North Coast 500 The Road Trip of a Lifetime – NC500 Guide Book by Robbie Roams

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You can visit the Smoo Caves at any time of the day, with the main cave remaining open to the public 24-7. If you wish to explore deeper into the cave system, which is only accessible by boat, you will need to take part in an organised tour. The tour is subject to the local weather, as even a little rainfall can make the cave inaccessible. Due to this there are no advance bookings. Croft 17 B&B– a lovely B&B run by Ullapool locals Jaimie and Martin, found just five minutes drive from Ullapool. Stop at Mhoine House– Banksy in the highlands? The ruined Mhoine House has some amazing graffiti art to photograph. We also have a guide to whisky distilleries on the North Coast 500 if you’re interested in visiting more distilleries along the route. Nowadays, it is open as a visitor attraction and attracted more than 27,000 visitors in the first year of opening in 2007. The visitor centre is open every year between May and September, 7 days a week, apart from 10 days in summer when it is used as accommodation.

Leaving the north coast of Scotland behind you reach Assynt and Coigach, one of my favourite parts of Scotland, and the most dramatic part of the North Coast 500 and the Scotland Route 66. Assynt is famous for its mountains – and Lochinver for its pies! There are lots of ways to do the NC500 / S cotland Route 66 – with a tent, staying in b&bs or self-catering. How you do it is up to you! Stage 3 – Sutherland & Assynt-Drive the beautiful coast from Durness to Gairloch and visit Scotland’s best beaches.In the town centre of Durness, you have a few options to choose from for comfortable accommodation for the night. This varies from guesthouses to bed and breakfasts, however, all of the options are sure to be clean, comfortable and affordable. Options for accommodation in Durness include Transvaal House, Aiden B&B, Glengolly B&B, and the Wild Orchid Guest House. How Long SHOULD you spend on the NC500 is the better question to ask, and to that our answer is between 7-14 days. When we first set off on the North Coast 500, we spent a total of 8 days on the coastal route. We found this to be enough time to see all of the best sights on the NC500, however, we could have easily spent more time at some of the beaches and mountain ranges to really explore them properly.

Leakey’s Bookshop – home to thousands of second-hand books, Leakey’s is an Inverness treasure trove. At the time of its construction, the Kings of Norway dominated this area of Northern Scotland. It is believed to have been built Earl Harald Madadson, the earl of Orkney, with intention of the castle being his chief seat on the mainland. The road rises to a height of 2,053 ft with gradients of 1 in 5 and hairpin bends. Not advised for learner drivers, very large vehicles or caravans after first mile”. Of course, it is possible and it can be done if you are confident in your driving. The only legal restriction I’m aware of is an 18 tonne weight limit. However, we also wanted to include some essential tips in this post to help you plan your trip. Booking Accommodation on the North Coast 500Ullapool – a great wee town for an overnight stop on the NC500. Discover more things to do in Ullapool