NorthCoast 500 - A few thoughts

[Ian Comerford]

Last year the long-haired bank manager decided that she would like to do the NC500, which was a form of direction that I couldn’t ignore.  We spoke with Les and he was interested too, along with his SWMBO (in his 924 Turbo as his SC is in the bodyshop). We agreed mid-September would be sensible to avoid some tourists and also the midges than can really spoil your day.  We both bought the Robbie Roams NC500 (https://robbieroams.com/product/north-coast-500-guide-book-robbie-roams-nc500/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAABqbmvquqNnMxN0m7alhRh5Iki5gf&gclid=Cj0KCQjwo8S3BhDeARIsAFRmkOMfJxGJUEqpK0J3Rn2Wjbdu1LJWdoPCqC8CjMbkxjqxERlEbULJPFEaAkXTEALw_wcB)guide which came well recommended and started planning.
One recommendation that we got from several sources was to go anti-clockwise, this didn’t come a too easily as both Les and I have mild OCD….. but we went with it because of the rationale that you start with less spectacular scenery in the east and gradually work around to the real spectacular stuff in the west.  Afterwards this made real sense.

Another friend who has done the route on motorbikes also recommended a simple map of the whole route which gave good visualisation of what you were about to do each day and allowed places to visit to be highlighted. The map also shows the distinction between single track roads and larger ones which really helped with time planning as we found in some places the single track roads very busy and slow. https://www.bookdelivery.com/gb-en/book-nc500-pocket-map-plan-your-adventure-on-scotland-s-north-coast-500-ro/9780008535728/p/55585032?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD7H2K735pUcr7JdOhjfYI0735YVu&gclid=Cj0KCQjwo8S3BhDeARIsAFRmkOPpiDCZ8-6LMp1e3WTEZdxvort8_9rZRi5cZjjj0RGEU_JKflkzTrUaAgXbEALw_wcB

 

We decided to allow nine days for the whole trip, with five to six being allotted to the route and the rest getting there and back.  We set off on Saturday 14th Sep, loaded with plenty of cold/wet weather clothing and headed for our first stop in Stirling.  We also took camping stoves, kettles and brew kit so that we could stop wherever the scenery warranted it and have a cup of something nice.  This was another good thing because in some areas you just cannot find a cafe.  The B&B in Stirling was very good and we will use it again.  Stirling seemed to be buzzing and we had a good night at an Indian restaurant.

 

Edited September 23, 2024 by Ian Comerford

[Ian Comerford]

Day two was driving from Stirling, joining the NC500 route and heading through Inverness up to Dornoch.  The roads were quite busy but not bad and of course part of this involved the A9 which is heavily policed in terms of average speed cameras.  The overnight in Dornoch wasn't bad with a beach walk and dinner in the hotel.  The next day was A9/A99 all the way up to John O'Groats, which she wanted to see but you only need to do once in your life.  We did stop at Dunrobin Castle which is worth a visit, quite a spectacular place.  A short break at John O'Groats and then off to Thurso for the night.

Another recommendation - I wouldn’t go to Thurso, it’s not great and it was only as we were driving out the next day that we noticed a new Premier Inn on the west of the town that would have been a far better option but didn’t show up on Booking.com

 

[Beaky]

Hi Ian, thanks for the excellent write up and recommendations, the NC 500 is on my to do list.

Photos look stunning hopefully more to follow 

[Ian Comerford]

One more recommendation, Clive (Anglophone on here) recommended the Curves Scotland book by Stefan Bogner.  This turned out to be a really good thing as we started to consider going off piste. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curves-Scotland-Number-Stefan-Bogner/dp/3667107196  Thanks Clive

[Ian Comerford]

Tuesday saw us continue along the top following the NC500 route and this was where we first encountered singletrack roads, noticing that the heavier traffic was going clockwise in the form of a huge number of camper vans.  Progress slowed considerably and it wasn’t particularly enjoyable driving.  We pressed on toward the Durness where there are some recommended beaches.  It’s worth mentioning the weather at this point as for the third day we had noticed a bright yellow globe in the sky and nice temperatures, not at all what was expected.  In fact the whole week had the most amazing sunny, warm days.  A few locals suggested that mid-September can be like this.

We had hoped to stay in the Durness area but didn’t find anywhere suitable so ended up backtracking to Tongue and going off route, heading down the very nice A836 to Altnaharra for an overnight stay there.

[Ian Comerford]

At this point we decided to stay off piste for a bit longer and not rejoin the route at Tongue and the very busy singletrack roads to and past Durness.  We continued south from Altnaharra still on the A836 which was singletrack but had mostly good visibility so that you could press on and also see what was coming.   It wasn’t a busy road at all and is on one of the Curves routes.  We ran down to Lairg, grabbed some more fuel and then headed north west on the A838 to rejoin the NC500 at Laxford Bridge. This was a very good piece of road, still singletrack but with good visibility if incoming traffic, of which there wasn’t much.  
 

The recommendation here is to do this route rather than continue along and past Durness

Edited September 23, 2024 by Ian Comerford

[Ian Comerford]

It was around this point that the scenery started to take a far bigger part in the journey than it had to this point. This is a very beautiful area and it does make you slow down and enjoy the views.  Which also brings me to the subject of speed.  We found that the speed limit was absolutely quick enough in most places, which isn’t something I say too often.  Once we rejoined the route and headed past the now iconic Kylesku Bridge the endless sweeping curves were just epic.  We found ourselves trying to find windows in the traffic so that you could Sue the full speed limit to enjoy the bendy bits.  It was very enjoyable and both cars went as if they were in their home environment, which of course they were.

[Ian Comerford]

After the Kylesku Bridge we headed west onto a single track road to Clashnessie, Assynt and Lochinver.  This was very steep, twisty and slow behind all sorts of bad drivers.  The average speed around this part was below 20mph and whilst you do access some more beautiful coastline it may be that you have had enough and decide to miss this part out, there is a shortcut that cuts out this singletrack and indeed the whole area.  The road from Lochinver to Ullapool is another twisty beauty, worth doing twice at least….

However, the main reason for doing this part was a recommendation that the pies in Lochinver are very good.  They are!

We then headed for the next overnight stay in Ullapool, a small but busy fishing and ferry port.

Edited September 23, 2024 by Ian Comerford

[Ian Comerford]

The original outline plan was to head to Applecross from Ullapool but there weren’t many accommodation options in Applecross so we headed for Plockton, another small port.  Having looked at the roads to Applecross we decided to give it a miss and take a shortcut via the A896 from Shieldaig to Ardarroch.  Again we were treated to more great roads and amazing scenery, so much of it.

[Nige]

Looks great Ian, Kylesku Bridge is my tick list of bridges to see.  Built by Derbyshire based Shand Construction.

[Ian Comerford]

The bridge is great, so beautifully integrated into the landscape.  So many campervans in the car park sadly…..  There was an article in Octane a couple of months on the bridge, it has become an icon of the route.  Interestingly it was designed to be high enough to allow the Royal yacht Britannia to sail under when the Queen opened it

Edited September 23, 2024 by Ian Comerford

[Nige]

I did my final year Tech Drawing project on it, I got an A+ obviously!

[Ian Comerford]

Time for another off piste option.  From the outset we had decided to not finish the route with the trek back across to Inverness but to head back south and home.  This meant our next stay was in Spean Bridge, Fort William.  This was only a short hop from Plockton so we decided to follow the Curves book again and go to Skye for a short visit, before heading back over to Spean Bridge.  We seemed to time the initial part of our visit really well as the majority of traffic seemed to be heading south/off the island.  We followed a couple of what seemed to be local cars at a very good pace as we headed toward the top of Skye.  Again lovely, endless scenery and Skye is much bigger than we had realised.  The aim was to do the Quirang road which climbs via hairpins onto a plateau at a decent height.  The pictures in the Curves book are very enticing.

Next recommendation - if you are enticed by the Curves pictures get up before sunrise and enjoy a, hopefully, quiet drive.

It was very busy, the car park at the top of the climb was quite big and nearly full.  You can see why when you get there are the view is great, but I would have loved an empty climb from the east.

Edited September 23, 2024 by Ian Comerford

[Beaky]

Stunning photos Ian, that trip looks fab!

[Lesworth]

Great write up Ian. To add, if I did this again, I would head west straight to Lairg and up the A838. My favourite road of the trip that was and it takes you to (IMHO) the best roads and scenery. Thurso is like a set from the Walking Dead.Oh, and the locals will drive faster than you no matter what you / they are driving or the raod conditions. Its a fact so dont take it personally. I had an old lady in an old VW Polo up my chuff and I dont think we were hanging around. Best to let them by.

Some more pictures of two old bangers on a road trip 

[Chris_911]

'Two old bangers' - and some cars

 

[mean in green]

We had our honeymoon near Lochcarron, visiting many of the places you did. Plockton was especially memorable, both for the venison and just how charming the village is.

[TargaWayne]

Great write up.

I've driven up the West Coast to Durnass and around some of the costal roads around that part, but that was in ordinary cars.

I would have had to go to Sandwood bay,  a little further north than Laxford Bridge. It's a 4 mile walk from the nearest road, so is usually deserted. I been several times. It's an amazing place.

I heard some people struggle finding E5 petrol on the route, how did you get on?

[Ian Comerford]

E5 wasn’t that common although it seemed more available than down here.  We filled up at a Gulf station once and their super dooper petrol was £1.74 a litre, both car seemed happier though.

In terms of where to go I would commend the Curves book which covers quite a chunk of Scotland and not just the north west bit.   So unless you really need to do the NC500 as some kind of badge, I wouldn’t, but would do small bits of it and lots of other much better stuff.  It’s really good.  
Accommodation was quite variable,so if you are going please feel free to pm me and get my thoughts on where we stayed

 

 

5 hours ago, Chris_911 said:

'Two old bangers' - and some cars

 

You’re just cross that you weren’t invited……

[Ian Comerford]

Final day was heading south and toward home through Glencoe, really busy with walkers, tourists, cars etc.  again, another drive to do early in the morning, at first light on a bright day preferably.

[Lesworth]

My car ran fairly poorly after two stops for E5, more so than I have experienced when using E5 down here. Must have been particularly poor quality at those places.

I'm going to update my Whistling Kettle thread with notes on my car given that this was its first road trip and the most driving its had in at least 22 years.

[TargaWayne]

2 hours ago, Lesworth said:

My car ran fairly poorly after two stops for E5, more so than I have experienced when using E5 down here. Must have been particularly poor quality at those places.

I'm going to update my Whistling Kettle thread with notes on my car given that this was its first road trip and the most driving its had in at least 22 years.

I'm guessing less demand, might mean it hangs around longer, we know how quickly modern petrol goes off. 

Might remember to take some Millers with me when I plan a trip.

[mean in green]

For the future reader, that “over the top” road to Applecross is pretty entertaining. 

[MarkJ]

Great write up Ian, it’s a trip that’s been on my radar for years. 
Almosf a shame it has to be shared with caravans and campers 😃

Weather looked fantastic

[Ian Comerford]

1 hour ago, MarkJ said:

Great write up Ian, it’s a trip that’s been on my radar for years. 
Almosf a shame it has to be shared with caravans and campers 😃

Weather looked fantastic

Thanks Mark, it was worth doing but I’m glad I bought the Curves book and used it to modify what we did by going off the NC500 route.  The Curves book contains a useful map detailing the routes they did and not all are in the north west.  Well worth the £20