NORTH COAST 500
The North Coast 500 has been called Scotland’s answer to America’s Route 66. It’s a newly established tourist route that circles the top coast of Scotland taking in the sights and sounds of the Scottish Highlands and it does not disappoint! The East coast is possibly best explored from sea but the North and West Coast are spectacular to drive through. My favourite spot was Durness at the North West because of its beautiful beaches and the entrance into the GeoPark as well as being where our visit to Sandwood Bay was.
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| Dunrobin Castle |
Sandwood Bay is only accessible on foot. We parked at Kinlochbervie before bike-packing with our tents and kit half way along the track and setting up by a loch for the night. We continued on in the morning to the beach where we got the stove going and has some tea and porridge.
One of the best things about the road trip was the commradry of all the other travellers doing the same route. We came across cyclists doing the 500 miles, camper vans, motor bikes and cars and every now and again we’d spot a familiar vehicle from the day before at our new campsite.
As a member of the North Coat 500 club I was able to plan my route with preciseness thanks to the fold out map and online itineraries available to members. Below is the draft we took with us on our trip although it changed slightly en route. Our final hit points were as such:
Total - 5 nights, 7 days
- Inverness
- The Black Isle and the Clootie Well
- Easter Ross
- Sutherland and Golspie for one night
- Dunrobin Castle and Brora
- Caithness and Wick Heritage Centre
- John O Groats for the night
- Thurso and Strathy Point
- Sutherland and Durness
- Smoo Cave
- Kinlochbervie and Sandwood Bay for the night
- Achmelvich
- Lochinver for the night
- Ardvreck Castle and Loch Assynt
- Ullapool
- Wester Ross - Corrieshalloch Gorge
- Ault Bea and Gairloch for the night
- Badachro then through Beinn Eight
- Through Torridon to Applecross
- Back across to Inverness
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| Clootie Well |
North Coast 500
Day 1 - Thursday 10th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to Next Location
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Inverness
Velocity Bicycle Cafe ;)
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9am
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16 minutes
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9.16am
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Clootie Well - Black Isle
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10am
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11 mins
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10.11am
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Fortrose - Fairy Glen, have lunch
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12pm
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26 mins
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12.26pm
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Hike Fyrish Monument
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3pm
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36 mins
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3.36pm
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Durnoch - Tarbat Discovery Centre on the Picts
OR
Dunrobin Castle (last entry 4.30pm) opens at 10.30am ext day
OR
Mountain Biking at Wildcat Trail in Golspie. No hire available
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36 mins
+22 mins
Same as Dunrobin
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DINNER
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Dinner 10% at Trawler Restaurant in gossip
Or Sutherland Inn
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SLEEP
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Golspie
Wild Camp at ….
Greenpark Caravan park in Brora- 01408621513 no pitches though
Booked at Brora Caravan Club Site one ten £19.60 on arrival Baxter 5pm estimate arrival
01408621479
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Day 2 - Friday 11th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to next location
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Golspie or Brora
Tent Breakfast
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9am
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1 hr 3 mins
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10am
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Wick - See Wick Castle and Heritage Centre
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12pm
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11 mins
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12.11pm
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Grinigoe Castle
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1.30pm
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33 mins
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2pm
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John o Groats - 20%~cabin at John o Groats, 10% Caithness Horizons, Stacks Cafe
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3pm
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38mins
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3.38pm
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Thurso - see Strathnaver Museum
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Dinner at Caravan park Diner
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SLEEP
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Thurso Bay Caravan and Camping Park - 01847892244
£15
No need to book
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Day 3 - Saturday 12th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to next location
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Thurso - surf todayTempest cafe 9am open or the Diner open?
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12pm
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1 hr 9mins
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1.30pm
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Tongue - get lunch?
10%off 3 course meal a Tongue Hotel
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2.30pm
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1 hr
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3.30pm
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Smoo Cave
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Durness to Cocoa Mountain
Get Dinner - pick up something
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4pm
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45mins
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Plus 4 mile walk =
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WILD CAMP
Cape Wrath Sandwood Bay -http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kinlochbervie/sandwoodbay/
Park at Blairmore near Kinlochbervie
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Day 4 - Sunday 13th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to next location
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Sandwood bay
Tent breakfast
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8am
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Incl 4 mile walk at 2 hr = 2hr 45mins
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10.45am
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Scourie
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11.30am
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1hr 20 coastal past the geopark at Unapool
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1pm
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Achmelvich
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1.30pm
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13 mins
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2pm
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Lochinver
Lunch and
Mountain Bike (there is hire)
Info centre also
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5pm
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DINNER
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Lochinver Bunkhouse or in town
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SLEEP
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Lochinver Bunkhouse breakfast included - 01571844598
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Day 5 - Monday 14th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to next location
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Lochinver
Breakfast at Bunkhouse
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8am
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30 mins to Elphin
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8.30
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Bones Cave - park between Elphin and Inchnadamph. Can cycle this
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Takes 1 hour to walk to caves.
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11am
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12pm
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Ullapool - lunch
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1pm
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18mins
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1.18pm
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Braemore - Corrieshalloch Gorge and Falls of Measach
Park on Dundonnell Road at the named car park.https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/corrieshalloch.shtml
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takes one hour it says
3pmish
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1 hr 5 mins
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4.15pm
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Gairloch (Heritage Museum) closes 5pm . Discount - free guide book
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5pm
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SLEEP
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Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel - 01445712219
Or wigwams at Gairloch Sands Caravan and Camping Site 01445712152
BOOKED TENT PITCH AT SANDS GAIRLOCH £19 total paid already
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Day 6 Tuesday 15th
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Time we arrive in location
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Name of location
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Time to leave location
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Travel Time to next location
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Gairloch
Breakfast - The Mountain Coffee Company and Hillbillies Bookshop
Or The Barn Cafe on the caravan site
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9am
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52 mins
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9.52am
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Torridon
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1 hr
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11am
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Applecross
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2 hr 6 mins
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1.30pm
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Inverness
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3 hr 17mins
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6pm
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Arbroath
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Tent breakfast - 2
Dinner - 1
