Of course, trips can be shortened to any number of days you want, but since we had two weeks, I was going to get the most out of it. This was also the longest vacation that I had ever had before...so awesome.
This is such an amazing coastal road trip that I believe everyone should take the opportunity to complete it!
This was the first trip that I solely planned for us. I spent weeks researching blogs and YouTube (with most ideas coming from @wiildblooms) to gather ideas on things to do and where to go. And in my style, I created a ginormous Excel workbook to house all of the information I gathered.
I printed out the Itinerary portion before we left because I read that the internet could be spotty in places, and I wanted to ensure I had the information we needed to continue on (and yes, we barely had service while in Balnakeil). This is also what I used daily to enter the postal codes into SatNav, instead of pulling it up on my phone each time. Having the printout worked out well because I wrote deviations and notes from our trip; it was a 'diary' log of our trip, which I then used to edit Excel afterward.
One thing about us when we do road adventures is that we typically do not book in advance. For the NC 500, this only hurt us one day when we spent hours trying to find lodging instead of enjoying the day. But now, as the world opens back up (post-ish Covid), I highly recommend pre-booking as this itinerary gets super crazy and busy. It makes for a more structured trip (which I totally hate), but it guarantees you have a place to lay your head at the end of the day.
You can experience all seasons, some all in a day, when visiting Scotland, so pack accordingly!!
NC500 Itinerary
Day 1
Drive to Inverness - spent 2 nights. Since it was later in the evening, we walked around the town a bit and grabbed dinner. This is a great time to walk River Ness and view Inverness Castle (since you cannot go into it).
Day 2
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness.
Urquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness (try to spot the sea monster!). From the castle there are steps you can walk down that take you to the water. I had some great views of nature that I was able to photograph. Of course since it's Scotland, it started raining. No big deal really...
There are pull outs along the A82 that are great places to stop and take pictures of Loch Ness. You can also charter a boat out of Inverness that will give you a loch view of the castle and surrounding area.
Chanonry Point.
Chanonry Point is a great place for dolphin and seal watching without getting on a boat. Since the rain was coming down at this point, and we did go more off-season on this trip, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
We stopped at Black Isle Bar in Inverness for dinner and craft beer afterwards. Super delish pizza and a wide array of beers.
Day 3
Fyrish Monument. Hike: 3.75 mi - 2.5 hr
All of the pics I had seen while researching showed these wonderful views of the valley below - but of course it was raining when we went so we saw the monument "on a cloud", so to speak. Still worth it, I feel.
This was also the first time I ever saw the red mushrooms that remind me of Super Mario Bros! I really thought these were fake prior to this trip 🤣
Fairy Glen Falls. Hike: 1.75 mi - 1 hr
This was a really muddy hike, and not because it had been raining that day. Everything I had read showed this as always muddy. Keep that in mind. I also slipped in the mud - nice bruises for the next few days and some aches that were not "hike" related. Ouch.
Getting closer to the falls, there are logs around in which people have hammered in coins. It is its own unique art really!
Day 4
Balblair Distillery and Dunrobin Castle & Gardens.
We were the only ones at Balblair Distillery - and in fact we thought they were closed when we got there due to this. But we were in luck...sort of. Yes because who doesn't love having a personal tour of a place! And no, because we were still mid-lockdown, but not, but yes, but... so anyway, we got the personalized tour with a wee taster.
We arrived at Dunrobin Castle right before their last falconry display, which we rushed down to view. Since our time was spent there, we missed going into the house itself, which was a bit of a bummer. The gardens remain open longer, and to be fair, they are the best here! It really does look like a "fairytale castle".
We stayed in Helmsdale that evening in a B&B, though it seemed more like an inn. Either way, the host was super nice as we overslept our breakfast time (granted they forgot to tell us when it was), and he came and knocked on our door to make sure we at least got to eat. Literally the only place in which they cared enough to do this!
Day 5
Whaligoe Steps. 337 steps (more or less) - 1.75 mi - 1.5 hr
There is a very small parking lot when going to visit the Whaligoe Steps. We were very lucky in getting the last spot ourselves, but I can see where this could get really difficult when tourism picks back up.
There is some controversy in regards to the steps themselves as they are maintained by the locals, who hire out labor from the donations received from tourists. The problem is supposedly the last laborer did not get paid (signs there), even though he did the work. So where do your donations go then? Ehhh..this could get messy so I'm not going to get into it - donate or not, up to you.
Pulteney Distillery was a really nice stop, with some delicious tastings. Again, tours were not going on at this time, but the staff were extremely helpful in answering questions and pouring the tastings (ahem, helping us out).
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe sits on the coast and both the castle and car park are free. We walked around the area of castle to take in the amazing landscaping views. There are some steep vantage points, so be careful, especially when muddy. When walking towards the lighthouse, you can view some stacks in the ocean. This was also my favorite photograph viewpoint for the castle.
To the right of the castle towards the water, there are rock cairns. These are pretty cool to see how far people have ventured out to create them.
Nybster Broch & Keiss Castle. We only ended up doing Nybster Broch as I got distracted during my time there. Hey, it happens. While taking the steps down to the beach, there are some old ruins of a house (or something).
There are some very large rocks that you can climb and walk a bit around on the other side of the cliff - but you can't go much beyond that. The rocks get really slippery when wet, so watch your footing.
You use the same parking lot when hiking over to Keiss Castle, which is 3.5 mi - 3 hr hike. It's probably why we didn't end up going since it was end of day and it would've taken us into dark hours.
We did spy the castle as we drove through Wick wondering how we were to get there since our SatNav wasn't playing nice with us. Luckily I had my handy-dandy notes that I decided to read (a little late obvi, but better than never!) and realized that it was the same parking area as the beach and a trek over to the castle.
The area around the castle is privately owned and there are a ton of signs telling you to back off... but nicer than that... sort of.
Day 6
Duncansby Head. 5.25 mi - 3 hrs
Duncansby Head was by far my hubby's favorite hike during this trip. For me, not so much as it was literally the most poo-mined place we hiked. I mean, there was sheep poop in almost every step you took...ew. The stacks and coastal views are stunning though, so definitely worth trekking through a poo field.
Then of course we had to visit John o'Groats to take the infamous pic there of the sign since we were standing at the very top tip of mainland UK. Be aware that you have to pay to park, as well as use the loo. There are shops and cafes around if wish to have a wander. Personally this was not anyplace I would ever go, but I did want the pic so we went, we did, we left.
We stayed in Tongue that night and spotted Castle Varrich up on the hill - which we decided to visit the next day before heading out.
Day 7
Castle Varrich. Hike & Castle: 1.75 mi - 1 hr
It is a relatively short hike up to the castle, with the steepest part trying to reach the castle itself. It is super small, but has some good 360° views. Really if not in the area or not having the time, this is one to skip.
Our original plan once getting to Ceannabeinne Beach was to ride the zip line from Golden Eagle Zip Line, but they were closed for the day. Huge bummer for me. There is a large free car park for the beach.
The ocean itself has a portion of river that runs into it that is heavy in copper, making the water red. There were jellyfish (washed up and dead) on the sand, and the water was really clear.
From here we headed to Smoo Cave. Before heading down the steps to get there, check out the giant hole where the waterfall starts and keep this in mind when going into the cave. Due to Covid, the cave tour itself was closed. But you can still walk into the main portion of the cave to view the giant waterfall, take pics, etc. Make sure to walk towards the beach itself as there are some colorful tide pools.
It started hailing on us while we were down on the beach. Most everyone stayed in the main cave, but as we were out towards the beach we huddled under a very large rock until it stopped...and then again when we got the second dose!
We did head over to the Balnakeil Craft Village and walked around the varied shops after visiting Cocoa Mountain Balnakeil for some indulgent hot cocoa. Definitely pricey and since they are the hype, they are taking advantage of that. I'll let you decide.
While driving in Balnakeil, we experienced our first ever double rainbow. It was sooo magnificent! People were stopping in the middle of the road to take pictures (and yes, this is a thing all over the UK). Supposedly there are triple rainbows to be seen on the Isle of Skye, and are frequent enough throughout the year!
Day 8
On our way to Ullapool, where we had lodging for a couple nights since it was getting harder to book, we stopped and viewed the Kylesku Bridge. It's a good one for bridge enthusiasts. If anything, a great place to get out and stretch your legs.
We then veered off to go into Drumbeg because I had found that highland cows (hairy coos), as well as other wild animals were frequently spotted here. By far this was the scariest, narrowest road we were on this entire trip. Also one of the most beautiful too - so I definitely would do it again.
We did not see any hairy coos, but instead saw quite a few elk/deer? One stood on a nearby mountain peak and called across. Mating call? Who knows. Since I'm from the city, it's not often I get to hear stuff like that, so it was good first experience.
You can go completely around Drumbeg, but due to the narrow single-lane roads it does take longer. We flipped around and went back out the same way we came in - through the short 14-mi section.
We stayed in Ullapool for two nights, but spent the next day backtracking to places we saw on the way.
Day 9
One of the sites we backtracked to see was Ardvreck Castle sitting on Loch Assynt in Sutherland (route A837). It's a small castle and you can't go inside (though I've seen pics of people climbing on portions). It was the perfect morning when we went as there was fog on the loch that later cleared to make for some spectacular photos. You can also view and visit the Calda House ruins, though we didn't ourselves.
Our next stop was one of my favorites on this entire trip - Achmelvich Castle or Hermit's Castle (Europe's smallest castle) as it's more popularly known as. It is actually a bothy that can be used if out backpacking and wanting a free, and a bit cramped, place to stay. There really is only room for one and everything is cement so, bring a mat!
Parking is free at Achmelvich Beach car park, and even with tourism being down, this place was extremely busy. I had found two sets of directions while researching the castle, as both said it can be a little tricky to find...and they weren't wrong. So I'm glad I had both and I referenced them often (print out, remember?! 😆)
The first direction we picked to go was incorrect. When we got to the car park there were a ton of people heading to the hill-mountains to our right (as I'm facing the water). What we found though was that everyone was climbing there for pictures and just hanging out. We did get to see a couple of teenagers take the polar plunge while on our vantage point - and everyone up there cheered (and took pictures of the crazy kids)!
So we headed back down and crossed the beach to the side where the trailers were at. And this is the direction you need to go! We found the trek back a bit easier so I'll give those directions instead.
While in the car park and facing the water - you're going to head to your left. You'll walk past the self-catering caravans and to the left of them is the area where the trailers/campervans set up. If empty, just cement slabs where the campervans park. Walk down this way.
There is a fence on your right that you will follow, and you will come across an old ruin. (I don't remember if you go over or through the fence, or if it's just open?) Now start cutting across diagonal to your right across the rocks & hills, and head towards the water; you will come across Hermit's Castle.
The castle is easy to miss as it blends into the landscape until you're closer to it (or have better eyes).
I was pleasantly surprised there was literally no one at the castle, or even this direction, since it was so busy at the beach. It's like no one knew about it and we had it all to ourselves!
Our last stop of the day was to Corrieshalloch Gorge, in which there is a suspension bridge and viewing platform. There is a car park off of the A832 and free entry to the suspension bridge, though they ask for a donation to maintain everything.
It is a short hike to the gorge and you have to cross the suspension bridge to get over to the viewing platform, which is another small walk down to. I'm super afraid of heights so it took me a bit of breathing to get up the courage to cross. It didn't help that there were signs on the bridge stating a maximum number of people on the bridge at a time. That just scares me thinking it might break if there is too much weight!
The views are amazing and everyone lined/queued up to go onto the viewing platform. I was so scared the first time round that I didn't take the pics that I wanted so I had to line back up and do it again! For me it's a whole lot easier second time round.
Day 10
This was our long day driving since we had to get from Ullapool to Breakish, Isle of Skye, for lodging - all while taking time to drive the well-known Bealach na Bà pass...which we accidentally missed 😭.
"How did you miss it", you ask? Since we were driving counter-clockwise, once we hit the sign for Applecross we ended up taking the less-mileage way, not knowing that we were bypassing the coastal route and the pass itself. We did not find out until we passed the infamous sign, spotting it in our rearview mirror.
At that moment we really did not have the time to backtrack - and I'm still sad about this. Maybe one day...
**There are some really cool towns across this stretch, so I highly recommend researching and creating a plan to visit some of them on your own journey!**
Day 11
We finally spotted our Highland Coos on our drive to Portree!! There is a pullout off the highway in which there tends to be herd. They are the sweetest, gentlest (and hairy) cows ever. The calfs started fighting when I gave my attention to one and the other got jealous. Seriously, I have attention enough for all!
We stopped in Sligachan for a coffee break and short hike. There are a ton of hikes here. There is a sign at the gate showing the routes and length, so you can plan to take a longer journey here if you'd like!
We spent the entire day in Portree visiting shops, and getting much needed new shoes. I don't necessarily recommend this, but mine died during the trip. I finally got to take my long-awaited boat trip to view some sea-life, and just be on a boat! I had contacts for multiple boating companies along our journey, but timing and them not operating during Covid made it difficult to get on one until now.
Our boat trip was through Spindrift Boat Cruises, which was amazing. They had the best reviews for the the area, and I'm all about reviews. We spotted tons of seals, some of them trying to steal the fish from the salmon farms, as well as some super cute sea otters, that we enjoyed watching play.
Day 12
We accomplished three really big hikes this day, all progressively longer than the other! Note: all of the popular places on the Isle of Skye charge for parking. The only place with free parking, though limited, was Rubha Hunish. We also had that hike to ourselves since again it wasn't on anyone else's radar!
Apparently it's always windy on the Isle of Skye, so keep this in mind. There's windy and then there's windy-er, lol. One of our chats at a whisky distillery told us how the wind can literally push cars off roads. Like, wtf?!
The Storr. Hike: 2.75 mi - 2 hrs
Like we tend to do, we went the longer less-traveled route on this hike. By the time our path intersected the main one, we decided to not continue the rest of the way up since it was crazy busy. We still got wonderful pictures, and enjoyed a nice hike up.
We stopped at An Leth-Allt, where there is a scenic viewing and platform. There are quite a few waterfalls here and each one can be seen in different places. From the platform you can view the closest one to the road. Then hike over to the cliff and there is a beautiful coastal view and placard telling you about the area and how it was once used. If you hike further down (though sign does not recommend), there are lower waterfalls that can be viewed from there.
The parking lot is quite large and it was free to park. There are a couple of picnic tables, which we used to cook up our lunch for the day.
Quiraing. Hike: 4.25 mi - 2 hrs
We hiked up the opposite mountain than the Quiraing, which we had completely to ourselves. Breathtaking views of the valley below and the Quiraing, all while avoiding the troops of people hiking the main route.
You drive up the mountain on a single-lane road to get to the parking area for this hike, which is just further up a mountain. Seems backwards, but it works. You can park at the very base and hike all the way up, which we saw one person do. But really you'll be walking in the road and cars have enough problems with single-lane tracks - so please be courteous.
Rubha Hunish. Hike & Bothy: 5.25 mi - 5 hrs.
Another one of my favorite hikes on this trip! At the end of this hike there is an old Coast Guard Lookout that has been turned into a bothy. It is free to stay here, but clean up after yourself so it is ready for the next guest. There are binoculars and information there to use during your stay as this is one of the best places to view whales! Unfortunately it was the wrong season when we went, but still picturesque coastal views.
Day 13
Fairy Pools. Hike & Waterfalls: 5 mi - 3 hr
We drove to the Fairy Pools and finally found a parking spot, just to decide we didn't want to deal with the train of people hiking down to the pools; it was literally never-ending. This spot was the most busy out of everywhere we went, and even with the larger parking area, it was full.
From all of the pictures, as long as you're fine with crowds, I would definitely recommend going as it looks beautiful. Apparently you can swim in these as well - but I do hear it's quite cold!
We then ventured over to Torabhaig Distillery and visited their large shop. We had a great time conversing with the staff and learning about the distillery, the island, life living there, etc. etc. Remember about the winds being so strong that it moves a car? Yep, this is where we heard it.
At the time, the distillery did not have its own whisky yet, but as of this write-up they do. It is a "heavily peated" whisky.
On our way to Spean Bridge for lodging, we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle. This is absolutely stunning and is used for so many things. We did pay to do the castle tour, but to be honest, the best pictures I found were outside and free.
Day 14
On our drive home, we stopped at various waterfalls, short hike sites, and Loch Lomond for some beautiful loch and landscape views - and to stretch our legs and skip pebbles! The leaves were changing and we wanted to capture those fall colors!
This was a great end to our trip!
Here is the Excel workbook if you would like to download it: NC500 Excel This was built in 2020 and prices reflect that. The grayed out sections are things we did not end up doing. The notes also reflect areas closed in 2020 and many places are fully reopened now. Do your research and use this as a base if you'd like!
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