Yes, if you prefer not to drive yourself you do have some options to book a guided North Coast 500 group or private tour. For those who don’t want to drive the route, this is your best option as public transit is spotty around the route. During our 12 day winter trip in February most days were mixed (rain/light snow/clouds/some sun) and it rained at least a little on almost every day of the trip. During that time we had 2 bad days (snowed all day, roads uncleared, stayed inside) and 1 especially nice and sunny day. I’d recommend at least 3 nights to do the NC500 – 5 days is ideal. We have a NC500 hotel guide that has all the main castle hotels listed. Let us know if you have a specific question about any of them. We only have a camping itinerary up so far, but will have more NC500 itineraries up before your trip in Sept., if you want to sign up for our monthly newsletter to be alerted with our new articles. Well done Gemma and Campbell, Destination NC500 is brilliant.. the attention to detail is spot on and directions very clear ..and the photography is spectacular.. I have spent several very happy hours looking through the book.. planning new trips in my head and reliving many happy memories of previous visits .. its a must for anyone who wants to make the most of a visit to this magical island ..”

The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile scenic route along Scotland’s northern coast that begins and ends in the city of Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. We’ve put together this comprehensive North Coast 500 guide to help you plan the perfect North Coast 500 road trip in Scotland. The two stretches of the road that are usually noted as unsuitable for larger caravans and motorhomes are:Spring and summer is also bird nesting season and dogs can disturb ground nesting birds so good to be aware of if doing walks/hikes. Some of the bird and wildlife reserve areas do not allow dogs for obvious reasons. Gemma & Campbell have poured their hearts and expertise into this incredible book allowing for you to visit the NC500 already knowing your way around, the best places to go whether that be for food, views or fuel! Often people visiting the NC500 will be on a bit of a time crunch – this book is fantastic at helping people get an idea of what they’d like to include in their itinerary of their trip so they don’t miss a thing! Absolutely incredible!” If you plan to hike, you may want to invest in a good set of hiking maps, especially for those planning to do longer distance hillwalking, climbing, or hiking. Ordnance Survey maps are the ones we recommend (see below). In this section, we’ll assume you have decided to drive the North Coast 500, and we’ll discuss how to find the route, how to stay on the route, safe driving tips and laws you should know, and where you can rent a car, motorcycle, or RV for your North Coast 500 road trip. If you are someone who hates planning ahead and wants to be able to stop and spend as much time in a place as you wish, I’d consider doing a camping or campervan trip along the NC500. That way you won’t need to search for last-minute lodging each night which can be difficult on sections of the route. This way all you need to worry about in advance is your transportation and camping gear and you will have the flexibility of either traditional lodging or camping each night.

They will rarely run out onto the road in front of you, but it can be easy to miss a little lamb lying on the road until it is too late. Lambs are most vulnerable in the Spring and early summer.Many thanks again for all the wonderful information and links and in advance for whtever advice you may have for us. Even if you are planning to visit at the busiest time of year (say July or August), you can still avoid some of the crowds and find some peaceful spots along the route if you make an effort to do so. First, go out when fewer people are going to be around. Get up early or stay out late as most people don’t get onto the road until after 8:30am and stop for lodging around dinner time. Early risers will be rewarded by local wildlife sightings, especially the local deer and birds. Also, if you want to let us know how your trip goes, we’d love to hear what you and the kids found the best places to visit which can help other families traveling with young kids.

It is easy to rent a car from Inverness Airport or downtown Inverness. Main rental car companies include Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Arnold Clark, Europcar, Hertz, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Focus Vehicle Rental. I’d recommend getting the smallest size vehicle you need and to be sure your rental is fully insured. A GPS unit can also be helpful for navigation. Enterprise are usually our favourite for car hire. If you have more than 7 nights, I’d suggest adding a night to some of your overnight stops. Makes the trip much more relaxing and allows you to see and do more in that particular area. Once you have your flights and dates set, I would then recommend booking your sea kayaking trip as Tim can often only do one activitiy per day since it is mainly him leading all the tours so he is often booked out in advance. Then I’d sort out your rental car and accommodation once you have those in place.

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The North Coast 500 route runs 516 miles to and from Inverness, forming a loop around the northern Highlands. So if you drive the full route, you’ll end up where you started which can be very convenient if you are flying in and out of Inverness or renting a car. 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. Personally, I don't follow "routes", just roads. I mostly just hit the road and explore. Like WillH I carry maps; I also have a list of known waste disposal points. And BritStops/ CCC/ CAMC books "just in case". You might also want a list of diesel & lpg points - they're few and far between as you get further north. The 500 is just the coast road; the coast road has masses of interesting places nearby if you venture off the "route". 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. Just come prepared for the weather and don’t let it stop you from enjoying your trip! How Many Days Does it Take to Drive the North Coast 500?

If you are trying to plan your route and what attractions you might want to stop at along the route, we recommend that you take a look at our detailed 7 day North Coast 500 itinerary. Both, my wife and I, are in love with castles, so we would definitely like to sleep a few nights in several of the famous Castle Hotels, however, we would REALLY love to include the NC500 route in our schedule… If you decide to do part of your trip with a tour company, we can definitely recommend Rabbie’s. We’ve done many of their tours and happy to answer any questions about those if you have any.

Reflections of Scotland

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. Be very careful of potholes, certainly at the beginning and the end of passing places. They can be brutal.