12 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Doing The NC 500 in June
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Are you heading to Scotland in June and wondering if there is anything you should know before your trip? You’ve come to the right place!
I drove the North Coast 500 in June and it was honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever done.
The road is extraordinary, the scenery is unlike anything else in the UK, and June is a brilliant time to do it.
That said, there are a few things I wish someone had told me before I set off.
Some of these tips apply all year round, but a lot of them are specific to June, and they’re the kind of things that make a real difference to how much you enjoy the trip.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Make the Most of the Daylight
One thing that genuinely surprised me about the NC500 in June is just how long the days are.
Scotland is further north than most people realise which means you get really long days in June.
Around the summer solstice, you’re looking at sunrise around 4:21am and sunset around 10:23pm in Inverness, which is close to 18 hours of daylight.
This is genuinely one of the best reasons to do the NC500 in June.
If you’re happy to get up early or stay out late, you can fit an extraordinary amount into each day.
My advice would be to get up early, because the mornings tend to be quieter and there is something very special about driving those roads before anyone else is around.
If you’re slightly short on time, this is also the best month of the year for the NC500 for exactly this reason.
Having said that, if you are camping, the daylight can be an issue so I would recommend packing a sleep mask.
2. Bring Insect Repellent for the Midges
I’d heard about midges plenty of times, but I’d always been in the Highlands in late May or very early June and never really had much bother with them.
Well, I was not prepared for what happened when I actually drove the NC500 in June.
They are absolutely awful and if you’re at all prone to insect bites, you need to take this seriously.
The good news is that a bit of wind keeps them away, so on breezier days you’ll be fine. The bad news is that on still, calm days, they are relentless.
So, what can you do against midges?
First, Avon Skin So Soft is a popular choice and works well if you’re not very sensitive to bites.
It smells far better than traditional repellent and you can find it easily.
If you are prone to get bitten by mosquitoes and midges, I’d go stronger.
Smidge is a well-known Scottish brand and you’ll find it in shops along the route, but you’ll pay less if you order it online before you go.
I would also recommend buying a tick remover before you go as there are also a lot of ticks in Scotland and if you go hiking there are more chances to get one.
3. Pack a First Aid Kit
There are pharmacies along the NC500, but they’re few and far between, and if something goes wrong between them, you’re going to be glad you were prepared.
I actually had a first aid kit with me and still ended up in a difficult situation, because I got quite badly bitten by midges and had a reaction to the bites.
I didn’t have antihistamine cream or tablets, and had to wait until I reached the next pharmacy to sort myself out. Completely avoidable.
At the very minimum, make sure you’ve got antihistamines, insect bite cream, blister plasters, and the basic essentials. You don’t need anything elaborate, just don’t leave without it.
4. Make Sure You Have Breakdown Cover
You’re going to be driving a lot and in a very remote place so having breakdown cover is essential.
The NC500 itself is over 500 miles, and depending on where you’re starting from, you could easily clock up 1,000 miles or more over the course of the trip.
The roads are in decent condition but they are very narrow in places, and you’re in remote mountain and coastal terrain for most of the route.
Phone signal is patchy at best across large sections of the NC500.
If your car breaks down and you don’t have breakdown cover, you’re looking at a very expensive rescue in an area where help is not always quick to arrive.
If you’re taking your own car, check that your cover is in place before you go. If you’re hiring a car, make sure the hire includes breakdown assistance. This is not the one to skip.
5. Book Everything in Advance
The options in terms of accommodation on the NC 500 are very limited, therefore you should always book in advance.
This is simply not a trip you can wing the way you might on other road trips.
Admittedly, in June, it honestly wasn’t as busy as everyone had warned me it would be.
The road wasn’t congested and I didn’t feel like the attractions were overcrowded.
However, the accommodation and restaurant options along the route are genuinely very limited, and because there’s so little choice to begin with, things fill up fast.
The villages are small, the options are limited, and if you haven’t planned ahead, you could find yourself driving through a place with nowhere to stay and nowhere to eat.
Book your accommodation as early as you can, and if you have any specific requirements at all, don’t leave it to chance.
6. Pack for Four Seasons and Keep Your Layers Within Reach
This isn’t just a saying. In June on the NC500, you will genuinely experience four seasons in a single day.
There will be moments where it’s warm and sunny and you’re in a t-shirt.
Then the clouds roll in, the temperature drops, and you’re reaching for a fleece. Then it rains. Then the wind picks up. Then the sun comes out again.
The best thing I brought was my dryrobe, because it kept me warm and dry whatever the weather was doing.
You’ll also want a good waterproof jacket, layers you can add and remove easily, and a hat for when the sun comes out.
And crucially, don’t pack any of this at the bottom of your boot where you can’t get to it.
Keep a bag on the back seat with your layers in it, so you can adapt quickly as the weather changes throughout the day.
7. Go and See the Puffins
You’re in luck if you’re visiting in June, because April to July is puffin season in Scotland, and these are genuinely incredible birds. If you’ve never seen them, do not miss the chance.
The best place to see puffins on the NC500 is Dunnet Head, which is the most northerly point on mainland Britain.
Puffins nest in the clifftops here alongside a huge variety of other seabirds, and it’s a spectacular spot in its own right.
My strong advice is to bring a pair of binoculars.
Puffins are much smaller than most people expect, and without binoculars you’ll see them but not really appreciate them.
A decent pair doesn’t have to cost much and you’ll get a lot of use out of them elsewhere on the route too, from watching dolphins to spotting wildlife along the coast.
8. Fill Your Tank Before You Set Off
There are petrol stations on the NC500, but they are not frequent, and you should never assume there’s one coming up soon.
Start the route with a full tank and get into the habit of topping up whenever you pass a petrol station, even if you don’t strictly need to.
Fuel along the route is also more expensive than in larger towns and cities, so filling up before you set off will save you money as well as the stress of watching the gauge drop.
Don’t try to calculate how far you can stretch it. Just fill up whenever you can.
9. Never Park on a Passing Place
This applies all year-round, but it still needs to be mentioned because unfortunately, it still happens.
The majority of the NC500 is single-track road, which means when you meet oncoming traffic, one of you needs to pull into a passing place to let the other through.
The general rule is that whoever is nearest to a passing place should use it.
If there’s a queue of vehicles coming the other way, be sensible and make room even if the passing place is slightly further back for you.
The key thing is: do not park in a passing place. No matter how good the view is.
These spots exist to keep traffic moving safely, and if you park in one, you’ll block the road and create a genuinely dangerous situation.
There are plenty of proper lay-bys and stopping points on the NC500. Use those.
10. Download an Offline Map and a Playlist
Signal on the NC500 is unreliable for most of the route.
You cannot count on Google Maps working when you need it, and streaming music or podcasts simply won’t be possible for long stretches.
Before you set off, download an offline map of the area.
Google Maps lets you do this from within the app, and Maps.me is another solid option, especially for saving specific spots you want to visit.
For entertainment, download your Spotify playlists or podcasts before you leave somewhere with a decent connection.
The NC500 is one of those places where driving in complete silence is actually wonderful, but it’s good to have something downloaded for when you want it.
11. Don’t Forget Sunscreen and a Windbreaker
The sun here is stronger than people expect.
I barely ever get sunburn and yet Scotland gets me almost every time.
When the sun comes out, especially in the north, the UV rays are intense and you’ll burn faster than you think, particularly if you’re outside a lot or near the water.
The wind is equally easy to dismiss.
It is a constant on the north and west coasts, and it’s the kind of wind that cuts right through you even on a bright, sunny day.
A windbreaker is genuinely one of the most useful things you can have in your bag.
A hat will also come in handy (as in, a sun cap and a beanie!)
12. Stock Up on Food Before You Start
Outside of Thurso, where you’ll find a Lidl and a few other options, proper supermarkets are essentially nonexistent on the NC500.
What you’ll come across are small local shops like Spar and convenience stores, which are great, but they’re not equipped to do a big shop and everything is more expensive than in a larger town.
Stock up on supplies before you set off. Non-perishables are ideal, so things like snacks, dried pasta, tins, cereal, and anything that keeps without refrigeration.
If you have a cool box for the car, even better.
I would also highly recommend taking a portable gas cooker (even if you are not camping!).
Being able to pull over somewhere with a stunning view and make yourself a coffee or cook a simple meal is genuinely one of the best parts of a road trip like this.
There aren’t cafés or restaurants around every corner on the NC500, so being able to cater for yourself is a big advantage both practically and for your budget.
I hope this article will be helpful and will help you prepare better for your NC 500 trip.
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