Scotland’s North Coast 500 (NC500) Route
ABOUT NC500:
North Coast 500 is a scenic route along Scotland’s north coast and it spans approximately 516 miles. The route starts and ends in Inverness. The route features beautiful scenery, cliffs, highlands, beaches, castles, local cafes and amazing distilleries. We travel by the principle of ‘Take the Scenic Route’, hence, we took certain spontaneous turns to explore everything interesting in sight. The roads are narrow in a lot of places along this route but there are a lot of passing zones. We shared the road with traffic from opposite direction, sheep, bikers and bicyclists.
OUR STAY:
We traveled with our 4 year old child and had no troubles throughout the trip. We made this trip without any bookings and stayed in Bed and Breakfasts along the way. Scotland has amazing concept of ‘Family Rooms’ which features King/Queen bed and bunk beds for kids. So, a family of 4 can easily accommodate in these rooms. Some B&Bs were nicer than the others but our main purpose was to stay the night and leave the next morning. The breakfast was pretty standard, so somedays we opted out of breakfast and ate in some nice cafe.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Driving through the NC500 route was one of the most magical experiences of my life. I’ve traveled well and I have traveled far, but I have never experienced the magic that I experienced on this route. The fresh crisp air, the green mountains kissing the ever moving clouds, the childlike innocence of sheep, the rivers lazily flowing in the lap of hills was too much to intake for eyes. It touched me deep and and it all felt like a dream.
TRAVEL MONTH and WEATHER:
We went in the month of July and the sunsets were after 10 PM, which gave us plenty of time to explore Scotland and have more driving time during a day. We traveled with our toddler, so preferred to drive only during daylight. The weather was windy and chilly at some places. But, overall it was pleasant. So, please carry a waterproof jacket to brace through wind and rain. And certain places can get chilly, so please carry something warm as well. Layering is the best policy.
DAY 1 : EDINBURG to INVERNESS
Distance: 178 miles
Day 1 we rented a car from Downtown Edinburg and started our journey towards Inverness.
Our first stop was Deanston Distillery which is a must see location. It is on the way from Edinburg to Inverness. We didn’t do the distillery tour because we hadn’t pre-booked. If you wish to take this tour then please book in advance.
The cafe at Deanston Distillery was amazing. I highly recommend it. Everything we ate was delicious.
WHAT WE ATE:
- Cheese pizza and fries for our 4 year old.
- Chicken Tikka Masala Sandwich
- Mushroom soup
- Hot Chocolate with side of Marshmallows, Cappuccino, Espresso shot.
Next leg of our journey was from Deanston to Killin. Killin was a small town on our way where we stoped over to capture the beautiful views.
After walking around in Killin, we drove to Inverness and finished our day checking into our hotel (the place we stayed at Inverness is not at all recommended) . We strolled on the banks of River Ness and concluded our day after a nice hot meal at Shapla Restaurant (for some reasons, reviews are not that great, but food was good).
DAY 2 : INVERNESS to GOLSPIE
Distance: 53.6 miles
This day was the first day of NC 500 route. We took it slow and enjoyed everything along the way.
First Stop was Glen Morangie Distillery where we officially took the whole tour and I am glad we did that. The tour deserves 5 stars and at the end of the tour we had a tasting. During the tour, we were asked to watch out our kids because the surface at some places could be hot. So we were extra careful with our toddler.
There was not much to eat here, so we just grabbed some drinks and found some other place to eat on our further route. After purchasing some bottles of Scotch, we started for our next destination: “Dunrobin Castles and Gardens“. The whole property was breathtaking, however, the entry to the castle closes around 4.30 PM, so please plan on arriving early if you wish to explore the castle. The town of Golspie was unreal and beautiful. We stayed here for the night in a nice Bed and Breakfast. The food was great.
DAY 3 : GOLSPIE to THURSO
Distance: 89 miles
Day 3 was one of my favorite days on this route. We left Golspie and headed for the Castle of Old Wick.
Castle of Old Wick is one of Scotland’s oldest castles, a beautiful ruin standing on a cliff. While there may not be much to see inside, the surrounding scenery is stunning. It’s a must-visit for nature lovers. If you’re traveling with kids, please be a little careful while walking.
Next stop on our journey was John o’ Groats.
John o’ Groats lies on Scotland’s north-eastern tip and is popular among tourists. It has some amazing cafes and food trucks. The parking is plenty but paid. An overall nice place to take a break, rest, relax, enjoy and eat. We went to a cozy cafe and a food truck. The food and drinks were delicious. We also shopped for beautiful Scottish apparel from a nearby shop. As a poet and an appreciator of creativity of expression, I fell in love with a postcard which featured a poem based on a town ‘Orkney’.
After spending time at John o' Groats, we went to The Castle & Gardens of Mey is a beautiful restored 16th century castle with extensive gardens, farm animal centre, cute gift shop and tearoom. The last admission is at 3 PM and castle closes at 4 PM. Next we headed to Thurso, a nice town in Scotland. We spent rest of our evening buying some snacks and essential items from grocery store, and then went to our hotel. To our surprise, the town had an evening parade where locals played music, performed Scottish dances in traditional dress, and we could watch from our hotel. It was really cute.
DAY 4 : THURSO to ULLAPOOL
Distance: 138 miles
We drove a lot on Day 4 as we were coming closer to our date of departure. We started from Thurso after breakfast and drove North West towards Smoo Caves.
Smoo Caves is a stunning location with abundant scenic views. It’s situated 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Durness village and is equipped with a car park, toilets, stairs, and walkways. There are plans to enhance access for the approximately 40,000 annual visitors. During the summer, guided boat tours are available to take visitors to the inner chamber of the cave.Smoo Cave is a large combined sea cave and freshwater cave in Durness in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland. It is a beautiful cave and a must-see.
Next stop on our journey was Ullapool.After a long day of driving, we stayed here for the night.
DAY 5 : ULLAPOOL to FORT WILLIAM
Distance: 186 miles
We drove a lot on Day 5 as well but explored amazing places on the way. We started from Ullapool after breakfast and drove towards Inverewe Gardens.
Inverewe Garden is a botanical oasis founded in 1862, with over 2,500 exotic flowers & plants, a house museum & a cafe. The cafe was really good and had a wide range of foot items. My kid loved Inverewe Gardens and had an amazing time there. It is a beautiful garden with wide range of plants, oasis, Japanese garden, view point. We spent around 2 hours here.
TIP: There is a lot of walking in the garden, so please wear comfortable shoes.
After crossing Applecross, we did not go back to Inverness and this concluded our NC500 route. We instead, went to Fort William and stayed there for the night. Fort William had amazing spots to eat and shop. I loved Fort William market and shopped for some scarves and sweaters.
DAY 6 : FORT WILLIAM TO EDINBURG
Distance: 166 miles
Being a huge fan of the magical world, today we were filled with excitement as we prepared to visit the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct. This remarkable structure stands as a testament to Victorian engineering prowess, holding the distinction of being the longest concrete railway bridge in all of Scotland. As we made our way to this enchanting location, we couldn’t help but marvel at the thought of treading the same path as the beloved characters from the Harry Potter series. The viaduct has gained legendary status among fans, earning the affectionate nickname of the “Harry Potter bridge” due to its notable appearances in four of the blockbuster movies. As we anticipated our visit, the allure of experiencing the magic and grandeur of this historical marvel filled us with an undeniable sense of anticipation and wonder.
TIP: There will be some walking required to see the Bridge (about 15-20 mins). Please wear comfortable shoes.
After seeing the Viaduct, we started for Edinburgh and took a stopover at Callander. Callander is full of cute and cozy cafes, so do stopover to have some coffee.
GLENCOE : Because of our flight next day, we missed exploring Glencoe. Glencoe is a beautiful town with a turbulent past. It is known for its haunting past as well as its wild beauty. The infamous massacre that took place here in 1692 is a tragic and poignant chapter in Scottish history. The Massacre of Glencoe was a mass killing which took place in Glencoe on the 13th of February 1692. Attackers carried out a brutal attack, killing anyone under 70, including women and children. It is believed that some soldiers secretly warned the families, allowing a few to flee. However, 38 people were killed, and many others who escaped perished from exposure in the harsh winter conditions of the surrounding mountains. Glencoe has plenty to explore and has a lot of history. We wish we could have spent more time here.
Thank you for reading my blog and please share your NC500 and Scotland recommendations, so that we can visit all that we missed in our next trip. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.Thank you!
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