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10 day itinerary for the NC500
Ten days is the NC500 at its best. You still do the full 516-mile loop, but you stop breathing in fifteen-minute bursts and start enjoying places properly.
10 free activities in Edinburgh
A day out in Edinburgh does not need to cost a fortune...
25 Best Stops on the NC500: The Places You Shouldn't Miss
The NC500 is a 516-mile driving loop, but the point of driving it is not the driving. The point is the stops. After hundreds of trips, rounds of reader feedback, here are the twenty-five stops we think earn their place on the loop
7 day itinerary for the nc500
Seven days is our recommended time to travel the NC500. Five days can just about get you round if you accept that you will be driving more than you are stopping.
8 Hidden Castles in Scotland
Scotland has no shortage of famous castles, but not every visit needs to be about ticking off the biggest names. Beyond Edinburgh, Stirling, and Eilean Donan are places that feel quieter, more personal, and just as full of history.
A guide to Culzean Castle
Perched dramatically on the Ayrshire coast, Culzean Castle is one of Scotland’s most breathtaking historical landmarks.
Ballater, Braemar and Strathdon: Hidden Cairngorms Gems
When most people think of the Cairngorms, destinations like Aviemore and Rothiemurchus tend to dominate the conversation.
Bealach na Bà - Scotland's most dramatic mountain pass
Bealach na Bà is a single-track mountain road that climbs from sea level to 2,054 feet in just over six miles.
Best parks in Glasgow
Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, may be known for its vibrant arts scene, historical architecture, and bustling streets, but it also boasts an impressive array of parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces.
Best Things to Do in Aviemore with Kids
Aviemore: where your kids can run wild (legally), spot wolves without fear, and fall asleep before 7pm from sheer exhaustion. It’s a Highlands win-win.
Best time of year to drive the NC500
There is no single best time to drive the NC500. Every season has a case for itself. Late May to early July is the window most seasoned visitors aim for, because of long daylight and generally settled weather.
Caerlaverock Castle
If castles could talk, Caerlaverock would have plenty to say. It’s been besieged, battered, rebuilt and admired for centuries
Campsites along the NC500
This guide is here to make your trip a bit easier. It pulls together campsites all the way around the NC500, laid out west to east, so you’re not zig-zagging across the map wondering where you can legally park up for the night.
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is one of Scotland's most dramatic and underrated castles. Perched on towering sea cliffs just north of Wick in Caithness, this spectacular fortress overlooks the North Sea from a narrow rocky headland.
Castles on the NC500
The far north of Scotland is castle country. The clans that ran this part for the best part of a thousand years (Mackenzies, Sinclairs, Mackays, Sutherlands) all left fortifications behind, and the NC500 passes close to more than a dozen of them.