Flagship trip · Scotland

The North Coast 500 · 10 days

Ten days around Scotland's far north on the legendary North Coast 500 — the Bealach na Bà hairpins, Assynt's lonely peaks, white-sand beaches at Durness, castles and distilleries down the east coast. Every overnight has a real hotel waiting, and not a single motorway mile.

487
mi: 10
days

£1,226

per rider, all in

The route

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7Day 8Day 9Day 10

Start · Inverness

Day 01· Mon

Inverness Applecross

79 mi · 1 h 40 riding · 2026-07-06

The opening stretch: 127 km from Inverness to Applecross. Settle into the rhythm — the best of the route is still ahead.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Viewpoints on the way

Open day 1 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Tigh an Eilean Hotel

Applecross

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Plockton Hotel

Applecross

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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More hotels in Applecross on Booking.com ↗

Day 02· Tue

Applecross Gairloch

57 mi · 1 h 08 riding · 2026-07-07

Applecross to Gairloch — 91 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Viewpoints on the way

Open day 2 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Myrtle Bank Hotel

Gairloch

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Gairloch Hotel

Gairloch

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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More hotels in Gairloch on Booking.com ↗

Day 03· Wed

Gairloch Ullapool

55 mi · 1 h 06 riding · 2026-07-08

Gairloch to Ullapool — 89 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Viewpoints on the way

Corrieshalloch Gorge Viewpoint

Open day 3 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Caledonian Hotel

Ullapool

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Argyll Hotel

Ullapool

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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More hotels in Ullapool on Booking.com ↗

Day 04· Thu

Ullapool Lochinver

30 mi · 0 h 38 riding · 2026-07-09

Ullapool to Lochinver — 49 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Open day 4 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Inver Lodge Hotel

Lochinver

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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The Culag Hotel

Lochinver

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Day 05· Fri

Lochinver Durness

52 mi · 1 h 02 riding · 2026-07-10

Lochinver to Durness — 84 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Open day 5 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Mackay Hotel

Durness

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Smoo Cave Hotel

Durness

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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More hotels in Durness on Booking.com ↗

Day 06· Sat

Durness Tongue

29 mi · 0 h 35 riding · 2026-07-11

Durness to Tongue — 47 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Open day 6 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Tongue Hotel

Tongue

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Ben Loyal Hotel, Tongue

Tongue

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Day 07· Sun

Tongue John o' Groats

63 mi · 1 h 41 riding · 2026-07-12

Tongue to John o' Groats — 101 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Viewpoints on the way

Bettyhill Viewpoint

Open day 7 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Seaview Hotel

John o' Groats

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Castle Arms Hotel

John o' Groats

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Day 08· Mon

John o' Groats Helmsdale

52 mi · 1 h 10 riding · 2026-07-13

John o' Groats to Helmsdale — 83 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Open day 8 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Belgrave Arms Hotel

Helmsdale

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Navidale House Hotel

Helmsdale

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Day 09· Tue

Helmsdale Dornoch

28 mi · 0 h 38 riding · 2026-07-14

Helmsdale to Dornoch — 45 km. This is what you came for: proper riding roads and a town worth walking at the end of them.

Rider tip — Fill up before the mountains, not in them — valley fuel is cheaper and queues are shorter.

Open day 9 in Google Maps ↗

Sleep here

Dornoch Castle Hotel

Dornoch

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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Burghfield House Hotel

Dornoch

Found on OpenStreetMap — check reviews and parking before booking

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More hotels in Dornoch on Booking.com ↗

Day 10· Wed

Dornoch Inverness

42 mi · 0 h 54 riding · 2026-07-15

The ride home: 67 km from Dornoch back to Inverness. Roll in with the whole route behind you and a phone full of photos.

Rider tip — Leave at first light — the interior gets brutally hot on summer afternoons. Short stops, lots of water.

Viewpoints on the way

Open day 10 in Google Maps ↗

Back home · Inverness

From riders who've done it

The things you only learn by riding it — so you don't have to learn them the hard way.

Fuel up before you leave — 783 km with rural stretches is kinder on a full tank.
July riding: leave early — the best light and the emptiest roads happen before ten.
Check tyre pressures cold on the morning you leave — a loaded bike runs different pressures.
Photos happen at the stops, not from the saddle. The road needs your eyes.

See the complete route on Google Maps ↗Every overnight stop, one tap on your phone

What it really costs

Real numbers, not brochure numbers — fuel at actual prices per country, hotels with secure parking, and a buffer because trips never go exactly to plan.

Hotels · 9 nightsCurated secure-parking picks where we have them; ~£77/night estimate elsewhere: £69757%
Fuel · 783 km5.6 L/100 km at ~£1.39/L: £615%
Food · 10 days≈£37/day — meals, coffees: £37030%
TollsMotorway-free route — no toll roads: £00%
Cafés & viewpoint stops: £696%
Buffer & extras: £302%
Per rider: £1,226

Estimates — fuel and hotel prices move with the seasons.

Photography: Wikimedia Commons contributors.

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The North Coast 500 — 10-day motorcycle route, hotels & costs · TwistyTrip