Duncansby Stacks
UKscenic

NC500: North Coast 500

Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches

Distance
469 mi
755 km
Driving
11 hr 24 min
excl. stops
Suggested
7 days
balanced split
Stops
9
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 9 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Duncansby Stacks · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

It's split between the A9, the A835 and the A836, with no single road carrying more than 23% of it.

There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 626 m near Bealach na Ba (Applecross Pass), with something like 3,249 m of ascent over the whole drive.

The bigger places on the way are Alness, Wick, Thurso and Dingwall, handy for fuel and food between the stops.

Part of the drive follows the A838 Durness to Tongue (North Coast 500).

  • A923%
  • A83514%
  • A83613%
  • A83810%

How high it goes

~626 m near Bealach na Ba (Applecross Pass)InvernessInverness · 455 mi
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 3,249 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Famous road · On the route

A838 Durness to Tongue (North Coast 500)

Famous road · On the route

Bealach na Ba (Applecross Pass)

Summit
626 m summit

Famous road · 5 mi off the route

B869 Drumbeg Loop, Assynt

Famous road · 15 mi off the route

Mam Ratagan Pass (Glenelg road)

Before you go

Best time to drive it

May to September

May and September are the sweet spots: long days, fewer motorhomes on the single-track sections, and the midges aren't at their worst. Winter driving is possible but the Bealach na Bà can close in snow.

Indicative costs

  • Fuel (40 mpg petrol)£78
  • TollsFree

Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Driving in United Kingdom

Every stop on the NC500: North Coast 500

  1. Inverness

    Start

  2. Dornoch

    +42 mi from the last stop

  3. John o' Groats

    +78 mi from the last stop

  4. Duncansby Head

    +2 mi from the last stop

  5. Durness

    +89 mi from the last stop

  6. Sandwood Bay

    +22 mi from the last stop

  7. Ullapool

    +62 mi from the last stop

  8. Applecross

    +83 mi from the last stop

  9. Inverness

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 6 more

  • Stac Pollaidh

    scenic viewpoint

    Compact but spectacular sandstone peak in Assynt with a deeply eroded pinnacled summit ridge and stunning views of the Coigach wilderness.

  • Sandwood Bay

    beach

    Magnificent mile-long pink-sand beach accessible only by a 4-mile walk, dominated by the Am Buachaille sea stack and utterly wild.

  • Urquhart Castle

    castle

    Atmospheric ruins on the shores of Loch Ness with one of the best monster-spotting vantage points, dating back to the 13th century.

  • Corrieshalloch Gorge & Falls of Measach

    waterfall

    Spectacular 46-metre waterfall plunging into a mile-long box canyon, viewed from a Victorian suspension bridge in the Scottish Highlands.

  • Bealach na Ba

    famous road

    Scotland's greatest road, climbing to 626 metres with Alpine-style switchbacks over the Applecross Peninsula and breathtaking views to Skye.

  • Applecross Inn

    cafe

    A remote coastal pub reached via the dramatic Bealach na Ba pass in the Scottish Highlands, one of Britain's most rewarding driving destinations.

Common questions about the NC500: North Coast 500

How long does the NC500: North Coast 500 take?

The driving itself is about 11 hr 24 min across 469 miles (755 km). Most people spread it over 7 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the NC500: North Coast 500?

469 miles, or 755 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the NC500: North Coast 500?

May to September. May and September are the sweet spots: long days, fewer motorhomes on the single-track sections, and the midges aren't at their worst. Winter driving is possible but the Bealach na Bà can close in snow.

What does the NC500: North Coast 500 cost in fuel?

Roughly £78 in fuel for a petrol car averaging 40 mpg. Motorways on this route are toll-free. Indicative only: fuel prices move.

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