It’s the 5th of June and we’re off on a road trip. We’re driving up north from Edinburgh and running the gauntlet of the North Coast 500. A circuit of 500 scenic miles around the very edge of Scotland. Having both been born here and living here for most of our lives, it felt right that we do this, while we’re still here.
I last posted in January, following a tour of Oman. There I described how we’d left our jobs, with plans hatching for the future. Well, it’s been a busy few months. In between a smattering of trips (Portugal, Spain, and various local excursions), we’ve been packing up our lives, selling possessions and planning our future. As I write, our house is up for sale and we’re planning an adventure. More on that later.
In preparing for the NC500, we borrowed a roof box, and a refrigerated cooler box for the car (thanks Al & Jo!). I had all the tyres replaced on the car, along with new spark plugs and coolant, oil and other fluids topped up. I fitted roof rails, the box, and the bike rack and loaded up ‘The Adventure Wagon’.
This trip is about exploring the remote beauty of Scotland, and ‘celebrating’ my 50th birthday. I disagree with the latter, and am working on having it struck from the record. This 5 day excursion is also being used to trial run The Adventure Wagon for a much bigger expedition.
Day 1.
We left Edinburgh and worked our way north, crossing the Forth River via the ever-gleaming Queensferry Crossing Bridge – a testament to engineering and effective project management. We drove up through Fife and into Perthshire; winding our way along the A9 – a road that is testament to incompetence and ineffective project management, where after 15 years, a pitiful 11 miles of dual-laned carriageway has been completed. Fortunately, the painful pace suited my bike-laden car and we arrived in Aviemore for lunch. A quick mooch around the outdoors shops and we pushed north, up past Inverness and to near Strathpeffer, where we checked into the Coul House Hotel.
The hotel was recommended by a friend, and served as a very comfortable place to spend the night. Lovely staff and decent food.
Day 2.
We struck out the next morning, back to the coast and wound our way north, stopping at the pretty village of Cromarty, through whisky-distillery towns (Glen Morangie, Dalmore) and having lunch in the very picturesque town of Dornoch. From there, we rejoined the A9, winding through ever-sparser villages up past Wick to John O’Groats.
Known as the most northerly point in the mainland UK, the car park was busy with bikers, cars, camper vans and one chap in a wheelchair who had just arrived from Lands End – very impressive. We got the obligatory photograph before changing in the car and heading out for a run along the coast to Duncansby Head, which was a stunning viewpoint at a vaulted headland, overlooking sea stacks speckled with nesting birds.
We stayed at the Northstar 3 accommodation, which did not live up to its description – having bought food en route, the ill-described lodgings turned out not to have a kitchen, or the promised living room but only an overly hot bedroom and no view. We headed back to Wick for dinner (everything shuts in J O’G’s at 5:30pm!).
Day 3.
Today, the scenery really opened up. We cast off early doors and made our way along the very north of Scotland – first to Dunnet Head, the true most northerly point in mainland UK. This coast is a feast for the eyes; stunning golden-sand beaches abutt highland rocky outcroppings. Sheep roam freely, often on the roads. The traffic was light and the few RVs we caught up with quickly pulled over to let us pass along the single track roads (lorry drivers, take note).
Our route took us through Thurso and past Dounreay, the mothballed nuclear power station, past pretty Bettyhill to Tongue, a picturesque little village by a sea loch. Here we stopped at the Norse Bakehouse for an exceptional sandwich (highly recommended!). From there we worked our way around the spectacular Loch Eribol, repleat with dramatic rock-strewn coastline up through Durness and to Balnakeil Beach. We donned our walking boots and hiked out along the beach to the remote Faraid Head point, Puffin-huntin’ (failure). The weather edged from sunshine, to threatening clouds to huge downpour, back to sunshine in the couple of hours of hiking.
On the way back, we stopped at the Cocoa Mountain cafe in Balnakeil for a very decadent hot chocolate (strong recommend), then backtracked via the pretty Durness Bay, to Smoo Cave. We explored this vaulted sea cave – free to enter to see the waterfall inside, then hiked back up to the cliff-top, from where we drove the 2 minutes to our lodgings for the night, the Smoo Cave Hotel. This is a lovely little hotel with bar, restaurant and rooms. Our dual-aspect room looked out over farmland and spectacular cliffs, and the long evening gave us beautiful light. I went for a wander along the sheep-strewn cliff-tops to take some photos.
Day 4.
Rising early, we had a quick breakfast at the hotel then made a very quick drive (beating the satnav by 15 mins in a 1 hour drive!) to Tarbet to catch the Hanta Island Ferry. Few cars or campers at this time of day made for a very fun drive.
We arrived in time for the first ferry, but were about 16th in a queue and the boat only took 12. A 20 minute wait and the rib returned for us, ferrying us over to Hanta Island – a Scottish Wildlife protected island renoun for sea bird nesting. We set off to hike around this beautiful remote island, along the carefully tended paths and boardwalks around the high cliffs boarding half the island. At the aptly named Puffin Bay, we saw our first ever puffins atop the secluded Great Sea Stack. Fewer people have walked on this stack than on the moon.
The weather was glorious and the views very special. After a couple of hours, we’d hiked around the island, stopping back at the small rangers hut, before waiting on the beautiful sandy cove for enough hikers to gather to bring the ferry back for us.
Getting back to the mainland, we dashed to the car (still shod in big boots) and accelerated off along the single-track road, staying ahead of the other passengers and their motorhomes/limp-footed driving. We drove the 15mins to Scourie to have lunch at the recommended Crofters Kitchen – a small parking spot with a couple of converted containers producing the most remarkable takeaway food, to eat on the benches in their little courtyard. Roadside lobster, crab, venison burgers and beef brisket. An excellent if hugely filling lunch.
After lunch, we picked our way through the most dramatic landscapes yet, through Assynt, past famous peaks like Suilven and Stac Polaidh and through endless geological marvels; crystal clear lochs glittered at all elevations, either side of the road, next to craggy escarpments; verdant greens and gorse, with pink wild flowers peppered with ancient rocks unmoved for aeons. The road plunged through this landscape with serpentine grace, skipping over islands and sweeping bridges reminiscent of Norway’s North Atlantic Road.
We arrived mid afternoon in Ullapool, where we’re staying the night at the Harbour House – functional accommodation but clean and convenient. We ate at the nearby Waterfront Restaurant in the Royal Hotel – another good meal with a great waiter, but a tired looking hotel.
Day 5.
It’s my 50th Birthday. I first started writing a blog about 10 years ago – when we first went away travelling. I felt fresh, young and cared not a jot that I was 40. This time it’s a bit different. 50 is old. However, I don’t feel ancient, and despite reminders at every step (balloons on waking, banners and candles at breakfast, candles and singsongs at dinner!), today was a great day.
After a present-opening ceremony and waffle-candles, we repacked the car, collected the bike from the store and headed off on the 3.5 hour drive to Applecross. Stopping briefly at the Corrieshalloch Gorge to balance precariously on the Norman Foster suspension bridge, we made our way along the coast past the picturesque Gruinard Bay, through Poolewe to Gairloch, where we stopped for coffee and admired the meticulously curated books in the Hillbillies Bookshop, adjoining the Mountain Coffee Company cafe.
We continued our drive along Loch Maree (on which I once pack-rafted with a couple of friends) then cut inland at Kinlochewe to cross the spectacular single-track wilderness to Torridon. Here I became most frustrated with a couple of camper vans who ignored the police notices to pull over for faster traffic (despite flashing of lights and quite a lot of beeping). Fortunately, they had to pull over in a passing place for oncoming motorbikes who were narrow enough to let me ‘sneak’ past at the same time. Must. Contain. Rage (sorry Shona).
After Torridon, we elected to take the high pass to Applecross, over the infamous Bealach na Ba – the highest road in the UK. Shut in winter, this notorious stretch of singletrack isn’t for the faint of heart with perilous drop-offs and narrow cliff edges. Safely navigating our way up and over the pass to Applecross, We parked up, I swiftly changed into cycling gear, unloaded the bike and headed back up Bealach na Ba. It’s one of the most famous cycle challenges in the UK and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my 50th birthday. Shona walked the length and breadth of Applecross while I sweated my way up to the top of the pass. After an hour of solid climbing, I turned around and hared back down the road, an exhilarating ride, with some very hot and smelly brakes by the time I was back at the bottom.
We checked into the Applecross Inn and after showering, changing and replying to various birthday messages, enjoyed a delicious dinner with lovely company in an ostensibly closed bar (but if you asked nicely, they let you in). We retired to our room and watched a seal playing around in the bay opposite; a tranquil view.
Day 6.
The long drive home. We decided to take the long route home, via Glencoe, with a plan to drive up to Glen Etive, the famous valley and location for the the Bond movie, Skyfall. It was a long old drive to Glencoe, stopping for a mediocre lunch in the ever-mediocre Fort William. When we arrived, it was absolutely hoofing it down with rain, so avoiding a soaking, we continued the 6.5hr drive home.
I was always a bit sceptical of the NC500. Felt a little built-up; a great marketing ploy to trap tourists. I was also very wary of the roads; having driven up around some of these parts before, they’re notoriously narrow, single-track with passing places. If there’s any volume of traffic on them, they grind to a standstill very easily.
However, I’m delighted to have found it exceeded my expectations in every way. The East coast is fairly bare. Some nice villages, and sea views, but nothing compares to the far north and west. The scenery there is jaw-dropping. I’ve been lucky to visit many of the big mountain ranges around the world but Scotland’s are a truly unique blend of wild, gnarly, granite-strewn and green. They are repleat with lochs, valleys, epic sea views and towering mountains.
Doing this as we did in early June, we were very fortunate to avoid the worst of the traffic, and didn’t suffer major delays or frustrations. The accommodation en route isn’t stellar, but from the places we stayed, the best were definitely those attached to pubs/restaurants, where you get a warm welcome and good patter.
What’s next…
Very soon (like, within a week or so), we start a big trip. It starts by driving the car The Adventure Wagon down through the UK, visiting various folk en route, followed by a few days on the Isle of Wight. After that, we head over the channel and spend two months carving our way through Europe, aiming to meet friends in Turkey in late August. The journey will continue from there, to ever-more exotic places…
Travels with Sklaroffs 