Northcoast 500

[ECGT3]

I'm planning on having a go at this in April sometime with three friends. Due to time/work constraints I'm looking into getting the 4 cars transported (London to Inverness)

Does anyone have any recommendations on who to use?

Also any suggestions on good stop over places to stay en route?

Many thanks

[Sandy59]

This place was quite nice as I remember :

[anonymous-user]

ECGT3 said:

I'm planning on having a go at this in April sometime with three friends. Due to time/work constraints I'm looking into getting the 4 cars transported (London to Inverness)

Does anyone have any recommendations on who to use?

Also any suggestions on good stop over places to stay en route?

I would suggest Cars Europe (http://www.carseurope.net/). You'd want to take them on a shared load basis to get your timings but London > Glasgow was £650 + VAT one way for me. Inverness I'd suggest is probably £750 - £800 + VAT. There wasn't much variation in pricing between the 4 firms that I use to move my cars, maybe £100 per leg max but it required flexibility on dates i.e. you'd need to be able to have the vehicle dropped ahead of your arrival and collected after your departure potentially. This was a security concern for me as it could be 3-7 days either side.

Inverness wise - I'd recommend The Boath House (food), Knockendarroch and Beinn Bracaigh off the top of my head, all close to Inverness. I'd also take a look at Trip Advisor for B&Bs - I've found reviews to be quite reliable but coming in to summer, quite a lot of places will only do 2 night stays, even mid-week.

Hope this helps.

[Boss Hogg]

Did the 500 last year.

https://www.olrighouse.co.uk/en/ is an interesting place to stay on the North Coast.

Smoo Caves is worth a stop to stretch the legs http://www.smoocave.org

AultBea Hotel posted above is really good for food.

Applecross Inn for best seafood in Scotland http://www.applecross.uk.com/inn/ Road up to it pretty epic too.

Best scenery is in and around Torridon.

Worth a hop over to Skye if you can squeeze it in.

[jackwood]

Why transport all the way to Inverness? Just get them dropped in Glasgow as the run over Rannock and Glencoe and then up from Fort William is great.

[Slippydiff]

jackwood said:

Why transport all the way to Inverness? Just get them dropped in Glasgow as the run over Rannock and Glencoe and then up from Fort William is great.

Southern softies ?

[Slippydiff]

Boss Hogg said:

Did the 500 last year.

https://www.olrighouse.co.uk/en/ is an interesting place to stay on the North Coast.

Smoo Caves is worth a stop to stretch the legs http://www.smoocave.org

AultBea Hotel posted above is really good for food.

Applecross Inn for best seafood in Scotlandhttp://www.applecross.uk.com/inn/ Road up to it pretty epic too.

Best scenery is in and around Torridon.

Worth a hop over to Skye if you can squeeze it in.

Hmmm, not in my experience. I'd say the Lochleven Seafood Cafe is better (as is the road to it, the legendary Scotsburgring)

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Lochleven+Seaf...

[ECGT3]

Thanks all for the advice. Very helpful

[dvshannow]

would suggest transporting to inverness too did this last year, its great but the drive to inverness is tedious when I went was full of roadworks and average speed checks

[Gorsh]

dvshannow said:

would suggest transporting to inverness too did this last year, its great but the drive to inverness is tedious when I went was full of roadworks and average speed checks

Depends which way you go.
Good idea if you have no time to drive up, but as said above Glasgow to Inverness via Glen Shee and Tomintoul, or to the west coast through Glen Coe and Fort William are brilliant and superb drives.

[Maxym]

Glasgow to Crianlarich via Loch Lomond is tedious but Callendar to there via Lochearnhead and Killin can be better depending on traffic. Crianlarich to Glencoe across Rannoch Moor is a fantastic drive - though again day and time of day are key to getting a decent run. If I were planning an NC500 trip I'd want to include Rannoch Moor.

[nigelonich]

ECGT3 said:

I'm planning on having a go at this in April sometime with three friends. Due to time/work constraints I'm looking into getting the 4 cars transported (London to Inverness)

Does anyone have any recommendations on who to use?

Also any suggestions on good stop over places to stay en route?

Many thanks

I use Five Star (James Gibb) who run to London and back every week (cars getting taken to London for Le Mans a while back). Allow £1 mile but four cars return would get a better deal I am sure. They have a yard at Kilmarnock that you could maybe land at GLA and get a cab too easy enough.



The comments to start in Glasgow are valid so unless you are determined to start and end in Inverness then Id start in Glasgow as going up through Glencoe to Inverness via Fort William on the A82 would be circa 3hrs and worth it. Even better you could hook onto the NC500 at Lochcarron if you headed to Kyle of Lochalsh from Fort William. Look at the map.

Whatever accommodation you want book it early and set expectations low.

[London GT3]

I did the NC500 in September.

Places to stay include:
Applecross Inn at Applecross
Mackay's Rooms at Durness
Gleneagles on the way home.

As for the drive, I am glad to say I have done it but I wouldn't do it again. Too much of the route is very ordinary. I would however go back and drive up and down the coastal roads between Applecross and Durness until the last drop of petrol was exhausted from the planet. Absolutely stunning roads on the North West Coast

[f1ten]

Boxster is about as big as you want on these roads
Agreed ideally trailer you glasgow then drive north or hire a decent car for the trip

[f1ten]

[Digga]

Maxym said:

Glasgow to Crianlarich via Loch Lomond is tedious but Callendar to there via Lochearnhead and Killin can be better depending on traffic. Crianlarich to Glencoe across Rannoch Moor is a fantastic drive - though again day and time of day are key to getting a decent run. If I were planning an NC500 trip I'd want to include Rannoch Moor.

When I was just 24 I piloted my first proper car - a 4 litre TVR Griffith - through there and on up to Skye.

I have no idea how many lives I used up - one when I took off on a hump back near Oban and hit my head on the roof, nearly knocking myself out, and another on a lurid slide approaching the Ballachulish bridge (it was very wet that day) - but the memories will be with me forever.

[Wozy68]

Why bother though. Ferries to Spain (so your chauffeured most of the way) and head for the Pyrenees, only a very very small chance of being stopped, no risk to your driving licence unless your doing stupid stupid speeds, far more twisties, fantastic scenery and better tarmac, cheaper hotels with mainly secure parking and super cheap beer.

It works out a lot cheaper than a Scottish trip from the South as well, Happy days.:

[Slippydiff]

Wozy68 said:

Why bother though. Ferries to Spain (so your chauffeured most of the way) and head for the Pyrenees, only a very very small chance of being stopped, no risk to your driving licence unless your doing stupid stupid speeds, far more twisties, fantastic scenery and better tarmac, cheaper hotels with mainly secure parking and super cheap beer.

It works out a lot cheaper than a Scottish trip from the South as well, Happy days.:

Well there's the cost of the ferry for starters, then what, the two days and two nights on the ferry ? Having to deal with Johnny Foreigner (and their food ....) and the list goes on. Much as I love France, Germany etc, Scotland's just easier, and as for the twisties and scenery, well that's just your subjective opinion (I'll give you the Tarmac) though I seem to recall you and others stating very clearly on their threads on PH "Avoid this road 'cos the surface is atrocious"

[Wozy68]

Slippydiff said:

Well there's the cost of the ferry for starters, then what, the two days and two nights on the ferry ? Having to deal with Johnny Foreigner (and their food ....) and the list goes on. Much as I love France, Germany etc, Scotland's just easier, and as for the twisties and scenery, well that's just your subjective opinion (I'll give you the Tarmac) though I seem to recall you and others stating very clearly on their threads on PH "Avoid this road 'cos the surface is atrocious"

Just try it once Slippy (and the 19 hr ferry). Take a week off and spend five of them driving some of the finest quietest roads in Europe. You'll not look north again for pure driving fun, trust me.