Scotland NC500 Beaches Road Trip 🏖️🏴
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A coastal adventure around the NC500 featuring some of the most beautiful and remote beaches in the Scottish Highlands.
🚌 Don’t Want To Drive Or Plan The Trip Yourself?
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I highly recommend checking out the NC 500 Rabbie’s tour.
It hits all the highlights of this itinerary and is a local Scottish company I’ve used many times and their tours and guides are always exceptional.
Itinerary Summary
📍 Start in Inverness
📍 Dornoch Beach
📍 Brora Beach
📍 Strathy Beach
📍 Farr Beach, Bettyhill
📍 Ceannabeinne Beach
📍 Durness Beach
📍 Balnakeil Beach
📍 Clachtoll Beach
📍 Achmelvich Beach
📍 Mellon Udrigle Beach
📍 Gairloch Beach
📍 Back to Inverness via Applecross
🚗 Distance: 540 miles
Expect white sands, turquoise waters, and some of the most peaceful shorelines in Scotland.
🚗 Need a car for this road trip?
If you don’t have your own car, I’d really recommend renting one — it gives you the flexibility to stop at each waterfall and explore at your own pace.
I usually use DiscoverCars to compare prices and find the best deals across different rental companies.
👉 It’s really easy to use:
- Compare multiple providers in one place
- Cheaper than booking direct
- Free cancellation on most options
- Their 3rd party insurance is a lot cheaper
- They have a great customer service for claims (though I hope you won’t have to use it!
Additional Information & Highlights
📍Inverness
🗺️ Things To Do:
- Walk along the River Ness and cross the Greig Street Bridge
- Go to the Old High Church Graveyard
- Go on a historic walking tour of Inverness
- Visit Inverness Castle
- Go on a bike tour of Inverness
- Visit Inverness Cathedral
- Go to Leakey’s Bookshop (one of the most famous bookshops in the UK)
- Shop and have lunch at The Victorian Market
- Go to Ness Islands
🏨 Accommodation: Ardentorrie Guest House
📍 Dornoch Beach
This is a very long and wide beach with golden sand, making it the ideal place for a walk.
🅿️ Parking: Here
🚽Toilet facilities: Yes
🐶 Dog-friendly: Yes, all year round
🍤 The Highland Larder is a great place to get lunch, especially if you like seafood.
📍 Strathy Beach
📍 Clachtoll Beach
📍 Achmelvich Beach
📍 Gairloch Beach
