The North Coast Five Hundred 5 Day Tour

Tour Highlights

Join us on this 5 day tour around the famous North Coast Five Hundred, a classic touring route showcasing the best of the far north. ‘Scotland’s Route 66’ is a spectacular 516 mile round trip from Inverness through stunning coastal scenery, peppered with iconic Scottish sights - castles, wild beaches, whisky and some of the best views in Scotland. The North Coast Five Hundred offers a truly unique touring experience, quite unlike anywhere else in the world.

Glenmorangie Distillery
Dunrobin Castle
Strathnaver Folk Museum
Smoo Cave and Durness
Achmelvich beach
Assynt and Torridon mountains
Fishing villages of Ullapool and Shieldaig
Corrieshalloch Gorge
Inverewe Gardens
Bealach na Ba mountain pass

Itinerary

Map of the Scottish Highlands showing towns and landmarks including Inverness, Loch Ness, Dornoch, Thurso, John O' Groats, Dunrobin Castle, Glenmorangie Distillery, Rogie Falls, Applecross, Shieldaig, Inverwe Gardens, Ullapool, Achmelvich Beach, Durness, Tongue, and surrounding geographic features.

Day 1

Inverness to Thurso: We leave the pretty capital of the Highlands and travel to our first stop in Tain at the famous Glenmorangie whisky distillery. One of the best-known malt whiskies in the world there will be an opportunity to tour the distillery and sample the ‘water of life’.

A large, historic castle with multiple towers and turrets sits atop a hill, overlooking well-manicured gardens with trimmed hedges and flowering plants in the foreground.

Dunrobin Castle

We cross the Dornoch bridge and hug the coastline towards spectacular Dunrobin Castle; a towering, fairy tale castle of the Northern Highlands inhabited since the early 1300s. There will be time for lunch, a castle tour and a stroll through the magnificent Versaille-inspired ornamental gardens.

Glenmorangie Distillery

It’s not long before we reach the famous photo stop and signpost at John O’ Groats. We’ll also visit wild Duncansby Head to admire the spectacular sea stacks before overnight in the delightful wee town of Thurso, a relative metropolis in these parts!

Day 2

Thurso to Durness: We bid farewell to the most northerly town on the UK mainland and continue west towards Strathnaver Folk Museum to hear the tragic story of the Highland Clearances. At this picturesque folk centre we’ll also learn about the Gaelic and Norse heritage of northern Scotland.

Strathnaver Folk Museum

As we travel towards Tongue we stop for a lovely short walk at ruined Castle Varrich. The views across the Kyle of Tongue towards Ben Hope are stunning. After a spot of lunch we continue our spectacular route around Loch Eriboll to Durness. The rocky coastline, pristine beaches and turquoise waters are truly a sight to behold.

A grassy hillside with white flowers, overlooking a body of water with an old stone ruin on a hill, under a cloudy sky during sunset.

Castle Varrich walk

We’ll visit Smoo Cave, an impressive sea cave set into the limestone cliffs of Sutherland and one of the most popular tourist attractions on the north coast. Overnight in Durness.

Durness

Day 3

Durness to Ullapool: Our leisurely drive around the north-west corner of Scotland takes us along single-track roads through the sleepy crofting settlements of Scourie and Kylesku to the Rock Stop café in the North-West Highlands Geo Park.

Achmelvich Beach

Some of the oldest rocks in the world surround us here. There will be time to visit the remote white sands of Achmelvich beach before lunch in the fishing port of Lochinver.

Stac Pollaidh in Assynt

The remarkable mountains of Inverpolly Nature Reserve such as Stac Pollaidh and Suilven are never far from view as we continue to 15th century Ardvreck Castle on the shores of Loch Assynt. From here it’s a short, spectacular drive to the pretty seaside village of Ullapool where we’ll spend the night and perhaps enjoy some harbour-fresh fish and chips.

A coastal town with white buildings, a harbor with boats, and a mountain shrouded in clouds in the background.

Ullapool

Day 4

Ullapool to Gairloch: Our first stop this morning is the hair-raising Corrieshalloch Gorge, a mile-long box canyon where you can test your head for heights by walking across the Victorian suspension bridge and viewing platform. There are fabulous photo opportunities of the dramatic crashing waterfalls.

Gruinard Bay

We travel past whitewashed crofting cottages on the Gairloch peninsula to Inverewe Gardens. This National Trust for Scotland property is a unique botanical garden celebrating mankind and the natural environment. The warm currents of the Gulf Stream have nurtured an oasis where exotic plants from all over the world flourish on a latitude more northerly than Moscow.

Lush garden with colorful flowers, pathways, and a stone wall overlooking a lake with mountains in the background.

Inverewe Gardens

We spend the night in Gairloch, a thriving West Highland community with sweeping views to the Isle of Skye.

Day 5

Gairloch to Inverness: Our final day is another classic drive. We follow the beautiful shoreline of Loch Maree to Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre in the rugged landscape of Torridon. This area is well-known to climbers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts and lovers of wild places. Mountains like Liathach and Beinn Eighe rise steeply from the road adding to the drama of this Wester Ross scenery.

A serene landscape of a lake with mountains in the background, surrounded by colorful autumn foliage and a clear blue sky.

Loch Maree

We’ll stop at the picture-postcard fishing village of Shieldaig on Loch Torridon. After coffee we follow one of the most famous roads in the country, the Bealach na Ba, a 2000 foot mountain pass to the village of Applecross for lunch. Weather permitting, the views from here to the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides are sensational.

A winding mountain road with guardrails, surrounded by green moss-covered hills and rocky terrain, under a cloudy sky.

Bealach na Ba mountain pass

The final leg of this wonderful trip takes us cross-country to Rogie Falls for a delightful woodland walk and viewpoint over the famous salmon leap. Time to reflect on this epic road trip before the short journey back to Inverness.

Looking for an even longer break? Then check the Seven Day tour of Scotland.