Multi-dayfrom £449
Isle of Skye & West
Isle of Skye 3-Day Adventure
Eilean Donan, the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools, with two nights in Portree.
3 days, 2 nights Max 14
Far North & NC500 · Multi-day tour from Inverness
North Coast 500 Highlights
The best of the North Coast 500 without the stress of single-track driving. Four days through the empty mountains of Assynt, along the white beaches of the north coast and down the castle-studded east coast, with three nights in small local B&Bs.
- Duration
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Group size
- Max 12 guests
- Departs
- Inverness, 08:30
- Pace
- Moderate
Tour highlights
- Corrieshalloch Gorge suspension bridge
- The mountains of Assynt and the road to Lochinver
- Smoo Cave and the beaches of Durness
- Dunnet Head and John o' Groats
- Dunrobin Castle and Dornoch Cathedral
The route
Where we go
Starting and finishing in Inverness, this tour visits Corrieshalloch Gorge, Ullapool, Lochinver, Durness & Smoo Cave, Dunnet Head, John o' Groats, Dunrobin Castle, Dornoch.
Stylised map, not to scale
- 1InvernessCapital of the Highlands and our departure point
- 2Corrieshalloch GorgeBox-canyon gorge with a Victorian suspension bridge
- 3UllapoolFishing village on Loch Broom
- 4LochinverAssynt harbour beneath Suilven
- 5Durness & Smoo CaveSea cave and white-sand beaches on the north coast
- 6Dunnet HeadMost northerly point of mainland Britain
- 7John o' GroatsVillage at the far north-east tip of the mainland
- 8Dunrobin CastleFairy-tale castle above the Sutherland coast
- 9DornochSandstone cathedral town by the Dornoch Firth
Day by day
North Coast 500 Highlights itinerary
Day 1
Inverness to Ullapool
Head west through Strathgarve to Corrieshalloch Gorge and its swaying suspension bridge, then down to the harbour village of Ullapool on Loch Broom for the night.
- Inverness
- Corrieshalloch Gorge
- Ullapool
Day 2
Assynt and the north-west
The wildest day: single-track roads under Stac Pollaidh and Suilven, lunch in Lochinver, the Kylesku bridge and an evening exploring Smoo Cave in Durness.
- Lochinver
- Durness & Smoo Cave
Day 3
The north coast to John o' Groats
Along the top of Scotland past the Kyle of Tongue to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the mainland, and on to John o' Groats and the sea stacks at Duncansby.
- Dunnet Head
- John o' Groats
Day 4
The east coast home
South down the Caithness coast to the turrets of Dunrobin Castle, a stroll around Dornoch and its cathedral, and back to Inverness by 18:00.
- Dunrobin Castle
- Dornoch
- Inverness
What's included
Included
- Expert local guide and driver for 4 days
- 3 nights' bed and breakfast in small local B&Bs
- Small-group minibus, max 12 guests
- Guided visit to Smoo Cave (outer chambers)
- Hotel pick-up within Inverness city centre
Not included
- Lunches and evening meals
- Dunrobin Castle admission
- Travel insurance
What to bring
- Walking shoes with grip
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm layers for the north coast wind
- Midge repellent in summer
Departure point & pick-up
This tour departs from Wildmoor Basecamp, 7 Heatherbank Lane, Inverness, IV2 3WM at 08:30 and returns at 18:00 on day 4. Free pick-up is included from hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in Inverness city centre, usually 10 to 20 minutes before departure.
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