North Coast 500

[dizzymcfarlane]

Originally Posted by juliab

We're hoping to do the NC500 this summer. I've booked a motorhome for the week from Inverness we've never been in one before.

I've got a rough plan of places to visit but I haven't booked ant campsites yet.

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Don’t leave booking campsites as they are booking really fast ! We’ve done most of the nc500 in our Motorhome and loved it.

[Jaxx]

Originally Posted by Geordieprincess

We did the eastern part last July (although just based ourselves in Inverness and took day trips out) and the weather was beautiful.
Hoping to do the western part this year.

Highlights for us were
Dunrobin castle

Seeing the seals at Loch fleet nature reserve

Falls of shin salmon leap

Fort George was closed due to covid when we were there but the beach around it was full of amazing pebbles, smooth, sparkly, all sorts

Boat trip on Loch Ness

Wick castle

John o groats

Chanonry point dolphin watching

We were so lucky with the weather, honestly looking back at the photos it’s hard to believe we weren’t abroad with the blue skies and wildlife we saw.

I definitely think Scotland in general has better weather earlier in the summer. We‘ve had lots of lovely weather May to July and lots of rain last week of August.

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Fab pictures, thank you for sharing your experience!

[caj]

There was a trippie of this i read this week ... think they had fiat 500 in the title?

[Merligan]

We attempted it in May 2019 but the weather was horrendous and as we were on motorbikes, it was miserable so we ended up turning back and cutting the trip short.

Our best hotels were the Buccleugh Arms at Moffat but guessing that’s no good to you if you are Glasgow. The Aultguish Inn at Garve was outstanding, it was at this point we decided to turn South as the forecast was worsening and we’d been soaked for days by this point. The people there let us set up camp in the restaurant on some sofas and use the WiFi to cancel bookings and make others. The Inn itself is lovely, fab food, beautiful location and the people were just lovely.

We stopped at Pitlochry to break up the journey back and stopped at Croft-an-Coille, outstanding place and again run by the most lovely people.

Would love to go back and actually be able to see the scenery, could barely see anything as visor was constantly steamed up. On the plus side, all the rain meant no midges!

😁

[Geordieprincess]

Originally Posted by Merligan

We attempted it in May 2019 but the weather was horrendous and as we were on motorbikes, it was miserable so we ended up turning back and cutting the trip short.

Our best hotels were the Buccleugh Arms at Moffat but guessing that’s no good to you if you are Glasgow. The Aultguish Inn at Garve was outstanding, it was at this point we decided to turn South as the forecast was worsening and we’d been soaked for days by this point. The people there let us set up camp in the restaurant on some sofas and use the WiFi to cancel bookings and make others. The Inn itself is lovely, fab food, beautiful location and the people were just lovely.

We stopped at Pitlochry to break up the journey back and stopped at Croft-an-Coille, outstanding place and again run by the most lovely people.

Would love to go back and actually be able to see the scenery, could barely see anything as visor was constantly steamed up. On the plus side, all the rain meant no midges!

😁

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Ah what a shame. It really is the type of holiday that the weather makes or breaks. We kept saying we couldn’t believe how lucky we were and how miserable it would’ve been in the rain. (We weren’t quite so lucky with the weather in Wales last summer!)

[juliab]

Originally Posted by dizzymcfarlane

Don’t leave booking campsites as they are booking really fast ! We’ve done most of the nc500 in our Motorhome and loved it.

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Oh thanks for this, I didn't know when I would need to book.

[fiona88]

I don't have any advice or tips, just here to say we're thinking of doing the same after getting married in May 2022 and leaving a honeymoon abroad until later that year. Possibly by car with a mix of hotels and tent camping or possibly hire a camper, we'll have 1 or 2 dogs with us so that might be a deciding factor on locations

[cameragirl69]

Did it two years ago (we live in Inverness and thought it was shocking that we had never done the full route before) Hired a six berth campervan, did two nights wild camping and then the rest was campsites. We also managed a two day trip to Orkney which was so worth it. We did it at the start of May, two nights of cold weather but we had packed the hot water bottles. Took all our own food and drink. Had a fantastic time and apart from one idiot boy racer up the West Coast we didn't have any main issues. Just remember that this is the Highlands of Scotland, there is a fair distance when you need to get fuel and food so plan well ahead and also you may well get four seasons before lunchtime so be prepared clothing wise. Apart from that enjoy the wonderful scenery.

[ginwithaslice]

We are hoping to go in July, but staying more around the mid Highlands, fort William, Inverness and Aviemore inspired by Mitch84! Going to do a little of the East Coast part of the NC500 route hopefully.