The North Coast 500 is Scotland's most iconic road trip, offering bucket list coastal views and the adventure of a lifetime. The 516-mile route is a huge circular loop through the Scottish Highlands, taking in historical castles, mountain valleys, white sand beaches and Highland Coos.
The trip starts and ends in Inverness, but the route can be taken clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on whether you prefer to see the east or west coast first. Most people know the famous stops, such as Achmelvich Bay's white sands or the John O'Groats signpost, but the fun is choosing your own stops and overnight stays along the way.
A week on the road
The speed of the trip is up to you, with some completing it in a few days and others stretching it to a week or beyond. One traveller, Nicola Croal, put aside a week to see more of Scotland, following the loop clockwise from west to east. She stopped at famous landmarks but also sought out less popular places to make the trip more personal.
Here are five hidden gems she recommends to anyone taking on the road trip.
Corrieshalloch Gorge
Corrieshalloch Gorge was one of the first stops after travelling the Bealach na Bà mountain pass in Applecross. Thrill seekers must cross a Victorian suspension bridge to reach a suspended viewpoint platform, which offers spectacular views of the Falls of Measach below. There are also woodland trails to explore.
The attraction is free to visit, with toilets and a takeaway café, and parking costs around £5. It makes a great pit stop on the way to Ullapool, about 12 miles south.
Seafood shack and Dunnet Head
The Seafood Shack in Ullapool is a popular outdoor trailer restaurant serving locally caught seafood. It won Best Seafood Restaurant of the Year at the Food Awards Scotland 2026. It operates on a walk-in service and can get busy, but the menu changes daily depending on the catch. A portion of six langoustines served hot in garlic and thyme butter with bread cost £14.50.
Dunnet Head, about 11 miles further west than John O'Groats, is actually the most northerly point of mainland Britain. Situated 10 minutes outside Thurso, it offers coastal viewpoints with regular dolphin sightings. The 19th-century Dunnet Head lighthouse is still active, and the clifftop makes a fantastic sunset spot.
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and Brora Beach
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, three miles north of Wick on the east coast of Caithness, dates back to the 15th and 17th centuries and was once the seat of Clan Sinclair. Built around 1470 as Castle Girnigoe, it was re-named Castle Sinclair after a Renaissance-style expansion in the early 17th century. A half-mile walking path from a car park near Noss Head Lighthouse leads to the ruins, with a modern footbridge installed in 2008 crossing the chasm where the original drawbridge stood.
Brora Beach on the east coast was the favourite spot of the trip. The golden sand beach stretches about 2.5 miles, with connected shoreline paths allowing walks of up to 6 miles toward Golspie. It was quiet and peaceful, with free parking at the Brora Golf Club car park or a short walk from the railway station. The sunset there was the most beautiful one seen on the trip.
