The North Coast 500 has gone, in less than a decade, from a little-known Highland loop to one of the most bucket-listed drives in Europe — and the accommodation along its most obvious stretches has struggled to keep up. None of that means the drive isn't worth it. It means the version worth doing now is a slightly different one than the version everyone else is booking.

01  THE POPULARITY PROBLEM

Same route, six-month waiting list

Small Highland guesthouses that once filled a handful of rooms a week now see demand for the entire summer season sold out by early spring, particularly along the well-photographed west coast stretch near Applecross and Torridon.

The road itself hasn't changed — it's still a mix of single-track lanes with passing places, stitched together into one long, spectacular loop. What's changed is simply how many people are trying to book the same handful of beds on the same handful of nights.

02  DRIVE IT IN REVERSE

The same loop, a day or two ahead of the crowd

Most travelers start the NC500 clockwise from Inverness, up the east coast first. Starting counter-clockwise, from the quieter east coast, puts your itinerary out of sync with the bulk of the traffic doing the popular direction — meaning better last-minute availability on the busiest west coast nights.

DAYS 1–2
Inverness to John o' Groats
Quieter east coast first, easing into single-track driving before the busier stretches begin.
DAYS 3–4
North coast to Durness
Dramatic cliffs and beaches, with far less traffic than the west coast sees in peak season.
DAYS 5–6
Torridon & Applecross
The most photographed and most booked stretch — arriving from the north gives you first pick of what's left.
DAY 7
Back to Inverness via Loch Ness
A gentler final day, with the option to stop at Urquhart Castle on the way back.
The same road, driven a few days out of sync with everyone else, is a genuinely different trip.
03  WHAT THE DRIVE ACTUALLY COSTS

Budgeting for fuel, stays and slow roads

Fuel stops are sparse once you're north of Ullapool, and accommodation prices swing significantly between the busy west coast and the quieter east and north stretches.

Car rental, 7 days
Compact, suited to single-track roads
B&B, per night, east/north coast
Quieter stretches, easier to book
B&B, per night, Torridon/Applecross
Busiest stretch, book well ahead
04  THE COMMON MISTAKE

Underestimating how slow single-track roads are

The NC500's total distance looks short on a map, but single-track roads with passing places, sheep crossings, and constantly shifting weather make actual driving speeds far lower than the distance suggests. Trying to do it in under five days usually means arriving everywhere too tired to enjoy it.

GUIDE TIP

Fill the tank at every station you pass

Fuel stations thin out dramatically along the north and west stretches, and running low with no station for fifty kilometres is a common, avoidable stress. Top up whenever you see one, not just when the gauge gets low.

05  BEFORE YOU GO

What the Highlands actually require

  • A proper waterproof jacket — weather here can shift from sun to sideways rain within the same hour.
  • Midge repellent for summer evenings, especially near lochs and still water.
  • A physical road atlas as backup; mobile signal disappears for long stretches.
  • Patience for passing places — pulling in for oncoming traffic is expected, not an inconvenience.
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Written by Ewan Fraser
Ewan has driven the full NC500 loop, in both directions, for TRIPNNEST more times than he can count.