NC500 (north coast road)
Discussion
Try not to let the weather warning comments affect your ideas about Scottish roads.
The sun does shine in all parts of Scotland at one time or another. Quite often, May turns out to be one of Scotland's warm and sunniest months.
For folk that live in the deepest south of England, words can't describe Highland roads.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.2578582,-5.02574...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.4245764,-4.98919...
The sun does shine in all parts of Scotland at one time or another. Quite often, May turns out to be one of Scotland's warm and sunniest months.
For folk that live in the deepest south of England, words can't describe Highland roads.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.2578582,-5.02574...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.4245764,-4.98919...
Rocco1 said:
Any hotel recommendations and places to visit
Two I'd highly reccomend on the wst coast:http://www.torridon.com (lots of rooms, huge car park, pub style inn and posh hotel)
http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk (smaller rooms, not such space for parking, but great food in new restaraunt)
GetCarter said:
Two I'd highly reccomend on the wst coast:
http://www.torridon.com (lots of rooms, huge car park, pub style inn and posh hotel)
http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk (smaller rooms, not such space for parking, but great food in new restaraunt)
Thank you booked the torridon for the first night,where would you or anyone else recommomend the second stop over and is it possible to drive from say the torridon to john o groats or even further before night falls http://www.torridon.com (lots of rooms, huge car park, pub style inn and posh hotel)
http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk (smaller rooms, not such space for parking, but great food in new restaraunt)
Thank you
Rocco1 said:
Thank you booked the torridon for the first night,where would you or anyone else recommomend the second stop over and is it possible to drive from say the torridon to john o groats or even further before night falls
Thank you
I do Torridon / Durness a lot and it's just under 3 hours if you push on (and don't stop for photos/fuel etc), So John o Groats is certainly do-able.Thank you
ETA, you might not realise but in mid May you have 18 hours light per day this for north. 4 of them before breakfast!
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 27th January 14:08
GetCarter said:
I do Torridon / Durness a lot and it's just under 3 hours if you push on (and don't stop for photos/fuel etc), So John o Groats is certainly do-able.
ETA, you might not realise but in mid May you have 18 hours light per day this for north. 4 of them before breakfast!
ie if you can get up early: do it then go back for breakfast!ETA, you might not realise but in mid May you have 18 hours light per day this for north. 4 of them before breakfast!
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 27th January 14:08
Assuming you will do photo-ops, there's a very large car park on the North side of the Kylesku Bridge for a classic back-drop to the cars.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.2578582,-5.02574...
By the way, road surfaces are generally very good in the Highlands with open sight-lines (no trees) on the bends for making good progress
a driving treat.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@58.2578582,-5.02574...
By the way, road surfaces are generally very good in the Highlands with open sight-lines (no trees) on the bends for making good progress

Rocco1 said:
Thank guys
Cars we will be driving are the likes of Mclaren 650s,Ferrari Scuderia,Lambo Gallardo Spyder,Porsche 997t,TVR and kit cars,are the roads user friendly for such cars
As long as you take care on the really tight stuff and the undulations in some spots you'll be fine. My V12V survives just fine. It's very easy to get carried away on the way down the East coast when you get past the Ord of Caithness so keep an eye on your speed. Cars we will be driving are the likes of Mclaren 650s,Ferrari Scuderia,Lambo Gallardo Spyder,Porsche 997t,TVR and kit cars,are the roads user friendly for such cars
cheers,
GetCarter said:
I do Torridon / Durness a lot and it's just under 3 hours if you push on (and don't stop for photos/fuel etc), So John o Groats is certainly do-able.
ETA, you might not realise but in mid May you have 18 hours light per day this for north. 4 of them before breakfast!
Don't stay the night in JoG, keep going another 16 miles and stop in Wick. Mackays Hotel is decent and good food. There are a few other reasonable hotels in the town, a few pubs and a couple of decent restaurants. ETA, you might not realise but in mid May you have 18 hours light per day this for north. 4 of them before breakfast!
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 27th January 14:08
Afternoon all
Has anyone driven the NC500 in one day if so how many hours did it take
We are thinking of making a start from The Torridon Hotel at 8am Saturday and be in Inverness by 7/8pm ???
The next day we are planning to head towards Loch Ness and then Fort William and back towards Manchester is this possible
Thank you
Has anyone driven the NC500 in one day if so how many hours did it take
We are thinking of making a start from The Torridon Hotel at 8am Saturday and be in Inverness by 7/8pm ???
The next day we are planning to head towards Loch Ness and then Fort William and back towards Manchester is this possible
Thank you
Rocco1 said:
Afternoon all
Has anyone driven the NC500 in one day if so how many hours did it take
We are thinking of making a start from The Torridon Hotel at 8am Saturday and be in Inverness by 7/8pm ???
The next day we are planning to head towards Loch Ness and then Fort William and back towards Manchester is this possible
Thank you
Yep. You can do that. Especially in Mid May. A Sunday in August would be a LOT harder. As mentioned, several in here have done the whole 500 in a day (though taking two, stopping at Torridon is much more fun IMO)Has anyone driven the NC500 in one day if so how many hours did it take
We are thinking of making a start from The Torridon Hotel at 8am Saturday and be in Inverness by 7/8pm ???
The next day we are planning to head towards Loch Ness and then Fort William and back towards Manchester is this possible
Thank you
Rocco1 said:
Whats the average speed mph you guys travel on the NC500
The National Speed Limit, of course 


It's pleasantly satisfying though, how many Leptons per Light-Year can be achieved.
As was mentioned in a previous post, in some places the National Limit can concentrate the mind quite acutely. The changes in road lay-out/size can be very abrupt. Always assume something big might be coming towards you around any blind bits. There is always the chance of meeting a tractor or occasionally me in a convoy of artic trucks on the Durness-Ullapool section! (We're spaced out over several miles

Single track in parts but the open sight-lines make for good progress, with plenty of official Passing Places.
Edited by bigwheel on Monday 1st February 01:28
Just in case anybody needs a bit more encouragement to make the trip North to to the 500...
https://video.fbom1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/...
https://video.fbom1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/...
C997 said:
Just in case anybody needs a bit more encouragement to make the trip North to to the 500...
https://video.fbom1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/...
Link not working https://video.fbom1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/...
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