How To Enjoy The NC500 More By Travelling Slower

After being launched in 2015, the North Coast 500 has quickly become one of Scotland’s biggest attractions. What most who race around the route don’t realise is that they can enjoy the NC500 more by travelling slower!

Starting and finishing in Inverness, the entire NC500 trip takes you around 516 miles of the far north of the country, plenty of it on winding single track roads. The most common question people planning to drive the route ask is “How many days does it take?” but that’s the wrong way of looking at it.

The real question should be – “How many days can we spend there?”

In the past, I’ve been as guilty as others of speeding around with only the briefest of stops at what I considered the highlights. It’s no surprise that even after a few trips around the NC500, I had still missed plenty of great locations, especially on the underappreciated East coast.

I was asked by North Coast 500 to show that this is more than just a road and there is more to uncover, all we have to do is slow down a little.

Dunrobin Castle – The NC500’s Fancy Side

This is one stop that’s rarely missed no matter how short your NC500 trip is. Dunrobin Castle is the ancestral home of Clan Sutherland and many of the 189 rooms are still the Earl of Sutherland’s private residence. It may well look like an elaborate, modern French château, but the original 13th century towerhouse is buried away inside. You just need to keep your eyes peeled as you walk the halls to spot it.

There are stories galore in these walls, from clan conflicts and ghosts to Jacobites and devastating fires. I wouldn’t want to spoil too many surprises, but I can’t contain myself when it comes to ghost stories. A beautiful Mackay girl was captured by one of the Sutherland Earls in the 15th century and locked up in Dunrobin Castle until she agreed to marry him.

One night, the Earl discovered her climbing down a rope made of sheets and in a rage, chopped it with his sword. It’s a long way down to the foot of the that tower and every so often her ghost is still heard weeping.

As much as I could spend an entire day just wandering around a castle, especially one this size, Dunrobin has more to offer. Outside the walls are perfectly laid out gardens, matching the elegant turrets of the castle.

If that isn’t enough to keep you entertained then there are falconry displays twice a day. The birds of prey showing off their skills are a great demonstration of why they were so valuable to important families like the Sutherlands.

Rather than racing around the North Coast 500, you could easily spend the best part of a day right here!

Step Back Millenia At Carn Liath

One thing you’re bound to notice on your slow NC500 trip is that ancient history is everywhere, especially on the East Coast. In most cases, you need to travel a little bit from the main road but not for Carn Liath. This Iron Age broch is right next to the main road, with a small but easily accessed car park.

Like all brochs, we know very little about Carn Liath or the people who built it. These towers are made from drystone, double walled with an internal staircase for insulation and usually multifloored. The slightly unusual thing about this one are the remains of several outbuildings still evident. It’s as if a small community formed with the broch at its centre, similar to a medieval castle.

Appreciate Caithness Broch Project

I couldn’t possibly talk about brochs and not mention the Caithness Broch Project. They are doing a brilliant job promoting this corner of Scotland and its fascinating, ancient history. Most people outside (and inside) Scotland had never heard of these stone towers before they were established. Now the organisation has a widespread following and have plans to build the first broch in almost 2000 years.

I’ve followed their progress closely over the last few years and was lucky enough to meet founder Iain Maclean at Ousdale Broch. If there was one location around the NC500 that epitomises that trips like this are about the journey not the destination, this is it. It takes 15-20 minutes to walk down a well made track through the heather to reach Ousdale Broch itself, but there are stories to enjoy along the way.

Well made information boards tell you about the geology of Caithness and the cleared village of Bord, partly made out of rock stolen from the broch. The real highlight for me though was the remains of an ancient road. It was once the main way in and out of Caithness, the original North Coast 500! The outline is still easy to see, if you go on Google Maps then you’ll have no problem making it out.

Standing in the middle of that old road, it’s easy to imagine the people who walked on that very spot hundreds of years ago. An army led by the King of Scots marching north to face the Vikings or 300 men from Clan Sinclair heading south to the Battle of Flodden. By the time you get to Ousdale Broch itself, you’ve already justified the visit!

Brace The Elements At Forse Castle

If there’s one thing Scotland isn’t short of, it’s castles. But if you want to really get your castle fix on this slow NC500 trip then you might need to park up and head a little off the beaten track. Forse Castle has had a very different history than Dunrobin, but what it lacks in substance, it makes up for with a dramatic location.

It was home to another branch of the Sutherlands, but it wasn’t as easy to modernise or expand like Dunrobin. Instead, they abandoned the windswept clifftop and ended up at Forse House much further inland. While the ruins aren’t safe to explore, its worth the walk just to venture down to the bay below. It’s beautiful, dramatic and I’d be surprised if you don’t have it to yourself!

Learn Local History At Wick Heritage Centre

Standing outside the Wick Heritage Centre, it looks like many other small, community museums. Head through the door though and you’re rewarded with a seemingly neverending series of rooms. Honestly, it’s like the TARDIS inside both in terms of size and transporting you back in time.

As you move throughout the heritage centre, entire rooms are dedicated to different aspects of Wick’s history. There are boats set up to look like Wick Harbour, examples of barrel making inside a genuine cooperage and even a real lighthouse lamp. It’s not somewhere I’ve visited before on trips around the North Coast 500, but I would 100% recommend it.

For those who can’t make the journey or just want to learn a bit about the local are first, the Wick Society have another resource. Wick Voices is a collection of stories, recorded by locals. These tell stories of folklore, lesser known histories and memories of the fishing fleets or lighthouse keepers. You can find the recordings here and tune your ear into the local accent.

Join North Coast Explorer Tours

It’s not often that I get to sit in the passenger seat and just enjoy being driven around. Robert from North Coast Explorer gave me a brilliant one day tour of just one section of the East coast. With how much we saw in such a small area, it’s surprising that visitors don’t spend much time in this corner of Scotland.

Yes, it might take a little bit of venturing off the main road to see everything. But if you’re not a confident driver or just want led by an expert, then let Robert guide you around on your NC500 journey. We visited standing stones, historic harbours, clifftop castles and even the 5000 year old Camster Cairns.

The highlight was probably being able to see Keiss Castle & the Whaligoe Steps by drone. Robert did the flying and I was able to just watch through their Sky Explorer goggles. It’s something that most people would never be able to see on their own.

Reach The Top of Scotland At Dunnet Head

I finished up my slow NC500 trip at the Scottish mainland’s most northerly point. Not John O’ Groats, although I did stop there for a pint. While John O’ Groats is famous for the long distance walk from Lands End, Dunnet Head is slightly further north. It’s a beautiful clifftop spot with an almost 200 year old Stevenson lighthouse.

On a clear day you can see across the Pentland Firth to Orkney and the right time of year, it’s a great place for wildlife. Dolphins and whales can be seen in the water while seals shelter on the rocks below. Dunnet Head even plays host to Scotland’s favourite bird, the colourful beaked puffin!

Dog Friendly Places To Stay On The NC500

The best part of any journey around the North Coast 500 is how dog friendly most places are. I often struggle to find good quality, dog-friendly accommodation, but not this time! Molly wouldn’t have forgiven me if I’d left her at home anyway.

Thrumster House – I spent two nights at Thrumster House which wasn’t just dog friendly, it even had friendly dogs! It’s a family home providing for both self catering and B&B as well as estate activities like fishing or shooting. They provided a warm welcome, a wealth of local knowledge and a hearty breakfast in the morning. Not to mention they actually have a broch in the garden!

Forss House Hotel – This place was a bit of luxury for my last night. A large country house with an exquisite interior, enormous copper bathtubs and an on-site restaurant and bar if you don’t want to do any more driving. If you like the finer things in life then this might be for you.

Where To Eat

A huge part of any journey for me is the food and this part of Scotland doesn’t disappoint. Here are the highlights from my NC500 trip:

Portland Hotel Lybster – Not dog friendly but a great spot for some traditional pub grub. Haggis to start and locally caught Fish & Chips to follow was the perfect end to a long day.

Forse of Nature – Family run and very dog friendly, this was where the Sutherlands of Forse ended up after leaving the clifftop castle. Excellent lunch stop and make sure to ask them about the ghosts!

Mackays Hotel Wick – Situated on the shortest street in the world but don’t worry, it’s bigger on the inside. High quality food with generous portions and very dog friendly. Molly didn’t want to leave.

Puldagon Farm Shop – A restaurant and shop located on a working farm, very welcoming to dogs too. The food was great and if you’re lucky you might even get your Highland Cow fix at the same time!

Ulbster Arms Hotel – Molly couldn’t come in to this one which might be for the best since she’d have drooled on the floor. Excellent local produce made to a high standard. I was even lucky enough to be there on steak night!

Annie’s Bakery – Great pies and jars of dog treats on the table outside! Need I say more?

What are you waiting for?

Hopefully you’ve now seen the North Coast 500 in a different light. It’s not just a 516 mile road that needs “completed” as fast as possible. Slow down, spend a little longer in each area and you’ll discover there’s a lot more to see and do.

This trip was sponsored by the North Coast 500, but everything here is my genuine opinion and in my own words. I’m very glad that they encouraged me to focus on just one section of the route, hopefully you are too!

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