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NC500 Scotland - 2024+

Late Spring / Early Summer | 11-Day Trip

Tour Outline

The North Coast 500 is said to be Scotland's equivalent of America's legendary Route 66. Representing a road circuit of Scotland's Highlands, the route conventionally starts and finishes in Inverness, capital of this region of Scotland.

The exact distance is 516 miles or just over 800km and is usually completed anti-clockwise from Inverness along the east coast to John O'Groats, across the top of Scotland towards Cape Wrath, south through the coastal mountains and highlands to Applecross, to finally take an easterly route to complete the circuit back at Inverness.

At a distance of approximately 600 miles from our home on the south coast of England, the route to Inverness is further than the entire NC500. This could be a fast-but-dull, mostly-motorway-drone, or alternatively a great opportunity to take in some of the landscape highlights and legendary biker roads of England too. A carefully chosen route can visit the Derbyshire Peaks, the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and the empty but stunning bleakness of the Northumberland National Park.

The suggested itinerary for the complete tour home-to-home is 11 days, with the middle 6 days / 5 nights on the NC500 itself. Images are clickable to view full-sized, as are suggestions for accommodation, and to explore each day's the route.

Suggested itinerary - part 1: mostly England

England, The Borders, & East Scotland

Day 1 :

Home -> Buxton, Derbyshire - 205 miles, 4h46;

Our route takes an early blast up the A34, boring but fast, leading to a country route through the Midlands to Buxton, in the heart of the Derbyshire Peaks National Park.

Overnight stop: YHA Castleton; £46.55 (room for 3);

Day 2:

Buxton -> Haydon Bridge, - 205 miles, 6h33;

We head across the High Peaks (to include a short diversion to ride the legendary Snake Pass?) before crossing into South Yorkshire, heading for the Dales National Park and The Tan Hill Inn for lunch (England's highest pub). We finish our ride at Haydon Bridge, close to Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall.

Overnight stop: The Reading Rooms B&B; £89.00;

Day 3:

Hexham -> Pitlochry, Cairngorms - 175 miles, 3h57;

We're now in wild country as we nip through Hadrian's Wall (near Corbridge) before heading across the open moorland of Northumberland, across the border into Scotland, through Edinburgh, to finish at Pitlochry within sight of the mountains.

Overnight stop: SHA Pitlochry; £81.00;

Snake Pass, Peak District

Hadrian's Wall at Sycamore Gap

The Cairngorms

Yorkshire Dales

Suggested itinerary - part 2: Scotland & the NC500

Inverness -> The NC500 Circuit -> Edinburgh

Day 4:

Pitlochry-> Brora - 144miles, 2h42;

Into the highlands today mostly to take a wild ride skirting the Cairngorms National Park with plenty of time to admire the views. Near the end of the day, we pick up the NC500 proper at Inverness, with just a early few miles on the route to Brora.

Overnight stop: Sutherland Inn; £140.00;

Day 5:

Brora-> Tongue - 125 miles, 3h02;

Now we're on 'The Road'. The first part follows the east coast of Scotland to the legendary John O'Groats before heading west across the north of Britain to Tongue From the rugged coastline road, The Orkneys should be a great view across the Pentland Firth to the north.

Overnight stop: Kyle of Tongue Hostel; £75.00;

Day 6:

Durness-> Ullapool- 123 miles, 3h55;

Before leaving Durness, we can make an early visit Smoo Cave, a gaping hole in the limestone cliffs, before turning south as the road hugs the island-peppered West-Highland coast beneath the mountains to the port of Ullapool.

Overnight stop: SHA Ullapool; £89.00;

Day 7:

Ullapool -> Applecross- 113 miles, 3h15;

The road tracks the coastline skirting lonely sea-lochs and empty beaches towards the Applecross peninsula, said to be close to the edge of the world. We can ride the amazing Bealach Na Ba pass today, or leave it till tomorrow, as we wish.

Overnight stop: SHA Applecross; £67.50;

Day 8:

Applecross -> Fort William - 146 miles, 3h51;

With the major part of the NC500 now nearly done, we have just the last section to cover back to Inverness. From here we'll rieturn across Scotland through the Great Glen along the shores of Loch Ness, perhaps for some monster-spotting?

Overnight stop: SHA Glen Nevis; £105.00;

Day 9:

Fort William -> Edinburgh - 147 miles, 3h18;

With Fort William the closest town to Ben Nevis, perhaps there will be time to hike to the summit before we head east again to Scotland's capital - reputed to be a fine city and well worth a stop. We'll have time to explore just a little.

Overnight stop: SHA Edinburgh Central; £65.00;

Inverness

North coast surfing - east of Thurso

Smoo Cave, close to Durness

The Great Glen looking north-east from Lochaber Ben Nevis

Bealach Na Ba Pass on the Applecross peninsula

Suggested itinerary - part 3: Homeward bound

Edinburgh -> York -> Home

North York Moors

Sherwood Forest

NC500 on the West Coast

Day 10:

Edinburgh -> York - 227 miles, 4h57;

Our route home takes a coastal route south through the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, across the Tyne, and to the last wilderness on our trip, the North York Moors. Near the end of the day, the ride precedes our overnight stop in the ancient city of York. Perhaps we'll make time to visit the railway museum, or the Minster.

Overnight stop: YHA York; £56.00;

Day 11:

York -> Home - 260 miles, 5h46;

As we head south from York, no doubt the traffic and congestion that was absent in Scotland will return. We can take a direct, mostly-motorway route if we're keen to get home, or otherwise, opt for a more interesting cross-country ride through Robin Hood country and the Northamptonshire countryside to pick up our home turf, the familiar A34.