For the Northern Lights, your best chance to see them is along the far northern coast so if that is something you are really keen to try to spot, I’d maybe focus more of your time along that part of the North Coast 500 route. Other stops will be: Now back thinking about doing it again in reverse as could spend weeks exploring the amazing highlands. There is a choice to make after Kylesku about the route to take to Lochinver. Many places are closed on certain days and a few require advanced bookings. The most alluring about the whole article is your eye for detailing. If you are not driving your own car, you can easily rent one in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK. So again it is wise to plan ahead. Breakfast is offered at most B&B’s and hotels and lunch is fairly easy to find in most towns along the route, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a place to eat during the day. Buckle up for a road trip around Britain’s outer limits, where you’ll find otherworldly landscapes and down-to-earth welcomes. Area of Scottish Highlands: Wester Ross (a.k.a. If you have an extra day, you could break up the drive by spending the night in Lochcarron and/or enjoy extra time enjoying the attractions in and around Inverness. The coastal road around the Applecross peninsula is a slow-going minor road and the Bealach na Bà pass is obviously a section of the route you need to take slowly (and tourist traffic can make it even slower). Thanks again for your help and hugely helpful website, Glad that my reply and our NC 500 articles have helped. Now you’ll arrive at the fairytale castle of the Scottish Highlands, After leaving Dunrobin Castle, you will soon see a sign for Càrn Liath which is an Iron Age, Just outside of the village of Brora is the, About 5 miles north of Helmsdale is the former clearance village of, Just outside Dunbeath along the route is the, Our recommended final destination for the day is the town of, Looking for activities? Fabulous website For more tips, here’s a look at my outdoorsy highlightsof the capital. You can book your RV for the UK through them here. Booking is recommended for dinner at most places in Ullapool, especially in summer. Wishing you a great rest of the year, and hope you can return to the route next year! Many of the campsites are also seasonal so you’ll want to plan ahead to ensure you have places to stop and get services along the trip. Trying to book all our hotels now. There is also the Summer Isles Hotel in Achiltibuie, which is located along one of the recommended detours (about 1 hour drive from Lochinver), and is a hotel we have stayed and can recommend. While the North Coast 500 is an experience in itself, you’ll also find plenty of adventures to be had along the way. If you have additional questions not answered here, feel free to leave us your question at the end of this article in the Comments section. I think the boat tour that focuses most on whales are the ones in Garloch so that would be my recommendation, you can check them out here. You can check out accommodation in Torridon, Shieldaig, or Applecross to save some time for Day 7. On day 1 of our North Coast 500 road-trip, we travelled from Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, to Inverness. Thanks again, Loads of stops you can make again today, so plan your day accordingly. If you have several extra days, we’d recommend adding on a visit to one of the islands that can be reached from along or near the route such as Orkney, the Outer Hebrides (e.g., Lewis & Harris), the Isle of Skye, or Shetland. We had snow during part of our trip which closed the local roads for part of a day and made them quite unsafe to drive until they were plowed several hours later. Yes, many of the hotels & B&Bs we recommend do get booked full in June so definitely good to book ahead. The staff should be able to advise you the best approach. For more on wild camping, campsites, and such, I’d check out this camping itinerary. The North Coast 500 has become increasingly busy and there are a limited number of lodging and service options along the route. Sounds like a great trip. We can easily spend a few weeks in the area ourselves and you’ll have plenty to do and see if you enjoy outdoor activities. Thank you, Thank you Geoff & Joyce for taking the time to let us know that you have found it helpful in planning your June trip. There is the famous former home of the Queen Mother that you can visit, great little museums where you can learn local history, the most northerly 18-hole golf course on the British mainland, and a popular gin distillery. Just note that many of the indoor attractions along the route do not allow pets so if you want to visit those kinds of places (museums, castles, guided tours) you may want to take turns spending time with your dog and one going inside. Just outside of Dornoch (but not open to the public) sits, If you like Pictish stones and lighthouses, you might want to make the detour to explore the, If you are doing the Lairg Loop, you may also want to make a detour to see. If you have a few extra days, I’d turn a couple of the 1-night stays into 2-night or 3-night stays so you can better explore areas that are of most interest to you. -Day 2 Dog friendly B&B near Wick – Thrumster House We have attempted to provide options that will suit all kinds of travelers from budget travelers to luxury travelers; however, know that many towns along the route do not have any 4- or 5-star hotels and many towns don’t have any hostels. There are lots of options in Inverness but your options become more limited in the smaller towns along the route. Seasonally so if traveling outside of Ullapool, there are a number of car... Area for fishing, clay pigeon shooting in winter and 21:00 ) 95! Pets so camping is allowed, but some of this will be available near you are finding our! Not a subscriber also makes you eligible to enter our monthly travel photography! Toilets/Showers/Laundry facilities open so something to check on when booking for hiking and all sorts of outdoor!. 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