In the UK, there’s really only one place that people have in mind for the most scenic and adventurous road trip: Scotland. Our A Road Trip Around Beautiful Scotland post showcases some of the very best sights and scenes around the stunning country, and highlights just how easily you could embark on the same adventures.
Of course, many people will know a trip to Scotland for a few reasons, such as hiking, fishing, football, golf, whiskey sampling, and log cabins, but here, we’re proposing the well-established and superbly immersive North Coast 500 road trip. Billed as ‘Scotland’s ultimate road trip,’ there’s easily a case to be made for it to be Europe’s ultimate road trip, if not one of the very best in the world. Here, we’ve got ten great things for you to add to your itinerary should you embark on this incredible journey.
1. Sandwood Bay
It was a close call as to what to include at the top of this list of the best activities on NC500, but in the end, in the spring, summer, and early autumn – when most people opt for road trips – few places can offer the enjoyment of a great beach. It just so happens that Scotland is home to Sandwood Bay, which is hailed by The 15 Best Beaches in the UK Revealed piece as having “everlasting planes of sand” as well as “high rocky cliffs.”
Essentially, Sandwood Bay is the kind of beach that you expect all other beaches to be like: lots of sand, blue waters, and devoid of stony patches. It’s clean, unspoilt, remote, and stunning. You can find the bay on the north-west coast in Sutherland, and even if you and hundreds more people make the trip, it’s a mile long, so there’s plenty of space for everyone. Undulating sand dunes populate the area, but the four-mile footpath to the beach is fairly flat, so it just adds to the scenic occasion.
2. Cape Wrath
Not far from Sandwood Bay as the crow flies, Cape Wrath is an equally superb spot to spend a day. Boasting the title of being the outright most north-western point of mainland Britain, the secluded spot certainly isn’t the easiest to get to. First, you’ll need to catch a bus to the area, and then hop on a ferry to whisk you around and onto the beach. To a greater extent than Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath is even less spoilt by human presence, which has allowed the local wildlife to flourish.
You may come to enjoy Kearvaig Beach or see the Stack Clò Kearvaig, but if you walk the cliffs around the beach and coastline, you might just be able to spot a glimpse of a golden eagle, red deer, or cormorant. Many who manage to make the trip to Cape Wrath also stop in at the lighthouse. Built in 1828, it marks the very final stop down the Cape Wrath Trail, which is a whopping 200 miles long, spanning the lighthouse back to Form William by Lock Linnhe.
3. Black Isle
It’s not an isle, and the ground isn’t black in colour; nonetheless, Black Isle is a great part of the NC500 to stop at for a multitude of reasons. Littered with adorable little seaside villages that date back to the 17th Century, you’ll find waterfalls, an idyllic coastline, Pictish Stones, and a gluttony of wildlife spotting opportunities. It’s here that you have a chance to spot some of Scotland’s most playful residents: bottlenose dolphins.
Throughout the year, you can set sail from the Black Isle in an attempt to see a few of the hundreds of bottlenose dolphins that frolic in these waters. If you’re not a fan of being on the sea, you could make your way down from Chanonry Point towards the coast. Near the lighthouse there, you can sometimes spot dolphins tracking out their favourite local delicacy, some Atlantic salmon. After some fun with dolphins, enjoy the ye olde stylings of The Anderson, or have a chilled snack at Crofters.
4. John O’Groats
Stacked cliffs teeming with nesting birds while the waves crash into the rocks below, the Caithness coastlines is a wonderfully refreshing part of the NC500 run. Top of the list on this leg of the road trip is John O’Groats, right in the north-east of the county. Dunnet Head is actually the most northern part of mainland Britain, but the self-styled ‘end of the road’ village remains a huge attraction for tourists who venture into the far north of Scotland. There’s fine dining, history to explore in the form of The Castle of Mey, and some thrilling activities.
Chief among the most thrilling things to do in John O’Groats, and perhaps on the entire NC500 road trip, is to surf there. The surf is guaranteed, and the beaches are tremendously sandy, making for a superb experience between catching those perfect waves. They gloat about the waters being a bit cooler up here than in the south of England, so warn that only the true adrenaline junkies should bring a board. After some surfing, or while you wait for others to finish their mad water sports, you can explore the 8 Doors Distillery with its tour and tasting experience, which takes place beside a comforting log burner. Essentially, it’s the opposite of surfing up north!
5. Balintore
Whether you want to walk the Pictish Trail or have a sip of the famous local whiskey, Easter Ross makes for a great destination for anyone who just wants to drink in a relaxing setting. You could stop at Contin, Evanton, Invergordon, or perhaps explore the urban city of Inverness to the south of the region. With Inverness likely being an ideal pit stop in the NC500, we propose that you use some time around your arrival to head out to Balintore, on the Tarbat Peninsula.
It’s a lovely and rugged coastline, but from Balintore, you might just be able to spot something rather mythical. Created by Steve Hayward – a local artist – somewhere on the rocks of the coastline, you’ll be able to spot The Mermaid of the North. The greeny-blue statue is finely perched upon the Clach Dubh on the beach slightly to the north of the direct Balintore coastline.
6. Inverness
On the point of visiting Inverness, when you’re in the city, you’ll have a grand choice of exquisite places to eat. Scotland is well-known for its classy chefs, creating dishes from natural, seasonal ingredients, and often making them in so-called ‘hearty’ portions. It doesn’t matter where you go, you’re bound to find a great place to eat at or take away from. If you venture down to Inverness, you can enjoy a rather pleasant two-mile walk down and around the river before arriving at a world-class restaurant.
For the Ness Walk, you begin from Great Glen Way, go down the ‘Ladies Walk’ towards the islands, enjoy being on the river, head up the other bank, and cut across Infirmary Bridge to be back to where you started. It’ll take between half an hour and an hour to get done, which will work up a healthy appetite for the luxurious Torrish Restaurant at Ness Walk. Views of the river and a crackling fire welcome all who come, and then you’ll be treated to the best of Scottish cuisine.
7. Loch Assynt
Now, there is certainly a craze going around those who fancy a bit of fancy camping. There are places all over the UK for glamping, such as The Glamping Village at Ribblesdale Park, but when you get into the northern reaches of Sutherland, why not truly set yourself in nature with some proper wild camping? There are several spots in Sutherland that make for idyllic wild camping sites, but easily one of the best is Loch Assynt. The only thing is that you’d need to ditch the NC500 for a little bit, but can still do so via a proper road.
Found to the east of Lochinver or the south of Kylesku, Loch Assynt is easily spotted for its sprawling lake and the Ardvreck Castle ruins are propped up along the shoreline. You can put down your tents just by the lake with a view of the ruins, and who knows, you may even catch a sight of the legendary Mermaid of Assynt, who continues to hide under the water from the dreaded Clootie.
8. Applecross
A very popular part of the country for perhaps the more daring of us – and especially those who aren’t too afraid of cliffs and heights and whatnot – is the stretch between Applecross and the Kyle of Lochalsh. Between these, you can venture to Lachcarron and Stratchcarron, both of which are lovely villages with a view of Skye, and you can get on the train to ride down and along the lake. Being the Inverness-shire leg of the NC500 road trip, though, many will eye up a certain pass.
Running across the Applecross Peninsula, you can drive down the pass of Bealach Na Bà. It’s a single road that winds through the mountains, giving you a proper experience of the Scottish Highlands. This isn’t for the faint of heart, and especially not for anyone in the depths of winter. It features copious hairpins and an incredibly steep ascent. Of course, as you’re in the area anyway, on your way back to the more driver-friendly parts of the NC500, why not venture to Loch Ness, as you’re in the area anyway?
9. Wick Harbour
Bottlenose dolphins are the more famous residents of Scotland’s surrounding seas, but perhaps the most iconic is the orca. Orca pods come down from Iceland in the spring and summer, but there’s a resident population with a much shorter span. Luckily, there are plenty of resident experts along the NC500 who’ll happily take you out to orca hotspots. The tour company Caithness Seacoast sets off from Wick Harbour and they know the area very well, with orca spotting being noted all over, from Duncansby Head, the Duncansby Stacks, Thurso, Orkney, Shetland, and Gill’s Bay. You may even clock the increasingly prevalent humpback whales on your voyage.
10. Dingwall
Found in Dingwall, and not far from Tulloch Castle or The Global Energy Stadium, home of Ross County Football Club, any adventurers among you really should seek out Liquid Footprints. The team will gear you up and take you into the Highlands for the incredibly thrilling activity of gorge scrambling. You’ll be walking, leaping, climbing across, swimming, and crawling through the rivers at the base of the nearby gorges. Many come back from the outings claiming gorge scrambling to be the very best way to experience these natural settings.
So, when you’re planning your NC500 road trip, be sure to make time and mark these places on your map.
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