Scotland’s North Coast 500 – the UK’s Route 66
The North Coast 500 is Scotland’s answer to Route 66 with a spectacular coastal route past mountains, beaches and fairytale castles. Perfect for VW campervan holiday hire.
We’ve all heard about Route 66 in the USA but now there is NC500 in Scotland which makes a fantastic campervan road trip with stunning backdrops all the way round. The 500-mile route showcases everything that is fantastic about Scotland including native foods, drinks, scenery, castles, and of course the stunning highlands.
Taking in mountain terrains such as Ben Hope and Suilven, castles such as Dunrobin Castle and beautiful beaches. In a campervan it should take a couple of weeks at a leisurely pace and the route is a great way to explore the Highlands.
The NC500 – North Coast 500 Route
Starting out on the A835 out of Inverness going west to the coast, you follows the coastline up through the North West Highlands and then across the UK’s northern coast and then down the east coast on the A9 to complete your 500 miles back around to Inverness.
Castles
Along the route you will see fairytale castles such as Dunrobin Castle above and Ardvreck Castle below. Dunrobin Castle is set on a prominent bluff inland from the shore south west of Brora. With its fairytale architecture and formal gardens laid out below, the sea views are breathtaking.
Other castles such as Ardvreck Castle in Sutherland can also be found along the North Coast 500 route. Dating back to the 16th century, the castle stands on rocks above Loch Assynt in the Highlands.
Beaches
Sango Bay is a stunning cove offering panoramic views of the North Minch. The bay features golden sands, along with rocky outcrops, dunes and cliffs. Sango Bay is a great example of a rocky cove with a beautiful sandy beach.
Coastal Roads
On a great summers day the views coming over the hills and mountains to the coast are simply breathtaking. The coastal roads can be very dramatic as you weave you way across the stark features of the terrain.
The above highlands road image says it all. Here you can see Loch Maree viewed from Glen Docherty with the road to Kinlochewe laid out below.
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