Well, it was actually the North Coast 573 for us but that was partly due to a road closure at the start, and various planned diversions for a bit of sight seeing. Total trip was just under 1000 miles, including the scenic route back to Glasgow. We did the route over 5 days, with our last day including the final 55 mile section from Dornoch to Inverness and then the drive home.
My main advice is to take your time, plan lots of time for stops, beaches, amazing coastal scenery, nice restaurants, etc. Take it easy on the singletrack. I'm Scottish and very used to driving on singletrack roads. I've driven several of these roads before, but would still recommend taking it easy. Some of them are open with great visibility - some not so good. Save the high speed fun for the wide open two lane roads. My favourite sections are Gairloch to Ullapool (for roads and scenery), Bealach na Ba (Applecross hairpins) and the section from Durness to Melvich.
Anyway, on with the photos . . .
The drive up to Inverness
We drove up to Inverness after work on the Friday night, so that we could stay over and be refreshed for starting the route on the Saturday morning. The drive was miserable in the pouring rain, so we just stuck with the boring route up the A9, but did get our best mpg ever with 36mpg for 170 miles. We also found out that the rain had washed away part of the A832 near the start of the official route, so we planned a detour via the A82 and A87 for the Saturday morning. Not a big problem - just some different, but still great fun, roads to drive on.
Miserable A9 on the way to Inverness
Day 1 - Inverness to Torridon: 134 miles
Leaving a rainy Inverness behind at the official start - Inverness Castle
The sunshine came out and it turned into a glorious day
The famous Bealach na Ba road to Applecross, with amazing views and awesome hairpins. Sunshine either side with some cloud at the top!
Beautiful beach just after Applecross. This is why you should take your time and do the route over a few days, to enjoy the beaches!
Highland road blocks!
Amazing roads and scenery on the way from Applecross to Torridon
Parked up at the Torridon Inn. Would highly recommend staying here. The hotel is lovely but a bit pricey. The Inn is still really nice as you can see from the room and you can park right outside your room.
Day 2 - Torridon to Lochinver: 124 miles
Heading towards Gairloch
On my favourite section of the whole route between Gairloch and Ullapool. Amazing roads and breathtaking scenery.
A couple of other nice cars in Ullapool. We didn't meet any other sports cars or supercars on the whole route - these were the only "interesting" things we spotted the whole time.
Ardvreck Castle, worth a stop after Ullapool
I wouldn't recommend the hotel we stayed at in Lochinver (the Culag - really run down and overpriced), but there was a lovely restaurant next door called Peet's. Highly recommend it! If I was doing it again, I'd stay in a different hotel in this area or go a wee bit further.
Day 3 - Lochinver to Melvich (with a detour to Sandwood Bay): 129 miles
Our only properly cloudy/rainy time on the whole trip since leaving Inverness. The morning of day 3 was a bit dreich as we say in Scotland, but this chap made up for it. Didn't budge when we drove up and stopped. He was just a few feet from the edge of the road and happy to pose for a photo!
The weather cleared up just in time for one of the best planned detours of the trip - Sandwood Bay. The most remote/isolated beach on mainland UK. You need to walk 4 miles (each way) to get to it from the carpark. Well worth the detour and the walk. Weather brightened up for is just in time for our walk. Beach was deserted.
Nice roads and scenery once we were back on the main NC500 route
Also stopped off at Smoo Caves on the way along to Melvich
Loved this section of road too
Would highly recommend the Melvich Hotel. Lovely rooms, great staff, nice wood-fired pizzas, and we also bumped into a group of Harleys doing the NC500 in the opposite direction.
View from the dinner table.
Day 4 - Melvich to Dornoch (with a detour to Dunnet Head): 131 miles
I went for a run along the beach at Melvich just before leaving that morning. Beautiful . . .
Detour off the route again to the most northerly point of the UK mainland - Dunnet Head
Stopped off for a tour of Castle of Mey (the one the Queen Mother bought herself)
And then along to the most north-easterly point, John O'Groats.
Stop off at the Whaligoe Steps (google it and read all about it - worth a wee visit)
Then our final night, parked up at the Dornoch Castle Hotel and some sunshine to enjoy a drink in their garden!
Day 5 - Dornoch to Inverness: 55 miles
A quick visit to Dornoch beach before leaving
Upset the golfers with a few pops and bangs :lol:
Back at Inverness. The sunshine followed us most of the way around the route and we brought it back to Inverness with us!
A rather dirty car that I'm looking forward to cleaning
Thank goodness for Gtechniq C5 . . . this won't be too difficult to shift!
Total mileage and mpg for the route. We spent most of the twisties in Sport/Paddles with a rather heavy right foot, and then in Drive/Auto on the more cruisy sweeping sections. Dynamic mode all the time. Pretty happy with the mpg for that kind of driving!
Hope you guys enjoyed the photos. Just shout if you have any questions at all about driving the NC500. We will definitely do it again!
My main advice is to take your time, plan lots of time for stops, beaches, amazing coastal scenery, nice restaurants, etc. Take it easy on the singletrack. I'm Scottish and very used to driving on singletrack roads. I've driven several of these roads before, but would still recommend taking it easy. Some of them are open with great visibility - some not so good. Save the high speed fun for the wide open two lane roads. My favourite sections are Gairloch to Ullapool (for roads and scenery), Bealach na Ba (Applecross hairpins) and the section from Durness to Melvich.
Anyway, on with the photos . . .
The drive up to Inverness
We drove up to Inverness after work on the Friday night, so that we could stay over and be refreshed for starting the route on the Saturday morning. The drive was miserable in the pouring rain, so we just stuck with the boring route up the A9, but did get our best mpg ever with 36mpg for 170 miles. We also found out that the rain had washed away part of the A832 near the start of the official route, so we planned a detour via the A82 and A87 for the Saturday morning. Not a big problem - just some different, but still great fun, roads to drive on.
Miserable A9 on the way to Inverness
Day 1 - Inverness to Torridon: 134 miles
Leaving a rainy Inverness behind at the official start - Inverness Castle
The sunshine came out and it turned into a glorious day
The famous Bealach na Ba road to Applecross, with amazing views and awesome hairpins. Sunshine either side with some cloud at the top!
Beautiful beach just after Applecross. This is why you should take your time and do the route over a few days, to enjoy the beaches!
Highland road blocks!
Amazing roads and scenery on the way from Applecross to Torridon
Parked up at the Torridon Inn. Would highly recommend staying here. The hotel is lovely but a bit pricey. The Inn is still really nice as you can see from the room and you can park right outside your room.
Day 2 - Torridon to Lochinver: 124 miles
Heading towards Gairloch
On my favourite section of the whole route between Gairloch and Ullapool. Amazing roads and breathtaking scenery.
A couple of other nice cars in Ullapool. We didn't meet any other sports cars or supercars on the whole route - these were the only "interesting" things we spotted the whole time.
Ardvreck Castle, worth a stop after Ullapool
I wouldn't recommend the hotel we stayed at in Lochinver (the Culag - really run down and overpriced), but there was a lovely restaurant next door called Peet's. Highly recommend it! If I was doing it again, I'd stay in a different hotel in this area or go a wee bit further.
Day 3 - Lochinver to Melvich (with a detour to Sandwood Bay): 129 miles
Our only properly cloudy/rainy time on the whole trip since leaving Inverness. The morning of day 3 was a bit dreich as we say in Scotland, but this chap made up for it. Didn't budge when we drove up and stopped. He was just a few feet from the edge of the road and happy to pose for a photo!
The weather cleared up just in time for one of the best planned detours of the trip - Sandwood Bay. The most remote/isolated beach on mainland UK. You need to walk 4 miles (each way) to get to it from the carpark. Well worth the detour and the walk. Weather brightened up for is just in time for our walk. Beach was deserted.
Nice roads and scenery once we were back on the main NC500 route
Also stopped off at Smoo Caves on the way along to Melvich
Loved this section of road too
Would highly recommend the Melvich Hotel. Lovely rooms, great staff, nice wood-fired pizzas, and we also bumped into a group of Harleys doing the NC500 in the opposite direction.
View from the dinner table.
Day 4 - Melvich to Dornoch (with a detour to Dunnet Head): 131 miles
I went for a run along the beach at Melvich just before leaving that morning. Beautiful . . .
Detour off the route again to the most northerly point of the UK mainland - Dunnet Head
Stopped off for a tour of Castle of Mey (the one the Queen Mother bought herself)
And then along to the most north-easterly point, John O'Groats.
Stop off at the Whaligoe Steps (google it and read all about it - worth a wee visit)
Then our final night, parked up at the Dornoch Castle Hotel and some sunshine to enjoy a drink in their garden!
Day 5 - Dornoch to Inverness: 55 miles
A quick visit to Dornoch beach before leaving
Upset the golfers with a few pops and bangs :lol:
Back at Inverness. The sunshine followed us most of the way around the route and we brought it back to Inverness with us!
A rather dirty car that I'm looking forward to cleaning
Thank goodness for Gtechniq C5 . . . this won't be too difficult to shift!
Total mileage and mpg for the route. We spent most of the twisties in Sport/Paddles with a rather heavy right foot, and then in Drive/Auto on the more cruisy sweeping sections. Dynamic mode all the time. Pretty happy with the mpg for that kind of driving!
Hope you guys enjoyed the photos. Just shout if you have any questions at all about driving the NC500. We will definitely do it again!
