North Coast 500 Hotels

[david000]

Hi All,

Any hotel recommendations for the North Coast 500 ? I'm hoping to head up in September.

Cheers


David

[david000]

Cheers all. I confess that I was starting to be put off the idea with the stories of huge convoys of cars and the hassle finding accommodation !

[david000]

Cheers all

[david000]

Thanks all for your help on this. For others, we did our trip week last, starting in Fort William (Clan Mcduff, eating at the Ben Nevis Inn) before heading North for The Torridon where we stayed in one of the Torridon-Inn rooms.

Next up was the Scourie Hotel, before heading to up and across to Tongue where we turned South for the Cairngorms area where we stopped at the Boat hotel in the Boat of Garten. The following day we took the old Military road past the Letch and Glenshee ski centers before Berwick opon Tweed where we stayed at Marshall Meadows.

Other than Fort William, we ate where we stayed.

Roads wise, The run up from Fort William was excellent and the Applecross pass and cast road well worth it. With hind sight I'd probably not bother with the Lochinver loop the following day, and would try and get further North instead maybe staying in the Duress area.

We decided to cut South at Tounge but that's a lot of single track and again with hind sight I'd probably carry on the advertised NC route before cutting on better roads.

The drive from Cairgorms past the ski resorts was superb with some lovely driving roads. Less so the A1 past Edinburgh.

A couple of pics. More on Flickr if anyone is interested.


Torridon-Beinn-Alligin


Stob-nan-Cabar


The Lecht

[david000]

GetCarter said:

Did I see your car outside the Shieldaig Hotel?

I don't think so, it's not one we stopped at. In that part of the world we stopped at the Inverewe Gardens.

[david000]

giveitfish said:

Was it busy then? That single track is fab when it's empty, I really enjoyed it when I was there. The route from Tongue to John O'Groats and then south is nothing to write home about imho so I don't think you missed anything.

Not busy at all. We did it on the Friday 16th and hardly saw anyone at all. To be fair, of the single track we did it was pretty good but I'd have liked to have covered the ground a little faster.

I did suspect as much about John O'Groats which is why we did the option. Maybe it was the best bet. My Wife was a bit board of Single Track by then

[david000]

Red Devil said:

If you want a longer alternative try this route to Lairg (I can recommend the Pier cafe for lunch or tea).

Cheers, I'll give it a go next time

[david000]

Red Devil, I confess that I did use some of your route suggestions from other threads here. The 'old military road' route in particular was superb. Thanks for the tips.

[david000]

Yep, it was more the 'co driver' that was complaining. That said our 2 up, fat Elise wasn't really happy on those roads.

Empty, with just me driving would be a different proposition