The Ultimate 8-Day North Coast 500 Itinerary
The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile (830 km) scenic driving route around the northern coast of Scotland. It starts and ends in the city of Inverness, creating a loop around the top of the country where you’ll see a mixture of rugged coastlines, white sandy beaches, tall mountains, historic castles, and small towns.
I grew up in Inverness, Scotland (and moved to Canada with my family when I was 13), but had never travelled much further north than Inverness.
Last year I decided I wanted to explore more of the country that I come from, and knew the NC500 was the perfect way to do this.
The approximate route I drove on the NC500.
How Long Does The NC500 Take?
You can complete the NC500 in anywhere from 5 to 10 days, depending on how slow you want to travel and how much you want to drive each day. I decided to make it an 8-day road trip, and feel like this was the perfect length; I didn’t have to drive more than 2 hours most days and I didn’t ever feel rushed.
Which Way Should You Drive?
The route starts and ends in Inverness, and you can either drive up the east coast or west coast of Scotland first from there, and then circle back around. I chose to drive up the east coast first and back down the west coast.
The east coast roads are easier to drive, whereas the west coast roads have even better scenery but are tougher roads (windier and narrower). Driving up the east coast first warmed me up to the Scottish Highland roads, so I was more confident completing the second half of the trip.
When’s The Best Time of Year to Go?
Due to increased tourism in recent years, travelling the North Coast 500 during the summer can get very busy. The small roads were not originally built for lots of traffic, and the small towns along the route have limited accommodations. I’d recommend making the trip in autumn (September-October).
I took my trip during the second week of October, and while it was a bit cold at times, the roads were not busy at all which made for a better travel experience, and the autumn colours were beautiful.
Where Do You Get a Rental Car?
There are actually lots of options for renting cars in Inverness. I personally used Sixt and was very happy with them. Here’s some things you should know:
To rent a car in Scotland, you’ll need to have held a full driver’s license for at least a year
Extra charges might apply if you’re under 25
Manual transmission cars are the norm in the UK, so you’ll also pay more if you need an automatic (but there are plenty of options even for automatic transmission)
If your license is in English, you won’t need to get an International Driver’s Permit
Get a small car! The roads up north are narrow and windy; having a smaller car is so much easier
Remember they drive on the left in Scotland!
An 8-Day Itinerary of the NC500
Here’s the exact route I took, everything I visited along the way, and where I stayed each night:
Day 1: Inverness to Golspie (1.5-2hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Fortrose, Rosemarkie, and Chanonry Point
I didn’t actually visit these spots on this trip because my grandparents lived in Rosemarkie so I’ve been many times, but I highly recommend stopping for a visit in these villages.
Walk along Rosemarkie beach which leads to a lighthouse (Chanonry Point). If you time it correctly, you can see dolphins out in the water!
Embo Beach
Dornoch (stop for a hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain)
Where to Stay
Glenshee Guest House in Golspie
This was my favourite place I stayed during the whole trip! Friendly service, comfy and spacious room, and an excellent Scottish breakfast.
Day 2: Golspie to Wick (1.5 hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Dunrobin Castle
One of the best castles to visit in Scotland; it’s beautiful and grand with many rooms to walk through and big gardens to explore. They also have falconry shows on everyday.
Berriedale Braes Viewpoint
Latheronwheel Harbour
Whaligoe Steps
Where to Stay
Mackays Hotel in Wick
Fun fact: This hotel is located on the world’s shortest street (Ebenezer Place).
Day 3: Wick to Thurso (via John O’Groats) (1hr driving)
Where to Visit
Duncansby Head/Duncansby Stacks
John O’Groats
Dunnet Head
While John O’Groats is the northernmost town on the Scottish mainland, this is the exact northernly-most point.
Where to Stay (or not stay)
The Weigh Inn in Thurso
This was actually my least favourite place I stayed on this trip, and wouldn’t recommend. The service was bad, it was a bit dingy/dark, and quite noisy at night.
Day 4: Thurso to Durness (2.5 hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Melvich Beach
Tongue (yes there’s a place called Tongue)
Smoo Cave
Golden Eagle Zipline
Unfortunately this beach zip line was closed when I was passing through (it’s weather dependant and can’t operate if it’s too windy), but it looked like a lot of fun.
Where to Stay
Atlantic Pods in Durness
This was a cute, self-contained tiny home! It came with a queen bed, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and even a TV. It was a really cosy place to stay for the night.
Day 5: Durness to Drumbeg (1.5hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Sangomore Beach/Durness Beach
Balnakeil Beach
Kylesku Bridge
Where to Stay
Croft 338 B&B in Durness
Day 6: Drumbeg to Ullapool (via Lochinver) (1.5hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Achmelvich Beach
A highly rated pie shop in the town of Lochinver. A great place to stop for lunch!
Ardvreck Castle
Ullapool
One of the larger villages on the NC500, Ullapool is a scenic little place and definitely worth spending some time walking around and getting fish and chips at a local shop.
Where to Stay
The Royal Hotel in Ullapool
Day 7: Ullapool to Kinlochewe (via Poolewe) (2hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Corrieshalloch Gorge/Falls of Measach
Mellon Udrigle Beach
Bridge Cottage Art Cafe in Poolewe (great spot for lunch)
Gairloch
Where to Stay
Kinlochewe Hotel in Kinlochewe
Day 8: Kinlochewe to Inverness (2.5hrs driving)
Where to Visit
Glen Docherty Viewpoint
Loch Torridon Viewpoint
Sheildaig
Rogie Falls
Muir of Ord/Beauly - both of these are nice villages to stop for lunch on your way back to Inverness.
While some of the Scottish roads are not for the faint of heart, I’d highly recommend anyone wanting to visit Scotland to include the NC500 on their trip (don’t just go to Edinburgh).
The mountains, the beaches, the coastal views, and the small villages in between are amazing - you won’t be driving for more than 10 minutes without a great view.
As someone who grew up in Scotland, I got to marvel at how beautiful this country is and how cool it is that I’m from here.
This trip was also a major confidence booster for myself: I only got my driver’s license in 2023 and am a pretty nervous driver, so it was a huge step for me to drive over 500 miles by myself, let alone on the narrow Scottish roads. But I did it! (So you can too)
If you have any questions about travelling to Scotland, driving in Scotland, or the North Coast 500, leave a comment below or contact me here.
Happy Travelling :)