Take the high road
Scotland’s North Coast 500 boasts some of the finest road riding experiences on Earth
When you’ve ridden between the glistening rock walls lining the A894 near Kylesku and suddenly emerged to be wowed by an unearthly light falling across Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin onto the slopes of Sàil Gharbh beyond, you’ll want to see it over and over again. The 500-mile loop from Inverness is now the default Scotland riding experience, but there’s no right or wrong way to ride the NC500. There’s no start line, no penalties for cutting it in half or prizes for finishing. Some do it in a mad 13-hour dash; others take a week. Some make use of the many campsites, some stay in B&Bs, some opt for hotels. However you do it, there’s an important rule before you set off: respect the environment. Park sensitively, ride politely, leave no mess and be gracious to local hospitality. My preferred route is counterclockwise; a fresh morning run up the A9, the road tapering through Golspie and Brora, through dramatic twists at Helmsdale and hairpins at Berridale, passing between gorse hedges bursting in bright yellow bloom, then the fast, flat run to John O’Groats for a mid-morning hot chocolate. And you’ve still got the best sections ahead – a wiggle across the north of the coastline on the A836, watching the landscape shift through hues of green and brown. Every so often you’ll catch a glimpse of a sandy cove; shimmering white sands and crystal clear seas. Much of the riding is on wide, open, well-surfaced tarmac, but there are plenty of narrow, single-track roads too. Sheep, highland cattle and deer abound. Refuelling is easier than it used to be, but check opening times if you’re riding overnight.
Just after Unapool a 30-mile loop adds over an hour to the ride but is a crazy roller-coaster romp through shaded tunnels of trees funnelling out into a sweep alongside Lock Assynt, then rolling down into Ullapool for dinner at the chip shop near the harbour. Then it’s more tracing the coastline, passing through countless little villages and coves.
Eventually you’ll ride under the shadow of Torridon, peeling up along the peninsula to Applecross, then crossing the Bealach na Bà – the UK’s steepest climb with snaking hairpin bends and a 20% gradient.
The final run back towards Inverness after Lochcarron is a smooth, easy drift along the A890 – still an inspirational ride, but unwinding back to normality. Although once you’ve experienced the NC500, normality will never seem like enough ever again.
GO ON THEN…
Inverness is a convenient start and end point if you’re approaching from the south – as most will. The best time to do the NC500 is early spring, when the gorse is blooming and before the midges arrive, or September after they’ve gone. Delve into the fully interactive map at: northcoast500.com
‘EVERY SO OFTEN YOU’LL CATCH A GLIMPSE OF A SECLUDED SANDY COVE’