NC500 in 10 days: a motorhome itinerary

The NC500 officially starts and ends at Inverness. This trip starts at the Glasgow depot, because that's where the motorhome lives. The first day is the run up the A82 to Fort William, and the proper NC500 starts the morning of day two when you turn west out of Inverness. Ten days clockwise leaves room for the Applecross coast road instead of the Bealach na Bà, an unhurried day at Smoo Cave in the middle of the week, and the Caithness cliffs on the way home.

Day 1: Glasgow depot to Fort William

Collection at the depot in the morning: keys, a quick walk-round, and answers to anything you've not yet thought to ask. Then north on the M8 and the A82. Loch Lomond appears on the left after Balloch and stays alongside you for the next twenty miles; the layby south of Tarbet has space for a motorhome and the right view east across the water. From Tyndrum the road climbs into Glen Coe. The layby just past the Three Sisters viewpoint is where most people stop, and it earns it. Fort William for the night. Glen Nevis Holiday Park is the standard pick; ten minutes from the town and the road into Glen Nevis is worth the extra mile if there's daylight left.

Day 2: Fort William to Shieldaig

Up the A82 along Loch Lochy and Loch Ness. Urquhart Castle on the right at Drumnadrochit makes a sensible coffee stop. Inverness is the official start of the NC500, but most people skip the city and head straight onto the A835. From Garve the A832 cuts west to Achnasheen, then the A890 down to Strathcarron, and finally the A896 north up the side of Loch Carron to Lochcarron itself. Lunch in Lochcarron, an hour to Shieldaig over the hill. The road narrows to single-track with passing places on the descent. Shieldaig village is small, sea-loch-quiet, and the park-up at the village green has views that don't apologise for themselves.

Day 3: The Applecross coast road, from Shieldaig and back

Single-track with passing places is its own driving discipline. Pull in, wave, get waved at, carry on. By the time you reach Cuaig you'll have done it a dozen times and stopped thinking about it. Lunch at the Applecross Inn looking out at the Cuillin on Skye; the seafood is good and you should expect a queue in summer. Same road back to Shieldaig for a second night, or push on to Applecross Campsite if you'd rather wake up on the peninsula.

Day 4: Shieldaig to Gairloch

The A896 north out of Shieldaig follows the side of Loch Torridon, with the Torridon mountains on the right doing the work. Past Torridon village the road bends north and joins the A832 at Kinlochewe. Loch Maree opens up on the left for ten miles. Pull in at the Slattadale Forest car park if there's space and you'll have one of the great freshwater lochs in Scotland to yourself for as long as you stand there. Gairloch by mid-afternoon. Sands Caravan & Camping is the pick for sea-front pitches; book ahead in July and August.

Day 5: Gairloch to Ullapool

The A832 climbs out of Gairloch and runs north to Poolewe. Inverewe Garden is on the right at Poolewe, an hour's stop, longer if the rhododendrons are out. It's run by the National Trust for Scotland, so NTS members get in free and everyone else pays at the gate. The road bends inland past Aultbea and crosses the high moor before dropping down to Loch Broom. Corrieshalloch Gorge is signposted just before Braemore Junction; the suspension bridge over the falls pays for itself in ten minutes. Ullapool by late afternoon. Broomfield Holiday Park is right on the harbour; you'll see the ferry in from Stornoway from your awning.

Day 6: Ullapool to Achmelvich

The A835 runs north out of Ullapool past Knockan Crag, the geological viewpoint at the Moine Thrust where the rocks above are older than the rocks below. Five-minute boardwalk and a worthwhile sign or two. Just past Ledmore the B869 branches west onto what locals call the wee mad road. It's properly single-track, properly winding, and properly slow: Drumbeg, Stoer, then down to Lochinver. Worth the time it takes. From Lochinver, the small road to Achmelvich is signposted; the white-sand bay at the end is one of the best on the NC500. If you're travelling with a dog, we've put together a list of dog-friendly beaches near the NC500. Shore Caravan Park is fifty metres up from the beach.

Day 7: Achmelvich to Scourie

Back to Lochinver and north on the A837. Kylesku Bridge spans Loch a' Chàirn Bhàin in a single white curve; the layby on the south side is the photograph and the layby on the north side is the better view. Lunch at Kylesku at the Kylesku Hotel if it's running, or push on to Scourie. Scourie is sea-loch-and-machair country, small village, big sky, the campsite is on a sheltered bay with the Atlantic doing the talking.

Day 8: Scourie to Durness, and Smoo Cave

The A894 north turns into the A838 at Laxford Bridge and runs across the empty middle of Sutherland to the north coast. Smoo Cave is signposted half a mile east of Durness village; park at the top, walk down the steps, and the cave opens up at the bottom: a sea cave with a freshwater waterfall inside, an unusual combination for Britain. The boat tour into the inner cave runs in summer when conditions allow.

Durness village is a string of houses, a church, a school, and Sango Sands Oasis above the beach. In peak summer the day doesn't end until eleven; if you arrive at half past eight there's still two hours of light to walk Sango Sands and watch the sun go round to the west. Sango Sands Oasis is the park-up: pitches above the beach, the bar is across the road, and you can hear the surf from the awning.

Day 9: Durness to Helmsdale, the long way round the top

The A838 east clings to the north coast through Loch Eriboll and Tongue. From Tongue the A836 runs along the top of Sutherland and Caithness; Thurso is the only town. From John o'Groats, walk the cliff path east (about a mile and a half) to Duncansby Stacks: three sea stacks rising clean out of the water, the cliffs full of fulmars in summer. John o'Groats itself is the photograph; the stacks are the reason. South down the Caithness coast and onto the A9 to Helmsdale, with sea cliffs to the east most of the way. Helmsdale Caravan Site sits above the harbour. Ten miles south, the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at Brora makes an alternative final night, with the golf links and beach on the doorstep; see our Brora campsite review.

Day 10: Helmsdale to the Glasgow depot

How long does the NC500 take in a motorhome?

Seven days will get you round the loop. Ten gives you the slow stops, the Applecross coast road in both directions, and an unhurried afternoon at Smoo Cave. Five is a sprint and you'll feel it. Fourteen lets you add the Outer Hebrides via the Ullapool–Stornoway ferry, but that's a different trip.

When to go

Late June to August has the longest daylight and the warmest weather, but it's also the busiest stretch and the midges are at their peak in still weather. May and September are the quietest months. Daylight is still long, the ferries are running their summer timetable, and the campsites have spaces. Atlas hires from mid-March to the first week of November; outside that window the depot is closed for the winter.

Good to know

• Single-track roads. Applecross peninsula, the wee mad road from Ledmore to Lochinver, and stretches of the north and far north coasts. Single-track with passing places isn't difficult, just slower than you think. Pull into the passing place on your side; if it's on the other side, stop opposite it.
• Bealach na Bà. Gradients of up to 20%, hairpin bends, length restriction in poor weather. The coast road from Shieldaig is the better option in a motorhome and runs through this itinerary by default. For the Bealach view, walk to the summit from the top layby on the coast road.   Please do not drive this road in motorhomes.  
• Fuel. Fill up at Inverness, Ullapool, and Durness. The longest fuel gap is Durness to Thurso, around 75 miles; plan accordingly.
• Ferries. Not part of this version of the route. To add Skye or the Outer Hebrides, the Skye Bridge is free and the CalMac Ullapool to Stornoway timetable runs daily in summer (at the time of writing).
• Dogs. Atlas's whole fleet is pet-friendly with a single small cleaning fee per hire. Customers bring their own bowls, beds, and blankets. Sandwood Bay, Sango Sands, and the Duncansby cliff walk are all dog-friendly.
• Phone signal. Patchy on the Applecross peninsula, between Lochinver and Kylesku, and at the back of Cape Wrath. Download offline maps before Inverness.

Every Atlas motorhome sleeps four, is under two years old, and is mostly automatic. What's included: full insurance for the first driver, both Club memberships, roadside cover, unlimited mileage on hires of six days or more. No booking fees, no card fees.

Adventure, without compromise.

Ready to plan it?

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