Planning a NC500 trip in the Zed - any advice on places to visit / places to stay?

[Sky-drive]

So my French/German Z4 road trip got cancelled (... yeah cheers Boris!!) so I've decided to venture to the wilds of Scotland and give the NC500 route a bash in September.

Being Bristol based, I've given myself 7 days for the trip: 1 day to Inverness with 5 days travelling anti-clockwise and then last day travelling back from Fort William to South Gloucestershire.

I'm going for the mountains and the open roads - I get the impression the north east corner of the NC500 route (John o Groats area) isn't as inspiring in comparison to the West Highlands? If you know differently then please feel free to advise

One route I am considering is to branch off the A9 at The Mound and take the A839 to Lairg then north to Tongue before picking up the NC500 westward.

Looking for forum members recommendations on and/or any information about:

1. places to stay
2. places to visit
3. suggested road routes
4. any potential sites of :!: speed enforcement :!: on the NC500 to be aware of (specifically National Speed Limit areas) ...

Any advice much appreciated!

 

[idej_z4]

I'm doing something similar at the beginning of October. I'm not going all the way up though, instead I'm following the Grand Tour route, the PENIS 287.

If you're looking for driving roads, they cover off a fair few in that episode. Here is the official Facebook page that shows the route. I beleive it gets rid of a load of the poorer bits.

https://www.facebook.com/Piloting-Extremely-Nicely-In-Scotland-287-400295317440546/

None of the below is based on my experience, but I've done a tonne of research and these are the places I'm going to visit whilst we're up there (and can still go to despite Covids):

Big Burns Falls
Dunrobin Castle
Ardvreck Castle
Achmelvich Beach
Hillbillies Bookstore (for the wife)
Lower Diabaig
Bealack Na Ba
Peets Restaurant

I also had a few distillery tours planned, but none are running atm. Might change by the time I actually go but will have to see.

Have fun and make sure you post some pics and updates on what you saw / enjoyed.

 

[MerBrook]

Hi Sky-drive, funnily enough we are travelling up this coming Sunday.
We did the NC500 last year with Craig 3.2 and other forum members and had a great time so thought we would do something similar this year ourselves. Our first stopover is in Inveraray and from there on up to Tongue where we are booked into the Tongue hotel (stayed last year and really liked the place). Then down to Gairloch before a two night stop over on Skye before a last night near Tarbert.
The route up from Inverness is pretty dull compared to the remainder of the route but I’d never been to John o groats before so it’s all part of the experience. Not doing it this time though :wink:
Regarding police enforcement, we didn’t come across any which surprised me as I thought it would be heavily policed. Doesn’t mean to say that it won’t be so you take your chances. The road towards Achnasheen/ Strathpeffer was a fast open road and I did read before we went about some guys stopped for doing around 160mph.
Also motor homes are a pain in the proverbial. Never seen so many.
A final piece of advice is to take some fuel additive if you use higher octane fuel, as garages up there aren’t as frequent as down here and not all have higher octane fuels.
All the best and have a good trip.

 

[mr wilks]

Bristol to Inverness will leave you needing a rest day that's got to be 11 or 12 hrs in the seat
If you haven't already covered the lower parts of Scotland on a roadtrip then might be worth considering them

 

[idej_z4]

A final piece of advice is to take some fuel additive if you use higher octane fuel, as garages up there aren’t as frequent as down here and not all have higher octane fuels.
All the best and have a good trip.

I didn't know this so cheers!!

 

[Sky-drive]

Great advice and tips! Thanks!

 

[Sky-drive]

Bristol to Inverness will leave you needing a rest day that's got to be 11 or 12 hrs in the seat
If you haven't already covered the lower parts of Scotland on a roadtrip then might be worth considering them

... Im alright: Ive got a friend who is keen to join me on the trip ... Ive said I would share 50% of the driving ... so Ive planned it that she can drive all the dual carriageways and motorways ... of course she doesnt know this yet

 

[srhutch]

Bristol to Inverness will leave you needing a rest day that's got to be 11 or 12 hrs in the seat
If you haven't already covered the lower parts of Scotland on a roadtrip then might be worth considering them

Never had a rest day when I went up there, chance would be a fine thing. 620 miles in just over 10 hours. PVR doesn't like to stop much either.

 

[srhutch]

Mackays Hotel in Wick was a nice place to stop. which is on the NC500 route

Leonardo Boutique Huntingtower, Perth was also very nice where we stayed on our last night before heading home.

 

[Sky-drive]

Bristol to Inverness will leave you needing a rest day that's got to be 11 or 12 hrs in the seat
If you haven't already covered the lower parts of Scotland on a roadtrip then might be worth considering them

Never had a rest day when I went up there, chance would be a fine thing. 620 miles in just over 10 hours. PVR doesn't like to stop much either.

6 hours to Glasgow (maybe less) then another 4 hours on to Inverness via Braemar and Grantown on Spey ...

 

[AlphaEchoAlpha]

I did this in March in my old TTS. Really excellent road trip, fantastic roads and scenery and just a really enjoyable holiday. We did it over 6 nights: Peterbrough > Inverness, Inverness > Bower (John O Groats), Bower > Kinlochbervie, Kinlochbervie > Ullapool, Ullapool > Applecross, Applecross > Fortwilliam, Fortwilliam > Edinburgh, Edinburgh > Home.

We did a bit from the Grand Tours P.E.N.I.S. 287 route between Kinlochbervie and Ullapool but honestly preferred sticking on the main route. It was practically empty of traffic when we did it and the conditions were brilliant (got lucky I know). We're going again in October but taking a Defender, although I'd also like to take the Z4 up there next year perhaps. We're spending less time on the NC500 and doing a couple of nights on Skye this time, and then ditching the night in Edinburgh for another night around Glencoe.

Fuel was actually quite reasonable up there which surprised me, although the food was quite expensive (more so than the rooms in some places). I'd make a point of stopping in Applecross for some food (or the night), really lovely place and one of my highlights.

In terms of places to stop I enjoyed a walk to see the Falls of Measach, Smoo Cave was worth the stop, also found the Atlantic Convoy memorial pretty spectacular/bleak. Dunnet Head was also worth the slight deviation off the main route.

 

[ColinBR]

Personally I would be heading up the other way, as in via the west coast.

By far the best roads, and a trip I took on the bike mid June.

The roads from Inveraray to Oban, Fort William, and on up to Skye via the 5 sisters mountain range are something special.

That road from Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh is proper quick and driving heaven.

 

[Argyll Andy]

As previously mentioned the West Coast is definitely a better way to get to Inverness. Any of the routes below will take you up Loch Lomond just when you get to the end of it the routes deviate but all end up in Fort William.

My personal view if you have the time is the one that includes Lochgilphead (where I live) because the Inveraray/Lochgilphead/Oban route is fantastic in a fast car or bike but it may add too much time onto your total journey.

The A9 has average speed cameras most, if not all the way, there’s no fixed cameras on that route at least until Fort William and very occasionally a mobile one on the straights at the Rest and Be Thankful just after Loch Lomond. There’s a convoy system just now at The Rest and Be Thankful because of a landslide but I’ve traveled it twice in the last week and the longest delay was 12 minutes.

Somewhere to stay, if you’re wanting to stay on the way up, the George in Inveraray, if not to stay there they do great food.

Inverness, we stay in the Kingsmill regularly, they often have deals on.

We were going to do ithe NC500 in 3 weeks but something has come up that won’t allow us just now. Maybe do it a month later.

 

[Probocop]

A final piece of advice is to take some fuel additive if you use higher octane fuel, as garages up there aren’t as frequent as down here and not all have higher octane fuels.
All the best and have a good trip.

I didn't know this so cheers!!

The Broadford Co-op on Skye does have high octane fuel, worth making a note of

 

[ColinBR]

A final piece of advice is to take some fuel additive if you use higher octane fuel, as garages up there aren’t as frequent as down here and not all have higher octane fuels.
All the best and have a good trip.

I didn't know this so cheers!!

The Broadford Co-op on Skye does have high octane fuel, worth making a note of

Yup can vouch for that as filled up there with 98ron on way back home from Skye back in June

 

[pvr]

Bristol to Inverness will leave you needing a rest day that's got to be 11 or 12 hrs in the seat
If you haven't already covered the lower parts of Scotland on a roadtrip then might be worth considering them

Never had a rest day when I went up there, chance would be a fine thing. 620 miles in just over 10 hours. PVR doesn't like to stop much either.

We stopped to say hello to mr wilks, plenty of rest doing that :lol:

Think Bing had the same pleasure of following me through the whole of France in one go :lol: