Scotland · The far north
The North Coast 500 is Scotland's great road trip, a 516-mile loop that starts and ends in Inverness and traces the wild edges of the far north Highlands. It strings together everything that makes this corner of the country unforgettable: cliffs and sea stacks, single-track passes, empty beaches and castles on the shore.
The drama comes thick and fast. The white-knuckle hairpins of the Bealach na Bà climb to the remote village of Applecross; turquoise bays like Achmelvich and Durness rival the Caribbean on a sunny day; and the fairytale, chateau-style Dunrobin Castle rises above the east coast. In between are stone hamlets, harbor pubs and some of the cleanest air in Europe.
This is a journey to savor over five to seven days rather than rush. The roads are slow and often single-track, the distances between beds real, so we plan a route that lets you stop on a whim and lets the wild north set the pace.
