NC500 - Which way round? Part 2
NC500 Anti-clockwise - North and West coast
This is the most debated question on many NC500 Facebook groups - which way should I go round? Clockwise or anti-clockwise?
So in the last blog we finished up at Melvich Beach. And we’re going Anti-clockwise…
Next stop for me would be Castle Varrich - it has a lovely walk up to it from Tongue and you can stop for a wee cuppa in the Tongue Hotel.
If you fancy trying walking up a munro, I can definitely recommend Ben Hope. It’s quite steep in places but you can get to the top easily on a well beaten path. The views from the top are spectacular and on the way back down you can have a wee cold water dip in the waterfall at the bottom! A great way to end the walk.
Next up, you must stop at Smoo Cave. I love it here. Walk out to the cliff and watch the water for a while. You might spot some dolphins or whales and of course some sea birds. And if it’s been raining, the waterfall inside the cave is incredibly exhilarating!
Not too far along the road from there you have to see Balnakeil Beach. She’s a stunner. You can walk right the way along and breathe in the fresh sea air, hopefully in the sunshine. After that pop to Cocoa Mountain for a hot chocolate and some cake, it’s sooooooooooo good!
If you’re in the mood for another walk - you have check out the beauty of Sandwood Bay. It’s a 4 mile walk from the car park, but it’s not a difficult walk and the stunning beach at the end makes it all worth while.
Then onto Scourie and Kylesku. There are loads of great view points to stop at along the route for stunning photos and remember to look out for the sheep! You must also get the iconic photo of the Kylesku Bridge. There’s a wee tea van in the layby there too if you fancy a roll and sausage in the morning.
If you are heading to Lochinver next, Moho’s should take the A837 as the alternative is ‘The wee mad road’. This is a spectacular loop of road that takes the coastal route through Drumbeg, Clashnessie, Stoer and Clachtoll. I love it - it’s challenging and again there are plenty of places to stop to get photos at viewpoints, like Stoer lighthouse, Clashnessie Falls and Clachtoll Beach. There’s the ancient Clachtoll Broch which you can still walk around and take a saunter up to Split Rock and take in the beauty of Clachtoll Beach from an alternative view point. This is definitely my favourite part of the trip.
When you reach Lochinver there are great spots for lunch. We love Delilah’s and of course the world famous Lochinver Larder! Incredible sweet and savoury pies await you here.
The drive then from Lochinver to Ullapool is epic. Parts of it look like you are on the moon! There’s a nature reserve at Knockan Crag worth visiting and Elphin Tea rooms where you can get delicious coffee and superb cakes.
If you stop in Ullapool, it’s the law to have fish and chips! There are two chippies, but I know my favourite and the one favoured by the locals is the one along the sea front, Delicasea. However, if seafood is your thing, you HAVE to visit the Seafood Shack. These guys have been serving up some incredible food for a number of years and are always so popular that you will probably have to queue for a short while you wait for your delicious scoff.
You will probably be quite full up after a yummy feed in Ullapool so how about a wee walk to stretch the legs? A great spot, not too far from Ullapool is the Corrieshalloch Gorge. Here you can get awesome photos from the bridge over the gorge looking down to the waterfall. There’s a new visitor centre experience here too now also.
Moving on, I would definitely stop at the beautiful Mellon Udrigle beach. Stunning views and a swimming opportunity if you are so inclined!
For the last stretch of this epic journey I would suggest a visit to Rubha Reidh lighthouse for the stunning views, Loch Maree for epic scenery and viking myth, Beinn Eighe for a classic hill walk and for some classic views of this hill, stop off at Loch Torridon. The walk to the beach is short and you can see Beinn Eighe and Liathach in all their glory.
EVERYONE talks about he Bealach Na Ba - this is the epic coastal road with the spectacular views that you always see. Again, this is not recommended in a large Moho but you will be fine in a van as long as you are confident with reversing and not in a hurry. This is a very popular part of the route and patience and skill are definitely required to pass through. Well worth it for the photos though of course! Make sure you stop at the Applecross Inn for their daily specials and local seafood offerings. You can sit outside and look over the sea to Skye - hopefully the sun will shine for you!
From there it is back to the Inverness area and I will cover places to go and things to see and do here in my next blog.
Thank you for reading! Get in touch with any enquiries.