North Coast 500 Hotels

North Coast 500 Hotels

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david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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Hi All,

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

Cheers


David

Craikeybaby

10,414 posts

225 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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There have been some suggestions in the last few months on the "Highlands" thread.

Bazzon

40 posts

191 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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My thread when we did it in the TVR back in September, states the places we stayed

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

giveitfish

4,033 posts

214 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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I spent a night at this place on my trip - http://www.dundonnellhotel.com/aboutus.php

Good food and good value (if basic and dated) rooms in a remote location at the head of a loch

This was the view from the car park looking up towards the loch:

Scotland April 2016 by giveitfish, on Flickr

stevemiller

536 posts

165 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
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We used the Summer Isle Hotel just north of Ullapool and the Camfield House Hotel in Thurso, I can recommend both.

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
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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 !

GetCarter

29,392 posts

279 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
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david000 said:
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 !
It's only occasionally that we get big convoys. (Mostly from Pistonheads!) Sept isn't too busy. Torridon Inn is a popular stop. http://torridon.com

JM

3,170 posts

206 months

Saturday 23rd July 2016
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I've been on north-western parts of the NC500 recently and not seen any large convoys.

Maybe 2 or 3 cars that looked like they could be together, but nothing more than that.



As for hotels, several were mentioned previously in another thread, probably the Highlands one.
But some the usual suspects are, Torridon, Kylesku, Inver Lodge. Others I'd suggest would be MacKay's in Durness and MacKays in Wick, Tongue Hotel, Royal Marine in Brora.

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Cheers all smile

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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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

GetCarter

29,392 posts

279 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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david000 said:
stuff
Did I see your car outside the Shieldaig Hotel?

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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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.

GetCarter

29,392 posts

279 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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david000 said:
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.
..another similar then. smile

giveitfish

4,033 posts

214 months

Sunday 25th September 2016
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Looks great!

david000 said:
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.
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.

Red Devil

13,060 posts

208 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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^^This^^

The A836 Tongue -> Achnasheen -> Lairg certainly wasn't busy when I did it a fortnight ago today. There was nothing in sight in front of me or behind. In the entire 35 miles of single track I encountered just 3 oncoming. The NC500 is a marketing tool for tourism and the eastern side is nothing special imo. The A836 east of Melvich is a tad boring and JoG itself is dire: cluttered with families in SUVs and coach parties. Duncansby Head is worth a detour for the lighthouse and the view of the cliffs and sea stacks but that's about it. T|he A9 south of Latheron is OK if you get a clear run, but if not it can be quite frustrating. A number of blind crests and hidden dips and the sightlines are nowhere near as good as many other roads in the far north.

If you want a longer alternative try this route to Lairg (I can recommend the Pier cafe for lunch or tea). The A897 is also single track but has been very quiet each time I have used it. The tourists stay on the A836 to Thurso/JoG then the A99 to Wick. The B9176 over the Struie is a proper driver's road. Exiting onto the busy A9 can be fun and games. The traffic also backs up at the A862 Ardullie roundabout and then you get a camel train across the Cromarty bridge. I prefer to go via Dingwall and join the A9 at the start of the d/c at the Tore roundabout.

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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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 wink

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
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 smile

david000

Original Poster:

173 posts

221 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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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.


giveitfish

4,033 posts

214 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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david000 said:
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 wink
Ahhh, makes sense. I think single-track is best when alone in the car. I finished that section out of breath, sweating a bit and with a 1000-mile stare so I might have been trying a bit too hard lol. I don't think I ever did any great speeds but there is an awful lot of accelerate-brake-turn-repeat going on.

I can second the recommendation for the The Pier too.

Red Devil

13,060 posts

208 months

Monday 26th September 2016
quotequote all
david000 said:
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.
How much faster?

It's by far the quickest single track road up that way. In dry conditions you can get a proper wriggle on south of Altnaharra if you're minded to - https://goo.gl/maps/V1QFuKfX8du - smile