NC500 Route: 7 Days Around Scotland's North Coast 500

The Inverness Castle Experience

A quick rise above the River Ness giving you your first look at the Highlands you're about to drive into.

💡 Free viewing terrace, best in morning light.

Castle St, Castle Hill, Inverness

Ness Islands

Easy wooded river islands with footbridges — a gentle leg-stretch before the long drive begins.

Great Glen Wy., Inverness

Loch Torridon Viewpoint

Sandstone giants — Liathach and Beinn Eighe — rise straight off the glen floor; one of Scotland's great mountain drives.

💡 Pull-offs along the glen road give the best photo angles.

A896, Strathcarron

The Torridon Stores & Cafe

A simple lunch stop by the loch shore before tackling the pass, with Liathach still filling the windscreen.

💡 Casual counter-service spot — good soup and rolls, no booking needed.

Torridon, Achnasheen

Bealach na Bà

Britain's steepest road climb, a hairpin pass to almost 630m with a view over to Skye — the drive itself is the destination.

💡 Single-track with passing places — go slow, not for caravans, check weather first.

Strathcarron

Gairloch Beach (Gaineamh Mhòr)

A wide, quiet sand beach with views to the Torridon hills — a good stretch-the-legs stop.

A832, Gairloch

Falls Of Measach

A dramatic 60m waterfall dropping into a mile-long gorge, crossed by a suspension footbridge — 20km detour off the Ullapool road.

💡 Short walk from car park to the bridge; can be windy and slippery.

A835, Garve

Stac Pollaidh

A jagged, distinctive peak visible from the road — the view alone from below is worth the stop.

💡 Full ascent is steep scrambling — the base viewpoint is the easy, worthwhile option.

Ullapool

Kylesku Bridge

A striking modern bridge over Loch a' Chàirn Bhàin with waterfall boat trips departing nearby.

Kylesku Bridge, Lairg

Smoo Cave

A huge sea cave you can walk into, with a waterfall inside during wet weather — one of the north coast's odd wonders.

💡 Free to enter the outer chamber; boat trips inside cost extra and depend on water level.

Lairg

Ben Loyal Hotel and Glamping Pods

A striking granite mountain reflected in the Kyle of Tongue — one of the north coast's finest views.

Main Street Tongue By, Lairg

Torrisdale Bay

Wild dune-backed beach where the River Naver meets the sea, usually near-empty.

Torrisdale Bay

Duncansby Head Lighthouse

Dramatic sea cliffs and the Duncansby Stacks just past John o' Groats — the true northeastern tip of mainland Britain.

💡 Easy 20-min walk from the car park to the stacks viewpoint.

Wick

Whaligoe Steps

A dizzying 365-step stone staircase cut into a cliff down to a hidden fishing harbour — one of the coast's best-kept secrets.

💡 Steps are steep and uneven — sturdy shoes, and it's a real climb back up.

Whaligoe, Lybster

Dunrobin Castle

A fairy-tale castle with formal gardens and falconry displays overlooking the Moray Firth — the grandest house on the whole route.

💡 Book garden/falconry show times online in peak season.

Golspie

Loch an Eilein

A serene forest loch with a ruined castle on a tiny island — one of the Cairngorms' loveliest easy walks.

💡 Flat 5km circuit, well-signposted, roughly 90 minutes at an easy pace.

Aviemore

Cairn Gorm

A serious mountain day out onto Britain's sixth-highest peak, with sweeping Cairngorms plateau views.

💡 Fitness and good weather required — start early, check forecast, full waterproofs and 6+ hours needed.

Aviemore

Old Pack Horse Bridge

A dramatic ruined 18th-century stone bridge over a rocky gorge, a quick and photogenic stop.

Dulnain Bridge, Carrbridge

Culloden Battlefield (National Trust for Scotland)

The 1746 battlefield that ended the Jacobite rising, with a visitor centre giving real weight to the empty moor.

💡 Book timed entry online in summer; the moor walk itself is free and always open.

Culloden Moor, Inverness

Clava Cairns

Bronze Age burial cairns in a quiet grove near Culloden — an atmospheric, easy final stop before the city.

Inverness