Scotland
North Coast 500 — Scotland
Six nights on Scotland’s answer to Route 66. 516 miles looping the Highlands.
7 days / 6 nights · From £799 per car based on two sharing
The NC500 has a reputation — and it’s earned. Five hundred and sixteen miles around the top of Scotland, through some of the most dramatic and empty landscape in the British Isles. Single-track roads with passing places, mountains that drop straight into the sea, and beaches that look Caribbean until you feel the wind. This is driving at its rawest and most beautiful.
You’ll drive up to Inverness first, then head anti-clockwise along the west coast — Torridon, Lochinver, Durness. The Bealach na Bà is the driving highlight — a single-track road climbing through hairpins to a summit with views across to Skye. It feels more like the Alps than Scotland. The north coast between Durness and Thurso is wild and empty — white sand, sea stacks, and barely another car. The east coast heading south is gentler — fishing villages, castles, and the whisky trail.
Six nights, and you’ll need every one of them. The NC500 can’t be rushed — the single-track roads won’t let you, and the scenery won’t let you want to. This is the closest thing the UK has to a truly epic road trip, and it’s on your doorstep.
Group Road Trip
From £799 pp twin share
Deposit: £250
✓ 6 nights Highland hotels
✓ NC500 route guide
✓ Breakfast daily
Why This Trip
What Makes It Special
Bealach na Bà
Scotland’s greatest driving road. A single-track pass with Alpine hairpins and views across to Skye. Not for the faint-hearted — but unforgettable.
Highland wilderness
Sutherland is Europe’s last great wilderness. Mountains, lochs, and moorland stretching to the horizon. You’ll drive for miles without seeing another car.
White sand beaches
Achmelvich, Sandwood Bay, Durness — the beaches on the north-west coast are Caribbean white sand with turquoise water. Just colder.
Whisky distilleries
Clynelish, Glenmorangie, Balblair — the route passes some of Scotland’s finest distilleries. Tastings are part of the experience (driver permitting).
Price Includes
What’s Included
✓ 6 nights Highland hotels
✓ NC500 route guide
✓ Breakfast daily
✓ Distillery visit recommendations
✓ Restaurant recommendations
✓ Driving notes
Booking for a group?
Get in touch to find out about our group discounts. Whether it’s a car club, a birthday, or just a group of mates — we’ll put together a package that works.
Day by Day
The Itinerary
Day 1
Home to Inverness
Drive to Inverness — the starting point of the NC500. Check in to your hotel and explore the Highland capital. Dinner overlooking the River Ness.
Day 2
Inverness to Torridon (West Coast)
Head west to the coast. The Bealach na Bà pass, the Applecross peninsula, and the dramatic mountains of Torridon. Single-track roads with passing places. Overnight on the west coast.
Day 3
Torridon to Lochinver
North through Wester Ross. Loch Maree, the Inverewe Gardens, and the road through Sutherland. The landscape becomes wilder and emptier. Overnight near Lochinver.
Day 4
Lochinver to Durness
The north-west corner — Achmelvich beach, the Old Man of Stoer, and the coast road to Durness. Smoo Cave and the wild beaches of Sutherland’s north coast.
Day 5
North Coast to Thurso
Drive the north coast — Tongue, Bettyhill, and Thurso. Dunnet Head — the northernmost point on the British mainland. Wide skies, empty roads, and the Orkney Islands visible across the Pentland Firth.
Day 6
East Coast to Inverness
South down the east coast. Dunrobin Castle, the Glenmorangie distillery, and the drive through Easter Ross. A different landscape from the west — gentler, more agricultural, but still beautiful. Final evening in Inverness.
Day 7
Inverness to Home
Depart Inverness and drive home. Or extend with a night in Edinburgh or the Lake District.
