Launched as a marketing exercise in 2015, the North Coast 500 (NC500) is a circular drive that loops around the very top of Scotland’s mainland. Since then the route, sometimes dubbed Scotland’s Route 66 has really taken off with a real boom in visitor numbers with many lured by the idea of a glorious drive and others by a road-trip off-the-beaten path.

The results have been mixed, with local businesses booming but some of the infrastructure buckling under the weight of the interest. Some locals have dubbed the route the Indy 500 based on some visitor driving styles, while national newspapers have complained of the many campervans slowing traffic and chocking lay-bys with their presence and waste.

Still things are very different outside July and August; the scenery is nothing less than spectacular for most of the route; and as long as you book accommodation and tours ahead then you should have a wonderful and memorable time here.

Wheels