If you are looking to drive the route during a quieter time of year, I’d consider April, early May, late September, or October, avoiding holidays, festivals, special events, and school breaks. John Lennon Memorial Garden – Durness was a favourite spot of John Lennon and there is a small memorial garden in Durness just past the Smoo Cave.

The North Coast 500 is Scotland’s answer to route 66 and one of the most beautiful coastal touring routes in the world (well, we think so, anyway!). The route is just over 500 miles and mainly hugs the northern coast of Scotland, hence the name. It was designed to showcase the natural beauty and local businesses in this part of Scotland which has previously received a relatively low level of tourism. It has become a major tourism success in Scotland with tens of thousands of people having already driven the route. Thurso– a good wee town for lunch. Walk along the river to the beach to watch seals. Read more – Things to do in Thurso 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. Many travelers, especially those who live in the UK, want to do the North Coast 500 with a dog. It is definitely a place that you can bring your dog, but a dog will limit some of the places you can visit or stay. Here are some tips for traveling the North Coast 500 with pets and how to find dog-friendly lodging.

Share your NC500 Adventure

If you’ve driven any part of NC500, feel free to share any tips or advice you have from your own trip! As always, all questions and comments are welcome. The North Coast 500 starts in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. Home to over 45,000 people, there are plenty of things to waylay you in Inverness before you start your journey around the North Coast 500!

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. Climb up to the Fyrish Monument – one of the NC500’s hidden gems, the view from the Fyrish Monument is well worth the 3-hour round trip walk. For those wanting a private tour, you can arrange a private NC500 tour from Rabbie’s or other local tour companies.Most Scotland-based tour companies should be able to arrange a guided NC500 private tour to suit your needs although you will pay a lot more than you would if you did a group tour or a self-drive trip.Inverness is probably the most convenient place to start a NC500 tour, but tours can also be arranged to depart and return from Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness. Caithness: In this part of the road trip, you will pass through the iconic John o’Groats – the most northerly village of mainland Britain. Dunnet Head is the official most northern part of Britain.

From exploring the interior of the route, to bagging a Munro; snorkelling, white water rafting, canoeing, hiking and camping expeditions; meditation retreats, creel fishing and gourmet foodie experiences; to pottery-making, whisky tasting, tracing your family tree, and even gold panning – there really is something for everyone along the North Coast 500. But the North Coast 500 is designed for touring, sightseeing, and taking things slowly. The minimum number of days we’d recommend to drive the North Coast 500 is 5 days, but 7 to 10 days would be ideal. If you plan to speed around, you could do it with 3 full days and night, but we’d recommend more time. Caithness Brochs– No one knows what Brochs were really used for, just that there are lots of them. There are over 200 brochs (Iron Age structures) across Caithness.

The highlights of the route for many people are the scenic views along the coast and the feeling of “being away” from it all for a while. Scenery includes rugged coastline, beaches, rural farmland, marshland, rivers, forest, lochs, and munros (Scottish mountains over 3,000 ft high). You’ll also have the opportunity to see local wildlife such as deer, squirrels, pine martens, birds of prey, seabirds, and sea mammals such as dolphins, whales and seals. 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.

However, one of the other results of the above has been the damage to roads – leaving many with potholes and other problems. The RAC Guide to the Great British Pothole and Other Road Surface Defects can help you prepare for your journey