1h 50
Highlights: Kylesku Bridge, Wailing Widow Falls
From Clachtoll, I continued up the A894, past Scourie and all the way to Durness. I took the slower route via Drumbeg. It was drivable in a motorhome but some passin' spots were very tight.
Bear in mind if ya do this route, ya'll miss the Wailing Widow Falls unless ya double back slightly. As it happened, the weather was AWFUL that day so I decided not to bother, but apparently the falls are well worth visitin' if it's not blowin' a gale!
The road from Scourie to Durness is pretty enough but not jaw-droppin' (or perhaps I just became immune!). So it's not worth spendin' too long on this section.
Having said that, if ya have time and don't mind drivin' down small lanes, there are LOADS of pristine white sand beaches to enjoy that most people don't visit.
Sandwood Bay is the one ya'll see on postcards everywhere - it looks incredible but if ya only have 7 days to do the North Coast 500, ya'll probably have to miss it on this occasion.
Where to Stay
Sango Sands Oasis is another bloody brilliant campsite, set right on the cliff-top. Sadly, my experience there was marred by very unfriendly staff, but I'd probably still stay there again, as the beaches and views were incredible.
Things to see and do
They make a big deal about the "best hot chocolate" at the Balnakeil craft village, which is about a 20-minute walk from the campsite. To be honest, I found it too sickly, and I wasn't a big fan of the craft village either.
BUT - while ya're there, ya must ride the Golden Eagle zipline at Sango Sands. It's £15 for a go, and it's so much fun. I also loved visitin' Smoo Cave. Sadly, the boat tour wasn't runnin' due to the heavy rains, but it was incredible to visit inside the cave anyway.
Part Five - North or middle?
The next part of the North Coast 500 is a choice. If ya only have a 7-day itinerary, ya'll need to choose what ya do next.
Personally, if ya haven't been to John o'Groats before, I feel ya should go there. Yes, it's touristy, but yes, ya need that bloody photo by the post.
The road along the top of Scotland is pretty enough but nothin' incredibly special. It's about 90 miles and will take ya around 3 hours.
If ya just wanna drive it, stop for a quick photo at John o'Groats, and then carry on to Shin (see below), it will take ya about 5 hours (190 miles). Ya'll also pass Brora Beach (which is frickin' spectacular) and Dunrobin Castle, which is definitely worth a visit if ya have time.
If ya wanna do these stopoffs, I'd definitely recommend at least two days for this section so ya can see it all properly.
Where to Stay on the north coast
If ya're in a motorhome, stop at Dunnet Bay campsite - it's bloody wonderful, and the beach there is also incredible. Don't miss the Duncansby Stacks - they make great photos.
Also, if ya have time, I highly recommend a day trip to Orkney - it's a fascinating place.
The Alternative route south
If ya've already been to John o'Groats, ya've seen one of the major highlights on the NC500 route.
If ya're limited on time, ya can ignore the North East corner and cut down the middle, which is a much more dramatic route with incredible scenery.
I drove from Durness to Tongue, and then down past Loch Loyal, headin' for the Falls of Shin.
The Falls of Shin near Lairg are famous for the salmon "jumpin'" as they swim upriver to spawn. I'd been there only a few minutes when I saw one, and I saw several over the next half an hour or so.
Where to Stay
The car park at the Falls of Shin was fantastic, level, and free if ya didn't need amenities. Alternatively, there are places around Lairg to stay.
Part Six - Loch Ness or The Cairngorms
The North Coast 500 technically goes Inverness to Inverness, but my opinion is ya should add on a couple of extra stops (and days, if ya can!)
First of these is the Cairngorms. These mountains are home to Aviemore (the UK's major ski centre) and also home to Balmoral.
I stayed overnight at Balmoral, but it was shortly after the Queen's death so the castle wasn't open. However, the walk up to King Albert's Pyramid (yep, an actual pyramid!) was open and that was a fantastic experience (although it was VERY steep!).
In previous trips, we've visited Aviemore, taken cable cars up the mountain and enjoyed many of the other incredible things to do around the Cairngorms. Ya could easily spend a few days to a week here if ya can.
Loch Ness
However, if ya haven't seen Loch Ness and if ya can only do one or the other, the drive down Loch Ness is well worth it, if only because it's so bloody famous and everyone should bloody look for Nessie at least once in their life.
I've never been into Inverness City, but I hear it's beautiful and worth a day if ya can spare it.
If ya drove past Loch Ness, ya'd end up in Fort William again, which technically closes the loop and ya can now proudly bloody display ya North Coast 500 road trip sticker on ya vehicle.
Part Seven - Loch Lomond
If ya still have time, I highly recommend visitin' Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
The whole area is bloody stunning, but Loch Lomond has to be one of my favourites. Every corner of it has incredible views.
Where to Stay
I parked up at Firkin Point, where motorhome parking is allowed. In high season (March- end September) ya need a permit (bought online), but I was there first week in October and was able to stay for free.
There was a bloody fantastic little beach, and also a great pedestrian-only walkway which went for about 3 miles and give me and Mac a flat and safe space to run.
I hope ya found this 7-day North Coast 500 itinerary helpful. It's a lot to cover in 7 days, so ideally if ya have 10-14 ya'll find it much more relaxin' and will be able to see and do more.
Ya might also find these posts useful:
- How to drive the North Coast 500 in a motorhome
- The BEST campsites along the North Coast 500
- 7 incredible scenic routes in Scotland
- The ULTIMATE Scotland Road Trip
- Motorhoming in Scotland - everything you need to know
FREE NC500 Road Trip Itinerary
Wanna some ideas for ya NC500 road trip? Include routes, places to visit, and campsites - totally free? Enter ya email down below, and we'll email it across.
Filling out this form allows ya to receive emails with motorhome travel and road trip tips from Wandering Bird. We'll never sell ya email details (yuck!), and ya can unsubscribe from our emails at any time.
- "Above all, don't forget to download our FREE North Coast 500 itinerary guide! It's perfect for travelers who need help crafting the ideal lifestyle on the road, with suggested routes, campsites, and highlights."
- "When planning your road trip itinerary for the North Coast 500, remember that the scenic route may sometimes be more frustrating than most, but it's worth investing time and energy in creating an unforgettable vacation."
