516 miles17 stagesChecked 9 November 2026

The North Coast 500, stage by stage.

The loop from Inverness round the far north of Scotland: the route on a map, the distance between each stop, the single-track rules, where a campervan can stop overnight, and the roadworks to plan round.

A campervan crossing Kylesku Bridge over the loch, with the Sutherland hills behind

The short answer

Distance: 516 miles (830 km), starting and ending in Inverness (North Coast 500 travel guide)
Time: At least 5 to 7 days, the route's own advice (North Coast 500 travel guide)
Direction: Either way round. Clockwise takes the Bealach na Bà early on (North Coast 500 travel guide)
Roads: Mostly A-roads, with single-track sections and passing places (North Coast 500 travel guide)
Big vans: Longer than a standard VW T5 conversion (about 16–18 ft)? Take the alternative motorhome routes (North Coast 500 road safety)

The route, stage by stage

Clockwise from Inverness. Miles are measured along the OpenStreetMap route line between stops and add up to 515; the official map's own stage distances agree to within a mile or two.

The North Coast 500 in green, numbered as in the stages below. Coastline: Natural Earth. Route and places: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

1
Inverness to Lochcarron64 miles · 64 so far
Via Beauly, Muir of Ord, Garve and Achnasheen
Roadworks with traffic lights on the A835 at Loch Garve; Traffic Scotland expects them to run into summer 2027. (Traffic Scotland: A835 Loch Garve)
2
Lochcarron to Applecross18 miles · 82 so far
Via the Bealach na Bà
The pass climbs from sea level to 630 m in about 6 km, with hairpins and gradients near 20%. The NC500 site says it isn't suitable for large motorhomes, caravans or inexperienced drivers. (Wikipedia: Bealach na Bà, North Coast 500 FAQ)
3
Applecross to Shieldaig25 miles · 107 so far
Via the coast road round the Applecross peninsula
4
Shieldaig to Kinlochewe17 miles · 124 so far
Via Torridon
5
Kinlochewe to Gairloch20 miles · 144 so far
Via Loch Maree
Gairloch harbour is one of the Highland Council's overnight car parks for motorhomes. (Highland Council motorhome scheme: car parks and rules)
6
Gairloch to Ullapool55 miles · 199 so far
Via Poolewe and the Braemore junction
Little Gruinard Beach is another of the council's overnight car parks. The A835 at Braemore is due to close overnight from 21 to 30 March 2027. (Highland Council motorhome scheme: car parks and rules, Traffic Scotland: planned roadworks)
7
Ullapool to Lochinver35 miles · 234 so far
Via the A835 and A837
The A835 at Ullapool is due to close overnight from 14 to 19 March 2027. (Traffic Scotland: planned roadworks)
8
Lochinver to Kylesku24 miles · 258 so far
Via the B869 through Drumbeg
The NC500 site asks motorhome drivers to avoid the B869 and take the A894 instead. (North Coast 500 road safety)
9
Kylesku to Durness35 miles · 293 so far
Via Scourie
Durness village car park is one of the council's overnight car parks. (Highland Council motorhome scheme: car parks and rules)
10
Durness to Tongue30 miles · 323 so far
Via Loch Eriboll
11
Tongue to Thurso43 miles · 366 so far
Via Bettyhill
NorthLink sails from Scrabster, by Thurso, to Stromness on Orkney in 90 minutes. (Orkney.com: ferries)
12
Thurso to John o' Groats20 miles · 385 so far
Via Dunnet
Pentland Ferries crosses from Gills Bay, near John o' Groats, to St Margaret's Hope on Orkney in about an hour. (Orkney.com: ferries)
13
John o' Groats to Wick16 miles · 401 so far
Via the A99
Noss Head and Riverside in Wick are council overnight car parks. (Highland Council motorhome scheme: car parks and rules)
14
Wick to Helmsdale36 miles · 437 so far
Via Lybster and the A9
15
Helmsdale to Tain34 miles · 470 so far
Via Brora, Golspie and the Dornoch Firth bridge
Weekday stop/go roadworks on the A9 at Golspie until 29 January 2027. (Traffic Scotland: A9 Golspie)
16
Tain to Dingwall24 miles · 494 so far
Via Alness
17
Dingwall to Inverness21 miles · 515 so far
Via Muir of Ord and Beauly
The official map adds an optional 40-mile Black Isle loop. (Official NC500 map (2016))

Driving single-track roads

Some sections of the route are single-track roads, one lane wide, with passing places marked by white diamond or square signs on either side of the road. (North Coast 500 travel guide, North Coast 500 road safety)

Pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite one on your right, to let oncoming traffic by or let the driver behind overtake. Give way to traffic coming uphill, and reverse to a passing place if you have to. Never park in one. (The Highway Code, rules 155 and 156)
Don't drive in convoy: many passing places hold only one vehicle, so keep a passing place apart. (North Coast 500 road safety)
Drive at a speed that lets you stop in half the distance you can see to be clear. (North Coast 500 road safety)
Fuel and services can be sparse in the remote parts, and phone signal patchy: fill up when you can and download offline maps. (North Coast 500 travel guide)

Stopping overnight in a campervan

Scotland's wild camping rights don't cover vehicles: they apply to people on foot, bike or other non-motorised transport. The NC500 site says you may rest overnight in a designated formal lay-by if everything stays inside the van (no awnings, chairs or cooking outside), that rooftop tents belong on campsites, and that burial-ground car parks are off limits. (Scottish Outdoor Access Code, North Coast 500 motorhome advice)

The Highland Council's voluntary motorhome scheme costs £40 for 7 days and lets you park overnight, 10pm to 8am, in 12 designated car parks, with no return to the same one within 72 hours: Torvean (Inverness), Nairn Harbour, Dunnet Head, Dunnet Seadrift, Noss Head, Reiss Beach, Riverside (Wick), Durness village, Golspie Shore Street, Ullapool Latheron, Gairloch harbour, Little Gruinard Beach. Members also get free showers at High Life Highland leisure centres. Torvean in Inverness can also be paid for by the night (£10 for up to 24 hours; no toilets). (Highland Council motorhome scheme: price, Highland Council motorhome scheme: car parks and rules, Highland Council: Torvean)

Empty chemical toilets at campsites or disposal points, not public toilets. Points open to passing visitors for a charge include Black Rock Campsite, Evanton, Beauly Holiday Park, Inver Caravan Park, Dunbeath, Ferry View Night Stop, Gills Bay, Halladale Inn & North Coast Touring Park, Torvean Caravan Park, Inverness. (North Coast 500 motorhome advice)

When to go

The route's own guide picks late spring and early autumn for the best mix of open attractions, scenery and driving conditions. Summer has the longest days and gets very busy; from November to March some places close. (North Coast 500 travel guide)

Midges are out from about May to September (May to October by VisitScotland's count), worst at dawn and dusk on calm days. The best months for the northern lights are late September to March. (North Coast 500 FAQ, VisitScotland: midges, North Coast 500 travel guide)

Roadworks on the route

Longer works listed by Traffic Scotland on 9 November 2026. Each drops off this list once its end date passes; check Traffic Scotland before you set off.

A835 Loch Garve. Retaining wall works with temporary traffic lights. Listed until 31 March 2027; Traffic Scotland's 2 November update expects summer 2027. (Traffic Scotland: A835 Loch Garve)
A9 Golspie. Stop/go, 9am to 4:30pm on weekdays. (Traffic Scotland: A9 Golspie)
A99 Occumster to Whiterow, south of Wick. Rolling temporary traffic lights overnight (7pm to 4am), 18 January to 22 February 2027. (Traffic Scotland: planned roadworks)
A835 Ullapool. Overnight closures, 14 to 19 March 2027. (Traffic Scotland: planned roadworks)
A835 Braemore. Overnight closures, 21 to 30 March 2027. (Traffic Scotland: planned roadworks)

Hiring a campervan for it

Starting from a depot near the route saves the drive up from the Central Belt. 4 of the depots in Mooch's Scottish campervan comparison are on this map:

North 500 Motorhomes, Inverness: price on request. Dogs: Up to 2 dogs in pet-friendly vehicles, £40 cleaning charge
Go North Campers, Elgin: from £130 a night (1 Oct–30 Apr; £160 from 1 May to 30 Sep). Dogs: Allowed, free
Indie Campers, Inverness: price on request. Dogs: One pet up to 30 kg, paid cleaning
Rover Rentals, Inverness: from £150 a night (for nights beyond the minimum; 4 off-peak nights £750). Dogs: Dog specialists; no charge

Compare all campervan hire firms in Scotland →

Questions

How long is the North Coast 500?

516 miles (830 km), a loop that starts and ends in Inverness. Measured along the OpenStreetMap route line between the 17 stops on this page, it comes to 515 miles.Source: North Coast 500 travel guide

How many days do you need for the NC500?

The route's own guide recommends at least 5 to 7 days. Some sections are single-track roads with passing places, so plan on slower going there.Source: North Coast 500 travel guide

Which way round should you drive the NC500?

Either. The official guide says it can be driven clockwise or anti-clockwise. Clockwise from Inverness puts the west coast scenery and the Bealach na Bà early in the trip.Source: North Coast 500 travel guide

Can you drive the Bealach na Bà in a campervan?

Only in a small van, and only if you're confident on steep single-track roads. It climbs from sea level to 630 m in about 6 km, with hairpins and gradients near 20%. The NC500 site says it isn't suitable for large motorhomes, caravans or inexperienced drivers, and that if you can't reverse several hundred yards on a narrow single-track road, you can't safely drive it. Anything longer than a standard VW T5 conversion should take the alternative route.Source: Wikipedia: Bealach na Bà, North Coast 500 FAQ, North Coast 500 road safety

Can you wild camp in a campervan on the NC500?

Not under access rights: Scotland's wild camping rights cover people on foot, bike or other non-motorised transport, not campervans or motorhomes. The NC500 site says you may rest overnight in a designated formal lay-by as long as everything stays inside the van, and the Highland Council runs a voluntary scheme with overnight car parks.Source: Scottish Outdoor Access Code, North Coast 500 motorhome advice, Highland Council motorhome scheme

Where can you empty a chemical toilet on the NC500?

At campsites and dedicated disposal points, not public toilets, which the NC500 site says upsets the sewage treatment process. Points it lists as open to passing visitors for a charge include Black Rock Campsite, Evanton, Beauly Holiday Park, Inver Caravan Park, Dunbeath and Torvean Caravan Park in Inverness.Source: North Coast 500 motorhome advice

When is midge season on the NC500?

Roughly May to September, according to the NC500 site; VisitScotland says May to October, peaking in midsummer. They're worst in the early morning and evening on calm, overcast days, especially in the west.Source: North Coast 500 FAQ, VisitScotland: midges, North Coast 500 travel guide

How this was put together

Facts come from the official North Coast 500 site, the Highland Council, Traffic Scotland, the Highway Code and VisitScotland, read on 9 November 2026; each one links its source. The route line and stop positions are from OpenStreetMap, and the stage distances are measured along that line. Roads and rules change, so check before you travel. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@moochtravel.com.