North Coast 500 facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids Route information |
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| Length | 516 mi (830 km) |
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| Tourist loop | |
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| Primary destinations: |
Inverness, Lochcarron, Applecross, Gairloch, Ullapool, Lochinver, Durness, Thurso, John o' Groats, Wick, Helmsdale, Dornoch, Invergordon, Dingwall, Castletown |
| Road network | |
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The North Coast 500 is a super cool road trip route in the north of Scotland. It's about 516-mile (830 km) long and loops all the way around the coast. You start and finish at Inverness Castle. People often call it the NC500 for short.
This special route was created in 2015. It connects many amazing places in the Highlands of Scotland into one big touring adventure. Since it started, more visitors have come to this part of Scotland. This has helped local businesses. However, more cars on the road have also led to some challenges, like busy roads and worries about the environment.
Exploring the NC500 Route
The North Coast 500 takes you through some of Scotland's historic areas. These include Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, and Caithness.
If you travel clockwise, your journey begins in Inverness. You'll pass through places like Muir of Ord and Applecross. Applecross is famous for its challenging road called the Bealach na Bà. The route continues through Gairloch and Ullapool. Then you'll reach Scourie and Durness.
Further along, you can visit the Castle of Mey. You'll also drive through Thurso and John o' Groats, which is a famous spot. The route then goes past Wick and the beautiful Dunrobin Castle. Finally, you'll head back through Dingwall to Muir of Ord and Inverness. A part of the NC500 even follows the North Highland Way, which is a walking path.
History of the NC500 Adventure
The North Coast 500 was launched in March 2015. It was created by a group called the North Highland Initiative (NHI). Their goal was to help all the different tourism businesses in the area work together. They wanted to bring more visitors to the northern Highlands.
Before the NC500, there wasn't one big tourism idea that included all the counties like Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross-shire. The NC500 was designed to fill this gap. Important groups like Visit Scotland and Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) supported the idea.
In 2015, Now Travel Magazine named the NC500 one of the "Top 5 Coastal Routes in the World." Some people even call it "Scotland's Route 66" because it's such an iconic drive.
Cycling the NC500 Challenge
The NC500 is not just for cars; it's also a big challenge for cyclists! In August 2015, a cyclist named Mark Beaumont set a record for riding the entire 516-mile route. He finished it in 37 hours and 58 minutes.
Other cyclists later beat his time. But Mark Beaumont reclaimed his record in September 2022. He completed the route in an amazing 28 hours and 35 minutes! This shows how tough and exciting the NC500 can be for adventurers.
