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📍 North Coast 500
The North Coast 500 (NC500) is known as Scotland's most beautiful highway. It surrounds the north coast of Scotland and has a total length of 830 km. This road starts and ends in Inverness, and was only officially launched in 2015, so there aren't many cars along the way, so you can enjoy the natural scenery of Scotland quietly.
We ordered from Rabbies3-day tour(Our current order price was £119, and the price fluctuates depending on the season and time), a guided tour of the NC500 in a small tour bus. In addition to introducing the scenery along the way, the itinerary also includes many hiking trails, natural mining caves, sunshine beaches, rustic villages, and ancient castles.
Why don't you choose to travel by car?
Our tour guide is native Scottish. In addition to introducing us to the surrounding landscape and cultural stories, they can also fine-tune the route according to the weather conditions (this road is relatively winding, so we still trust the local judgments).
There are no matters to worry about when self-driving; we can just focus on enjoying the beautiful scenery. In addition to that, I was able to recognize travelers from all over the world (we and the guide were only six people calculated at the time) and recognize more stories.
North Coast 500 route map
Day 1: Lochcarron → Applecross → Shieldaig → Gairloch → Poolewe → Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve → Ullapool (Ullapool)
Day 2: Ardflek Castle(Ardvreck Castle) → Kylesku (Kylesku) → Durness (Durness) → Bettyhill (Bettyhill) → Thurso (Thurso)
Day 3: Dunnet Head (Dunnet Head) → John o' Groats (John o' Groats) → Castle Sinclair Girnigoe (Castle Sinclair Girnigoe) → Wick (Wick) → Dunrobin Castle (Dunrobin Castle) → Dornoch
North Coast 500 Day 1
Our first trip of the first day was a short warm-up hike to the bridge next to the waterfall.
Walking through the mountains is surrounded by ancient trees, making people feel like they are in a forest.
Even if the weather wasn't clear on the first day, you could still enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mountains and water.
Since we are visiting during the winter season, the sun sets around 3 p.m. every day. On our way to the small town of Ullapool, we saw a beautiful purple sunset.
When booking a trip, you can make Rabbies responsible for a two-night stay in addition to the accommodation fee. We decided to book our own order and stay overnight at this warm homestay in Ullapool.
North Coast 500 Day 2
The next morning, we met a few enthusiastic local residents, told us about the history and story of this town, and felt the simple human touch.
The day's weather finally cleared up, and I was able to see the beautiful reflection of the blue sky on the lake.
We arrived at Belnkeli Beach, where the sky was perfectly reflected on the sand, forming a mirror of the sky.
Moreover, there are no people around, so we can enjoy the scenery and air here quietly.
Afterwards, we visited a nearby cave and enjoyed the waterfall inside.
After visiting a few more places, we saw a different sunset on our way to the small town of Thurso.
North Coast 500 Day 3
On the last day, we reached Dunnet Head (Dunnet Head), the northernmost border of Scotland (and even the whole of England) via a monorail road that winds through the heather marshes all over the lakes.
The Cape Dunnet Lighthouse sits on top of a 300-foot cliff. It was built in 1831 and is currently a Class B protected building. In the right season, you can see all kinds of birds and whale watching!
Afterwards, we visited Castle Sinclair Girnigoe (Castle Sinclair Girnigoe). It includes the ruins of two castles: Castle Girnigoe from the 15th century; and Sinclair Castle from the early 17th century. Currently, this is the only castle in Scotland registered by the World Monuments Fund! Finally, after lunch and another attraction, we headed back to downtown Inverness to end our trip!
How to get to the North Coast 500?
💡 Within the UK:Travel to Inverness by train / Buy a transport card and get 1/3 off UK trains and London Underground all year round
💡 International visitors:Airline ticket price / European train prices
💡 3-day shopping website:https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-tours/from-inverness/1-3-day-tours/north-coast-500-3-day-tour
