10 day itinerary for the NC500

10-Day NC500 Itinerary: The Relaxed Road Trip Plan

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. You have time for the Cape Wrath ferry. You can climb Stac Pollaidh. You can eat a long lunch at the Applecross Inn and not feel guilty about leaving at three. The drive stops being a challenge and becomes a holiday.

This is a day-by-day plan running clockwise from Inverness, with generous driving breaks, built-in flexibility, and suggested detours for the sections that reward a slower pace. Average daily mileage is around 50. Most days have under three hours on the road. If a day of bad weather hits, the itinerary has enough slack to absorb it without ruining the rest of the trip.

If ten days feels like too much, we have a 7-day NC500 itinerary and a 5-day version. For the shape of the whole loop, see our NC500 route map or the full hub guide.

Before you start

·        Book the key accommodation first (Applecross, Torridon, Durness). See our NC500 accommodation guide.

·        Download offline maps and check fuel points before every day's drive.

·        Read up on the best time of year to drive the NC500 if dates are still flexible.

·        If you are travelling in a motorhome, read our motorhome and campervan guide first.

·        Plan for four seasons in every day and pack accordingly.

Day 1: Inverness to Applecross

Distance: 124 miles. Drive time: around 4.5 hours.

A reasonable first day: half the route's longest drives happen in the opening section. Leave Inverness mid-morning after a proper breakfast. Take the Kessock Bridge onto the Black Isle. If you have time, detour to Chanonry Point first thing for the rising tide and the dolphins. Rogie Falls, near Contin, is a gentle ten-minute walk and a good leg-stretcher.

Lunch at the Kishorn Seafood Bar on the way across. Save Applecross Inn for dinner. In the afternoon, drive over Bealach na Bà for your first real taste of the route: a 2,054-foot pass on a single-track road with a summit view that reaches to Skye on a clear day. Our full Bealach na Bà guide covers the drive in detail. Large motorhomes should take the alternative via Shieldaig.

Check into your accommodation in Applecross by early evening. Dinner at the Applecross Inn if you can book a table, or the Potting Shed at the Walled Garden as a strong alternative. The sunset over Raasay is the reward for the day.

Day 2: Applecross, at your own pace

Distance: optional short loops.

The advantage of ten days is that you can spend a full day exploring Applecross rather than racing on. Options, depending on weather and energy:

·        Walk round the Applecross peninsula on the coastal path: sections from the village give sea views across to Raasay and Skye.

·        Drive the small loop north to Lonbain and Kalnakill for the quieter side of the peninsula.

·        Take a boat trip from the pier to see Applecross from the water.

·        Cycle the Bealach na Bà (for the fit and ambitious).

·        Do nothing, read a book, drink a slow coffee at the Walled Garden cafe, and start relaxing into the holiday.

Dinner at Applecross Inn again if you can face it, or book one of the newer seasonal options in the village. Walk on the beach at dusk if the weather holds.

Day 3: Applecross to Gairloch

Distance: 75 miles. Drive time: around 2.5 hours.

A shorter day with plenty of room for stops. Leave Applecross heading north on the coast road with views across to Raasay. Single-track, slow, beautiful. Stop at Shieldaig for coffee and a walk along the loch front.

Through Torridon the scenery steps up. Stop at the Countryside Centre, then walk the Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail (a two-hour return route with one of the best short-walk views in the Highlands). Continue past Loch Maree to Gairloch. Check in, walk to the beach, eat at the Old Inn at Gairloch in the evening.

Day 4: Gairloch to Ullapool

Distance: 60 miles. Drive time: around 2 hours.

Another short day that expands to fill the time available. The road runs north to Poolewe. Spend a morning at Inverewe Garden if you like gardens (factor ninety minutes for the main walk). Otherwise, keep driving to Mellon Udrigle, which is one of the [LINK: best beaches on the NC500 → /guides/best-beaches-on-the-nc500] and worth the short diversion off the main road.

Lunch at the Dundonnell Hotel or pack your own for a beach picnic. Continue over the Braes of Ullapool with Corrieshalloch Gorge as your afternoon stop: a short walk to a suspension bridge over a 150-foot waterfall. Roll into Ullapool by late afternoon.

Evening: walk the shore at Ullapool, eat at the Seafood Shack or the Arch Inn, and watch the Stornoway ferry come in.

Day 5: Ullapool rest day or Assynt exploration

Distance: optional. As much or as little as you want.

Ullapool is one of the best bases on the NC500 because the Assynt peninsula lies within easy reach. Options:

·        Climb Stac Pollaidh. A 3-4 hour return walk with easy scrambling at the summit. One of the most dramatic short hill walks in Scotland.

·        Drive the full B869 coast loop round Stoer, including Achmelvich beach and the Old Man of Stoer walk.

·        Take a boat trip to the Summer Isles from Ullapool harbour (weather permitting).

·        Visit Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt for a ruined sixteenth-century castle on a peninsula in a mountain-rimmed loch.

·        Eat Lochinver Larder pies at the Lochinver Larder itself.

Any combination works. The whole point of day five is that you have the breathing room to pick your own adventure.

Day 6: Ullapool to Durness

Distance: 95 miles. Drive time: around 3 hours.

Driving day, but a beautiful one. Head north on the A835, turn onto the A837 toward Lochinver, then take the optional B869 coast road if you did not do it yesterday. Cross Kylesku Bridge (photo stop on the south side), continue north through Scourie. If it is fine weather and you are ahead of time, the Handa Island ferry from Tarbet gives you a four-mile walk around one of Scotland's finest seabird colonies.

Continue east to Durness. Check in, walk to [LINK: Smoo Cave → /guides/smoo-cave], eat at Cocoa Mountain for the best hot chocolate in the Highlands, and watch the light drop over Balnakeil beach.

Day 7: Cape Wrath and Durness

Distance: short drives only. A memorable day.

One of the days that ten days allows and seven does not. The Cape Wrath ferry and minibus from Keoldale takes around three hours round trip and delivers you to the most north-westerly point of mainland Britain. The cliffs are astonishing. The lighthouse itself was built by Robert Stevenson. Go in the morning: afternoons can get windy and the last minibus returns by mid-afternoon.

Check ahead for MoD live firing closures, which happen several times a year without much notice. If Cape Wrath is not running, spend the day on Balnakeil beach, Faraid Head or an extended walk round the Durness cliffs.

Dinner in Durness. A good bet is Mackays Rooms for fish.

Day 8: Durness to Thurso

Distance: 77 miles. Drive time: around 2.5 hours.

The north coast day. Drive east from Durness along the A838. Stop at Ceannabeinne Beach, a smaller pink-sand cove you can reach by wooden steps from the road. The causeway across the Kyle of Tongue has one of the best views on the north coast: stop on the south-west end for the best angle.

Continue through Tongue, past Bettyhill, out to Strathy Point (short walk to a decommissioned lighthouse). Lunch in Bettyhill or pack your own and eat on the beach. Afternoon into Thurso, the biggest town on the north coast. Proper supermarket, proper coffee, proper meal options.

Evening: if you are here between September and March, check an aurora forecast. Dunnet Head and Strathy Point are both strong aurora locations.

Day 9: Thurso to Dornoch

Distance: 85 miles. Drive time: around 2.5 hours.

The run down the east coast, with more to see than most drivers realise. Start with a detour to Dunnet Head, the true northernmost point of mainland Britain. Continue to John o' Groats (quick photo at the signpost), then the short drive east to Duncansby Head. The walk from the car park to the Duncansby Stacks is one of the best short walks on the whole route. Allow an hour.

Head south on the A99 through Wick. Stop at Whaligoe Steps just south of Wick. A 365-step staircase down a natural cliff-harbour where fisherwomen once carried loads of herring. Allow an hour with the walk down and back.

Continue through Helmsdale and Brora. Just north of Golspie, Dunrobin Castle is worth a long stop if you have time (189 rooms, falconry displays in summer). Overnight in Dornoch: small cathedral town with a fine beach, the Royal Dornoch golf course, and the Dornoch Castle Hotel for dinner.

Day 10: Dornoch to Inverness

Distance: 50 miles. Drive time: around 1 hour.

Ease out of the trip rather than race back. Walk on Dornoch beach first thing. Visit Dornoch Cathedral. If you still have energy for a detour, Cromarty on the eastern Black Isle is a half-hour off the A9 and has excellent food (Sutor Creek, the Cromarty Arms), old streets, and a dolphin spotting point at the Sutor Creek.

Back into Inverness for lunch. Give yourself time in the afternoon to walk by the river and visit the castle before dropping off a hire car or catching a train. By the end of day ten you will have driven 516 miles, spent proper time in most of the places people rush past, and come back with memories that will keep you thinking about another trip.

Building in a side trip to Orkney

If you have the appetite for one more day, the passenger ferry from Gills Bay (near John o' Groats) to St Margaret's Hope in Orkney takes around an hour. Orkney deserves its own trip, but a day there on the way round is better than not going at all. Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and Kirkwall itself are all reachable in a day if you are disciplined.

If Orkney is on your list, build in an extra night in Thurso or Wick to accommodate the crossing times. Bookings are essential in summer.

Making this itinerary yours

This is a framework, not a prescription. Common adjustments:

·        Add a second rest day in Durness if you are tired.

·        Skip Cape Wrath if the weather is poor and walk Balnakeil and Faraid Head instead.

·        Move accommodation less often (Gairloch for two, Ullapool for two, Durness for two, Dornoch for two) if you prefer bases to daily moves.

·        Reverse the direction if you prefer quieter summer driving. The itinerary works anti-clockwise with minor reordering.

For curated stops throughout the loop, see our 25 best stops on the NC500, best beaches guide and most beautiful scenery guide If you plan to camp, the campsites along the NC500 guide covers every main site on the loop.

Frequently asked questions

Is ten days too long for the NC500?

Not for most people. Ten days gives you time for Cape Wrath, a rest day or two, walks, longer meals and proper exploring. If you have done the route before and feel you raced it, ten days is the answer.

How many miles per day in a 10-day NC500 itinerary?

Averaging around 50 miles a day, with some driving days closer to 100 and some rest days with no driving at all. The longest day in this plan is 124 miles (day one).

Can I combine the NC500 with Orkney in 10 days?

Yes, if you trim one of the rest days from this itinerary. Crossing from Gills Bay and spending a day in Orkney adds one night to the trip. Book ferries well in advance for summer.

Is a 10-day NC500 itinerary suitable for families?

Yes, and arguably better than shorter plans. Ten days means less time on the road each day, more room for beach time, and flexibility to handle the inevitable tired-child moments. See our best beaches guide and best stops guide for child-friendly options.

What should I not miss on a 10-day NC500 trip?

Cape Wrath, Stac Pollaidh, Smoo Cave, Duncansby Stacks, Mellon Udrigle, Bealach na Bà, Kylesku Bridge, Dunrobin Castle. Ten days lets you do all of the above without rushing.