The experienced motorhome hire team at Lowland are here to give you our best tips and advice on the most popular routes and places to visit on North Coast 500

There is nothing quite like the freedom of the long open road. Never ending back roads, wide country tracks and beautiful bends through some of Scotland’s finest coastal scenery. This is Scotland’s answer to route 66.

NC500 – A 516 mile road trip starting and ending in the City of Inverness and following a stunning coastal route around the North Highlands and venturing to some of the most notherly towns and villages such as Ullapool, Durness, John O’Groats and Durnoch. The official starting point for the NC500 is Inverness, chosen for its excellent transport links to the rest of Scotland. It is more than 500 miles of the best the North Higlands has to offer. The routeway runs to and from Inverness, venturing round the capital of the Highlands, up the East or West Coast (whichever your preference) and back.

Please see below for the suggested Route and places to camp/stay for the night along the way. This information was taken from the official North Coast 500 website and in conjunction with Visit Scotland.

Part 1 – Invernesshire
Chosen as official starting point for the NC500 due to excellent transport links. It is a lovely drive to Inverness from Edinburgh, it takes approximately 3 hours.

Part 2 – Easter Ross and the Black Isle

Suggested Stops Black Isle:

Dolphin Spotting at Avoch Beach or Chanonry Point, Fortrose
Fortrose Cathedral
Cromarty Courthouse Museum
Groam House (Pictish/Celtic art musem) – nearby sites for visiting them all are:
• Rosemarkie Camping and Caravanning Club, Ness Road East, Rosemarkie, IV10 8SE, 01381 621117
• Fortrose Bay Campsite, Wester Greengates, Fortrose, IV10 8RX, 01381 621927
• Nairn Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Delnies Wood, Nairn, Inverness, IV12 5NX, 01667 455281
Suggested Stops in Easter Ross:

‘Mermaid of the North’ sculpture, Tain – campsites nearby
• Dornoch Firth Caravan Park – Meikle Ferry South, Tain, IV19 1JX, 01862 892292
• Portmahomack Caravan Site – Free Church Manse, Gaza, Tain, IV20 1YL, 0845 1297055 or 01862 871467 (NOT ON SUNDAYS)
• Grannies Heilan Hame, Embo, Dornoch, IV25 3QD, 0844 3353548

Glemorangie Distillery, Tain – campsites nearby
• Portmahomack and Grannies Heilan Hame as above

Invergordon – Campsite nearby
• Dingwall Camping and Caravanning Club, Jubilee Road, Dingwall, IV15 9QZ, 01349 862236
• Blackrock Caravan and Camping Park, Balconie Street, Evanton, Dingwall, IV16 9UN, 01349 830917

Fyrish Monument, Alness – campsite nearby
• Blackrock as above

Part 3&4 – Caithness and Sutherland

Suggested Stops in Caithness:

Duncansby Stacks, John O’Groats – campsite nearby
• John O’Groats Caravan and Camping Site, Caithness, KW1 4YR, 01955 611329

Castle of Mey, Thurso, Dunnet Head, Thurso and Sinclair’s Bay, Wick – campsites nearby
• Dunnet Bay Caravan Club Site, Dunnet, Caithness, KW14 8TP, 01847 821319

Dunbeath Bay, Dunbeath – campsite nearby
• Inver Caravan Park, Houstry Road, Dunbeath, KW6 6EH, 01593 731441

Suggested Stops in Sutherland:

Ardvreck Castle, Lairg – campsites nearby
• Clachtoll Beach, 134 Clachtoll, Lochinver, IV27 4JD – 01571 855377

Dunrobin Castle, Golspie – campsites nearby
• Brora Caravan Club Site, Dalchalm Brora, KW9 6LP 01408 621479

Balnakeil Beach, Durness – campsites nearby
• Sango Sands Oasis, Sutherland, IV27 4PZ, 01971 511726

Smoo Cave, Durness and Old Man of Stoer, Lairg – campsites nearby
• Clachtoll Beach, 134 Clachtoll, Lochinver, IV27 4JD, 01571 855377

Part 5 – Wester Ross
Suggested Stops:

Gairloch Beach – Campsites nearby
• Gairloch Caravan and Camping Site, 1 Mihol Road, Gairloch, IV21 2BX – 01445 712373
• Sands Caravan and Camping Park, Gairloch, Wester Ross, IV21 2DL – 01445 712152
• Inverewe Gardens Camping and Caravanning Club, Poolewe, Achnasheen, IV22 2LF – 01445 781249

Loch Ewe – Campsite nearby
• Inverewe Gardens Camping and Caravanning Club, Poolewe, Achnasheen, IV22 2LF – 01445 781249

Loch Torridon – campsites nearby (as above)
• Gairloch Caravan and camping Site and Sands Caravan and Camping Park as above.

Bealach Na Ba – Campsite nearby – Please note the views are tremendous but caution to be applied. – this is a single-track road with tight bends. Official advice is that North of Ardarroch to Applecross is not suitable for large motorhomes, caravans and inexperienced drivers – advice is to go the A896 road instead.
• Applecross Campsite, Applecross, IV54 8ND – 01520 744268

We hope you all have an amazing journey, enjoying the best Scotland has to give…..amazing scenery….so remember to take your camera along with you on your holidays.

For more information about the North Coast 500, please do not hesitate to contact the team at Lowland Motorhome Hire today