North Coast 500 (NC500)

Posted by Mark swift on
I’m going on a six-day blast to Scotland to do the NC500 and to add Skye, my mate Mark G, who is joining me.

Plan overview:

  • Thus 29th April – 4th May
  • Peterborough to Inverness – 12 hours slog
  • Get around the NC500 in 5 days and to squeeze in Skye and Glen Coe on the return leg

Scotland. The North Coast 500 route is about 1500 miles as a round trip as we did it through the breathtaking Highlands in the north of Scotland. Narrow single-track roads wind their way through postcard landscapes.

Our route was anti-clockwise, so we would save the majestic mountains of the west coast to last.

The agenda..

Day 1

Peterborough to Inverness – 12 hrs slog a tron!

Camp at Inverness in the shadow of the main coastal inlet

After a good breakfast, we were off on day 2 and the beginning of the NC500..

Day 2 

The beauty that is roo ra roo “Dexter”

Bora beach
Dunrobin Castle and below, John O’Groats!

Dunnet Head – the most northern point of the UK, with great views of Orkney and the Old Man of Hoy!


Near the Dunnet Head lighthouse are minor fortifications built during World War II to protect the naval base at Scapa Flow, including a Chain Home Low radar station and a bunker used by the Royal Observer Corps. Dunnet Head was the site of the master station and a monitoring station of the northern GEE chain of radio navigation stations during World War II. There was also an artillery range on Dunnet Head.


Day 3

LochInver -> Ullerpool – > Gailoch -> Torridon  -> Sheildaig

This leg of the journey passes along a single-track road through the wilderness, passing Beinn Eighe before Loch Torridon. Some stunning views at the ruins of Ardvreck Castle.

Day 4

Sheildaig -> Applecross -> Lochcarron -> Skye – Glen Coe

The notorious AppleCross path and the seven sisters of Kintail on Skye are big parts of this section of the route.

Crossing into Skye

NC 500 Summary

  • 1600 miles travelled
  • £250 worth of diesel
  • A good recce for a return trip..
    • Go to the Orkneys
    • Get up the mountains in Glen Coe
    • Spend more time around Ben Eighe 
  • Day 5 was the return leg from Glencoe -> Glasgow -> A66 -> A1 -> Home! and was 6 hrs on the road.

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