My NC500 - September 2025

🏴‍☠️ NC500 – The Ultimate Scottish Road Trip 🏔️🚐

The North Coast 500 (NC500) is Scotland’s answer to Route 66 – a 516-mile loop of rugged coastline, castles, whisky, mountains, and endless drone-worthy landscapes. Starting and finishing in Inverness, the route takes you through the Highlands’ wild heart, wrapping around Scotland’s north coast in a giant adventure.

📍 Starting Point: Inverness

• Kick-off city: Castles, Culloden Battlefield ⚔️, whisky distilleries 🥃.

• Nearby highlights: Dolphin spotting at Chanonry Point 🐬, Glen Ord Distillery, and the Black Isle with its rolling farmland.

• Drone tip: Sunrise over Beauly Firth = chef’s kiss.

🍃 East Coast: Inverness ➝ John O’Groats

• Tain – Glenmorangie Distillery (smoothest stop on the route).

• Dornoch – golden beach, cathedral, and cosy pubs.

• Dunrobin Castle – fairytale vibes, with falconry shows 🦅.

• Helmsdale & Wick – fishing villages and Old Pulteney whisky.

• John O’Groats – the famous signpost at Scotland’s tip 🇬🇧.

🛠️ East Coast = smoother roads, gentler landscapes. Great for warming up before the west’s drama.

🌊 North Coast: John O’Groats ➝ Durness

• Duncansby Head – towering sea stacks and puffins 🐦.

• Castle of Mey – the Queen Mother’s Highland retreat.

• Thurso – surfing capital of the north 🏄‍♂️.

• Tongue & Bettyhill – dramatic Kyle of Tongue causeway.

• Smoo Cave – massive sea cave, perfect for moody drone shots.

This stretch = raw and remote. Atlantic winds + endless horizons.

🏞️ Northwest: Durness ➝ Ullapool

• Sandwood Bay – one of Britain’s most beautiful beaches (4-mile hike in, worth it).

• Handa Island – bird sanctuary with puffins galore.

• Lochinver – famous for pies (Lochinver Larder 🥧).

• Kylesku Bridge – iconic drone spot over turquoise waters.

• Inverpolly & Assynt mountains – Suilven, Stac Pollaidh, Quinag: jagged peaks straight out of Middle-earth.

🎥 Drone heaven: jagged peaks, winding single-track roads, and turquoise lochs.

🌲 Wester Ross & Applecross: Ullapool ➝ Inverness

• Corrieshalloch Gorge – suspension bridge over roaring waterfalls 🌊.

• Gairloch & Poolewe – beaches, gardens, and sea life.

• Applecross Peninsula – legendary Bealach na Bà pass (hair-raising switchbacks, 2,054 ft climb). 🚐💨

• Lochcarron & Shieldaig – picture-perfect Highland villages.

🔥 Finish strong with one of Scotland’s most dramatic drives.

✨ NC500 Highlights at a Glance

• 🥃 Whisky stops: Glenmorangie, Glen Ord, Clynelish, Old Pulteney, Dunnet Bay.

• 🏰 Castles galore: Dunrobin, Mey, Sinclair Girnigoe, Ardvreck (a ruin with epic views).

• 🌊 Beaches: Dornoch, Balnakeil, Sandwood, Red Point, Mellon Udrigle.

• 🏔️ Mountains: Ben Hope, Ben Loyal, Suilven, Liathach, Beinn Eighe.

• 🐬 Wildlife: dolphins, puffins, seals, deer, eagles.

• 🚁 Drone moments: Kylesku Bridge, Applecross Pass, Duncansby Head, Assynt mountains.

📝 Pro Tips

• ⛺ Mix EHU campsites with wild camping for balance.

• 🕐 Allow at least 7–10 days to do it justice.

• 🧃 Stock up before remote stretches – shops can be scarce.

• 🦟 Pack midge spray (these wee beasties are relentless in summer).

• 📶 Signal is patchy – download maps offline.

🚐 Summary

The NC500 isn’t just a road trip – it’s an odyssey. One minute you’re sipping whisky in a seaside pub, the next you’re standing on a cliff edge with the Atlantic roaring below. Whether it’s castles, caves, or coastlines, the NC500 delivers non-stop drama, best enjoyed with a campervan, a drone, and a sense of adventure.