What Is the North Coast 500 Route?

Scotland has a lot going for it. Castles, whisky, midges the size of small aircraft. But if you ride a motorcycle, there is one thing above everything else that puts Scotland on the map. The North Coast 500.

Launched in 2015, the NC500 is a 516-mile loop that starts and finishes in Inverness, winding its way around the north of Scotland through some of the most jaw-dropping scenery you will ever ride through. It has been called "Scotland's Route 66," and while that comparison is not perfect, this is not a straight desert highway, it captures the spirit well. This is a route that people plan for months, talk about for years, and then go back and ride again.

It consistently ranks among the top five coastal routes in the world, which is no small thing when you consider the competition. And for motorcyclists specifically, it delivers something special: a proper mix of twisty mountain passes, long sweeping coastal roads, and dramatic highland landscapes that make you glad you chose two wheels over four.

Check our guide on motorcycling tours of the UK to find other exciting touring routes. 

At a Glance: NC500 Quick Facts

Route Overview and Planning Basics

The Start Point

The official north coast 500 route start point is Inverness Castle. It sits on the south bank of the River Ness and makes for a solid photo stop before you head out. Most riders kick off from here, do the loop clockwise, and arrive back a week or so later with a full memory card and a grin they cannot shift.

Clockwise or Anticlockwise?

Most bikers run the route clockwise, and there is a good reason for that. Going clockwise means you hit the dramatic west coast, Applecross, Torridon, Gairloch, in the first couple of days, while your energy and enthusiasm are both at their peak. The legendary Bealach na Bà pass comes early in the ride, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

That said, some riders prefer anticlockwise because it means less head-on traffic on the single-track sections. If you are riding in peak season, that is worth thinking about.

Route Planner Tools

Do not just rely on Google Maps. It works, but it does not always account for road conditions, passing places, or the fact that some roads are genuinely not suited to sat-nav shortcuts.

Here are the tools worth using:

• Official NC500 Route Planner: The most reliable starting point. Covers accommodation, fuel, and highlights.

• Garmin / TomTom GPX Download: Download the north coast 500 route GPX file for your sat-nav. This is the one to load before you leave, not when you are standing in a field with no signal.

• Google Maps: Useful for general planning, but treat it as a backup rather than your main tool on the road.

• A physical map: Sounds old-fashioned, but the signal disappears in the north-west highlands. A paper map of the NC500 route is not optional; it is good sense.

How Long Does It Take?

You can ride the full route in five days if you push it. But "riding" it and "experiencing" it are two different things. Seven days give you breathing room to stop, explore, and actually take in what you are looking at rather than just ticking miles. Ten days is ideal if you want to add detours and distillery visits without feeling rushed.

The Grand Tour Itineraries

The 5-Day Route — High-Octane Sprint

This one is for riders who are short on time but do not want to miss the headline acts. You will be covering roughly 100 miles a day, which sounds manageable, but remember — these are not motorway miles. Budget more time than the mileage suggests.

The 7-Day Route Slow Burn Explorer

Seven days changes everything. You stop at viewpoints without feeling guilty. You take the coastal detour that was not in the plan. You sit outside a café in Ullapool with a coffee and actually look at the sea instead of checking the time.

Section by Section What to See on the NC500

The West Coast The Technical Ride

This is where the NC500 earns its reputation. The west coast section runs from the Applecross Peninsula down through Torridon and Gairloch up to Ullapool, and the riding is as technical as it is beautiful.

Bealach na Bà is the centrepiece. It is the steepest ascent in the UK, climbing to 626 metres with a series of tight switchbacks that will test your throttle control and your nerve in equal measure. The warning signs at the bottom are not for decoration — this road closes in bad weather, and it genuinely warrants respect. Take it easy on the way up, take it even easier on the way down, and when you reach the top, stop and look around. That view earns every metre of the climb.

Past Applecross, the coastal road back towards Shieldaig is one of those stretches that reminds you why you ride in the first place. Empty road, sea to your left, mountains to your right.

Further north, Corrieshalloch Gorge near Ullapool is worth a 20-minute detour on foot. A suspension bridge over a 60-metre waterfall. Brilliant, and free.

The North Coast — The Wilderness

From Ullapool heading east along the top of Scotland, the landscape changes. It opens up. The roads get quieter, the sky gets bigger, and you start to feel genuinely remote in a way that is hard to describe if you have not experienced it.

Kylesku Bridge is a graceful concrete arch over Loch a' Chairn Bhàin, and it is the kind of spot you ride over and then immediately want to stop and photograph from the layby on the other side.

Smoo Cave near Durness is one of those places that sounds like a tourist trap and turns out to be genuinely spectacular. The cave entrance is the largest sea cave entrance in Britain, and the waterfall inside it is something else entirely. 

Sango Sands at Durness is worth stopping for as well. White sand, turquoise water, and the feeling that you are at the very edge of the world. Which, geographically speaking, you more or less are.

The East Coast The Heritage Run

The east coast leg from John o' Groats down to Inverness is often written off as the dull bit. That is not fair. It is the most relaxed section of riding, which means you have headspace to take in what you are passing through.

Dunrobin Castle near Golspie is the largest house in the northern Highlands and looks like someone transplanted a French château into the Scottish countryside. The grounds are well kept, and there is parking for bikes. Book tickets here.

Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain is one of several distilleries on the NC500 route east coast run. If you are on a seven or ten-day trip, a distillery stop is almost expected at this point. Old Pulteney in Wick is another one worth calling into.

John o' Groats itself is a milestone rather than a destination — it is the most north-easterly point on the British mainland and has the souvenir shop to prove it. The real gem nearby is Duncansby Head, a ten-minute ride east of John o' Groats, where the sea stacks are genuinely dramatic.

Cultural Touchpoints

The NC500 got a serious profile boost when Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May filmed part of The Grand Tour on it in 2016. The route and the roads were made for television. If you want to follow their specific path, the NC500 official website has some context, though it was not a strict loop, they were more interested in drama than navigation.

Top Gear also filmed segments in the Scottish Highlands. The legacy is a lot of international riders turning up expecting every road to feel like a TV production. Most of them are not disappointed.

Motorcycle-Specific Logistics

Best Bikes for the Job

You do not need a specific type of bike, but some suit the route better than others. The roads range from smooth A-roads to rough single-track, with wet weather possible any day of the year.

Whatever you ride, carry decent wet weather gear. Scotland will test it.

Fuel Strategy

This is where riders come unstuck more than anywhere else. The north-west of Scotland is remote, and petrol stations are few and far between. Running low on fuel between Ullapool and Durness with no signal and no plan is a situation you want to avoid.

Key fuel stops to plan around:

• Ullapool: Fill up here before heading north. It is the last reliable stop for a stretch.

• Durness: There is a small filling station. Use it.

• Tongue: Worth a stop if you are getting low.

• Thurso/Wick: Back to normal availability once you reach the north-east.

A useful reference for fuel stations on the NC500 route is available on the official website. Print it. Do not rely on finding it with one bar of signal on the roadside.

Use this link to embed a map of the fuel stations on NC500. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1A4lr4Wq8CmR1R47ErIYvVy8t2vKt2oM&femb=1&ll=57.946050085905924%2C-4.48843505000001&z=8 

Navigation and Road Conditions

The NC500 does have road signs, you will see the white signs with the NC500 logo, but they are subtle and not always where you expect them. Do not assume you can navigate by signs alone.

Single-track roads are a significant part of the experience, particularly on the west coast. There are passing places (marked with a white diamond sign), and the etiquette is simple: if you see a passing place on your side of the road, pull in. If it is on the other side, wait opposite it and let the oncoming vehicle pull in. It works perfectly well when everyone knows the rules.

The roads in the north-west can be rough. Potholes, loose gravel at the edges, and surface changes keep you honest. The right pace here is not fast. The right pace is steady and attentive.

Where to Stay

Luxury Options

If you want comfort at the end of a day's riding, the NC500 has you covered. There are some genuinely excellent places to stay along the route.

• The Torridon: A Victorian shooting lodge turned boutique hotel on the shores of Upper Loch Torridon. Stunning location, excellent food, and they are used to bikers.

• Ness Walk, Inverness: A luxurious option right in Inverness for your start or end night. Strong food and a great bar to celebrate finishing.

• Kylesku Hotel: Small, remote, and superb. Freshly caught seafood and a view over the loch that you will not forget.

Most good hotels along the route understand that motorcycle travellers are a significant part of their trade. If secure parking matters to you, ring ahead and ask; it usually does not take much to arrange.

Budget and Camping

Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, provided you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. That means leaving no trace, keeping clear of farmland, and being a decent human being about it.

Established campsites are spread along the route and offer a bit more comfort, with showers and secure areas for bikes. A few worth knowing:

• Sango Sands Oasis: Campsite right above the beach at Durness. Stunning spot.

• Applecross Campsite: Right in the village, close to the Applecross Inn.

• Black Rock Caravan and Camping Park: Near the Cromarty Firth on the east coast run back to Inverness.

Dog-Friendly Stops

Plenty of stops along the NC500 route are dog-friendly, which is useful if you are running a sidecar rig or a support vehicle. The official NC500 website has a dog-friendly accommodation filter that makes planning straightforward.

Practical Tips and Safety

When to Ride

May to September is the window. June and July give you the best chance of dry weather and very long days. In the far north, it barely gets dark in midsummer, which is a strange and wonderful thing. August is peak season, which means more traffic on the single-track roads.

May and September are often the sweet spots. Quieter roads, decent weather, and the midges are less aggressive before July arrives in force.

A word on midges. These tiny biting insects are a genuine factor in planning your NC500 trip. They are worst in still, damp conditions at dawn and dusk, particularly near still water and woodland. A midge forecast tool exists, which is both brilliant and slightly absurd. Use it. And get a midge net for your helmet if you are camping.

What to Pack

Beyond your standard touring kit, a few NC500-specific additions are worth thinking about:

• Waterproofs that actually work: Not the ones that are technically waterproof until it really rains.

• A physical map of the route: Use this link to get a map of the NC500. 

• A small dry bag: For your phone, documents, and anything you cannot afford to soak.

• Layers: The temperature changes quickly between coastal roads and mountain passes. Shop for motorcycle clothing layers at Maximo Moto.

• A decent camera: Your phone camera will do fine, but you will want something that works in low light for the evenings.

Leave No Trace

The NC500 is popular now. very popular. That brings pressure on the landscape, the local communities, and the roads themselves. Treat every layby, every viewpoint, and every campsite the way you would want to find it. The Highlands sustain this route because the people who live there allow it. Respect that.

FAQs

How long is the North Coast 500 route? 

The official north coast 500 route length is approximately 516 miles (830 km). That covers the full loop from Inverness, around the north coast, and back. Some variations and detours can add to that total, so budget for a few extra miles if you plan to explore beyond the main route.

Where does the North Coast 500 route start? 

The north coast 500 route start point is Inverness Castle in Inverness. It is the logical base for your first night, and the city has good facilities including fuel, accommodation, and bike-friendly services.

Is it better to ride the NC500 clockwise or anticlockwise? 

Most riders go clockwise, and most of the accommodation and logistics are set up around that direction. Clockwise means you reach the dramatic west coast highlights early in the trip. Anticlockwise can give you a slightly quieter experience on the single-track roads, but you build to the highlights later.

Are there road signs for the North Coast 500 route? 

Yes, there are north coast 500 route signs, but they are subtle, white signs with the NC500 branding. They are helpful as confirmation that you are on track, but they are not comprehensive enough to navigate by alone. Use a GPX route loaded onto your sat-nav and carry a physical map as a backup.

What are the best petrol stations on the North Coast 500 route? 

The north-west section between Ullapool and Durness is the most remote stretch, and fuel stops are limited. Fill up at Ullapool before heading north, top up at Durness, and again at Tongue if needed. The NC500 official website has a fuel station map that is worth printing before you leave.

Can I ride the NC500 in 5 days? 

Yes, a north coast 500 five-day route is possible. You will cover roughly 100 miles a day, which sounds easy until you factor in single-track roads, mountain passes, and the number of times you will stop to take a photo. It is doable, but you will feel the pace. Seven days is far more comfortable.

What is the best bike for the North Coast 500? 

Adventure bikes like the BMW GS series, Triumph Tiger 900, or Honda Africa Twin suit the NC500 extremely well. They handle road variety, carry luggage comfortably, and sit at a pace that works on single-track sections. Sports tourers and standard bikes are also a solid choice. The route is fully rideable on most bikes. it is not off-road but a hard seat and aggressive ergonomics will wear on you over a week of riding.

Is wild camping allowed on the NC500 route? 

Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, provided you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. That means no fires near trees, no blocking gateways, and leaving the site as you found it. There are also established campsites along the route, at Sango Sands (Durness), Applecross, and elsewhere, if you prefer facilities.

What distilleries are on the North Coast 500 route? 

Several distilleries sit on or very close to the NC500. Glenmorangie in Tain and Old Pulteney in Wick are the most prominent on the east coast stretch. Balblair Distillery near Edderton is also well worth a stop. None of them are going to say no to a group of bikers, and most offer tours and tastings. Just plan the tastings for the end of a riding day, not the beginning.

Final Word

The North Coast 500 is not a bucket list tick. It is a proper riding experience that will get under your skin in a way that lasts. The roads are real, the weather is honest, and the scenery is genuinely hard to believe until you have seen it yourself.

Download your north coast 500 route map from the official NC500 website, load the GPX onto your sat-nav, pack your waterproofs, and start planning. The Highlands are not going anywhere. But the riding season is shorter than you think.