Destination NC500

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Day 3: Tongue to Durness: Tigh Nan Ubhal (Tongue) or Hillside B&B (Durness). There is also Salmon Landings– it is a bit before Tongue but a fantastic B&B. Glad you enjoyed our North Coast 500 guide, and just let us know if you have any questions if you are planning your own NC500 road trip in Scotland. Winter can be a nice time for photography and solitude, although the weather can be bad and certain minor roads (e.g. the Bealach Na Ba) may be closed due to bad weather. If you plan to drive the NC500 out of season (e.g., October to March) just note that many businesses (including hotels, restaurants, tourist information offices, and attractions) in the Scottish Highlands are seasonal or have reduced winter hours. We have driven Route 66, and we can say that there are a lot of differences between a historic route that spans over 2,400 miles and crosses 8 U.S. states and the North Coast 500. The NC500 is a mainly coastal route that goes through small villages and rural areas in a sparsely populated area of northern Scotland. Scotland, as with the rest of the UK, drives on the left – but there’s so many more rules of the road that you’ll need to know before you visit. Research driving laws in Scotland before you book your car hire, starting with the Highway Code. It’s particularly important to note that Scotland has a lower drink-drive limit than the rest of the UK, so make sure you have one member of your group as a designated driver at all times.

The Bealach Na Ba stretch as it is steep, narrow, and has a number of sharp bends. This is on the southwestern part of the route over by Applecross. It is easy to avoid as you can take the slip road up to the A896 instead. The drink drive laws in Scotland were changed in 2014 and are now very strict with low limits to discourage drinking and driving. The legal drinking limit is now lower than in any other part of the UK. You could still be charged even if you are riding a bike. Yes, you would definitely have time for one of the islands if you think you have more time than you need for the North Coast 500. I’d recommend heading over to either the main island of Orkney (get the ferry from John O’Groats or nearby) or to the Isles of Lewis and Harris (ferry from Ullapool). I’d recommend at least 2 full day and nights on either to have time to see the main highlights. Off the route, is also the possibility of going south a bit to the Isle of Skye. Both Orkney and Lewis have good cycling routes as well if you want to take your bikes. Yes, we should definitely add a section to our North Coast 500 guide about traveling with dogs, as I just received a very similar question from a reader looking for dog-friendly hotels along the NC500 🙂Evanton Woods – There is a very nice woodland playground here developed by the local community in Evanton. It is about a 10 minute walk from the parking area across from the free parking area across from the pub in Evanton. That is a good question. I think that obviously you want to be prepared as you could be cycling a fair distance to the nearest village in some places so good to always have the basics on you of course (repair kit, first aid kit, food/water, safety gear, emergency numbers) and I think the phone could come in handy as reception is not great in certain places with a regular cell phone.

The most crowded sections are probably around Inverness, the Inverness to Thurso section, around Ullapool, and the Bealach Na Ba road near Applecross. Of course, if you drive the route between November and March, you’ll find few visitors along the entire route except for during holidays and special events. Sorry for the delayed response but hope this is helpful as you being your North Coast 500 road trip tomorrow. Wishing you a wonderful trip! But even right along the route, few people get out of their cars to hike around lochs, hills, beaches, or fields so if you get out into nature you’ll probably find yourself relatively alone. Relatively few people even stop to visit the local museums and we’ve often had them to ourselves. You might also consider heading out on a boat to see the coastline from another angle.We’ll also provide information about North Coast 500 tours you can book if you want to experience the NC500 without driving. Where Specifically Does the Route Start and End? I’d probably recommend 4 locations for 2-3 days each along the route to avoid having to keep driving the same part of the route too much. It depends of course on your main interests along the route but I’d say maybe in or around 1) Inverness 2) Thurso 3) Lochinver and 4) Gairloch (or Kinlochewe). But I’d look at our detailed day by day NC500 itinerary for help in where might be the best bases for you, depending on your interests and what you really want to do. It also depends if you prefer towns or plan to camp or stay in more rural locations. They will rarely run out onto the road in front of you, but it can be easy to miss a little lamb lying on the road until it is too late. Lambs are most vulnerable in the Spring and early summer. If you are trying to plan your route and what attractions you might want to stop at along the route, we recommend that you take a look at our detailed 7 day North Coast 500 itinerary. Castles and long hikes are not on our itnerary but we love unplanned stops at secluded beaches, wooded paths along the way. The only planned activity i would like to do is the full day sea kayaking near Ullapool i read about above.

Hi, Your guide is great, easy to read and not “dry”! we have sorted out our accommodation, but wonder if there is a guide or similar detailing pertol stations on, or a bit off route? This really depends on how much you want to see, how much you want to drive each day, and how many detours you plan to make. You could speed along the entire 500 miles in less than 24 hours if you don’t mind not sleeping or seeing anything along the way!If the license is not in English or Latin alphabet, then you will need to get a validated English translation or have an International Driving Permit. If you need an International Driving Permit, you will need to apply for this in your home country prior to your trip.