The North Coast 500 has become very popular in the last few years, even being labelled Scotland’s Route 66. The North Coast 500 is in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of the UK, which has a low population density. As such, cell coverage can be spotty. Gairloch is a fantastic place to visit and for exploring Wester Ross and the north west Highlands . Situated on the shore of Loch Gairloch amongst the awe-inspiring scenery of Wester Ross, Gairloch offers a wealth of spectacular scenery and activities for visitors. There are several good sandy beaches in the area, such as the Big Sand and Redpoint, which offers lovely views to Raasay, Skye and the Western Isles. Next head further north, following the coast road as it traverses deeply set lochs, and pass more soaring mountains. Plenty of time today to explore as you tour. Your next stop is the colourful harbour village of Ullapool.

This is the home of a mile long box canyon, which you can see from a Victorian suspension bridge that crosses the gorge. This is reached via a short (if steep) walk, and there are also walking trails along both sides of the gorge. We also have a general guide to where to book holiday cottages in the UK which will give you more options for accommodation along the route. For some options see our guide to our favourite B&B’s along the NC500, as well as our overall guide to NC500 accommodation. These tend to be some of the more popular places along the route, so booking well in advance is required. Further along the coast from the Castle of Mey you will come to the town of Dunnet. There’s a lovely beach here, as well as a fantastic gin distillery. If you a gin lover, it is very much worth stopping at the Dunnet Bay Distillery to take their tour and sample some of their gins (unless you are the driver of course!). There are plenty of petrol stations on the route. I suggest filling up regularly as the NC500 is quite remote in places. Petrol stations are marked on my NC500 map.Climb Ben Loyal and Ben Hope – the Queen of Scottish Mountains, Ben Loyal is a Corbett with four dramatic peaks to climb. Ben Hope is the most northerly Munro.

Read more about the castles of the North Coast 500 in our full guide. Take a Boat Trip through Smoo Cave

A carefully designed itinerary, travelling the North Coast 500 driving route – covering more than 500 miles of the best coastal scenery the North Highlands has to offer, but within a leisurely week’s holiday. Enjoy challenging drives such as the hairpin bends of the “Bealach na Ba” road to Applecross, then relax in our selection of characterful small hotels and guest houses. How long you take driving the NC500 is up to you. If you just want to experience one of the world’s best roads you could just about manage it in a day – but then you’ll miss everything the route has to offer. The last location you’ll pass on the first day of our itinerary is the Whaligoe steps, a series of steps carved out of the cliff face here which lead down to the sheltered Whaligoe Bay. This was once a popular harbour for local fishermen due to its natural protection, but when artificial harbours were built nearby, it fell into disuse. Bealach na Ba Viewpoint– drive this famous pass across the remote Applecross Peninsula. The road is utterly incredible, and definitely not for the faint of heart. This is a great question. There are plenty of car rental options, including a number at Inverness airport which will likely be the easiest option. The main car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Arnold Clark, Europcar, Hertz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Focus Vehicle Rental. Enterprise are usually our favourite for car hire. Just ensure you get unlimited mileage so you aren’t limited.

However, we also wanted to include some essential tips in this post to help you plan your trip. Booking Accommodation on the North Coast 500 Have a lovely trip when you do get to go, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions,Nowadays, it is open as a visitor attraction and attracted more than 27,000 visitors in the first year of opening in 2007. The visitor centre is open every year between May and September, 7 days a week, apart from 10 days in summer when it is used as accommodation.

To help with your route planning we’ve put together a map of this 5 day North Coast 500 itinerary. You can also see this on Google Maps here.With dramatic driving roads, beautiful coastal scenery, turquoise blue seas and white sand beaches, you will need as much time as you can get to do the route – you will want to stop every couple of hours and get out of the car and go for a walk! The NC500 should definitely not be all about the road. 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.