Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

North coast 500

silvermilnec

Well-known member
Joined
20 Feb 2012
Messages
1,512
Hi guys, hope all is well on here, haven't been on here for awhile due to work.

I've hardly used my turbo and have decided with a couple of mates to just take off next week and do the North Coast 500.

I know I shouldn't be lazy but does anyone have a list of must do roads and stops :thumb: a full on itinerary would be even better :thumbs:

Cheers
 
There is s NC500 app that I found pretty useful when I did it earlier in the year, if you fancy giving that a go.
 
Silvermilnec, I have not done the NC 500 though drove much on the North West Coast with Porsche palls some years before the idea of the NC 500 emerged. The weather in Scotland can be rather wet and windy..(-: Our trip was in the month of October and we had better weather than we might expect in Summer..!!! If your route might involve a stop over in Pitlochry, the Pine Trees hotel there is an old fashioned hotel if you like that kind of thing, and we did... Also when just North of Ullapool a scramble up Stack Polly (Stac Pollaidh) can be well worth while, if the weather is reasonable, there is a large car park at it`s foot.

Hope you have a GREAT trip.
 
With this trip timing is everything. I haven't done the actual NC 500 in one go but I have driven extensively around nearly all the roads and it's a stunning drive.

Pick the right time of year for the weather and the roads, if you hit the A9 with loads of traffic it's a right pain but if you can catch it early or late in the day it's so much quicker. There is a 60 mph, 70 on the dual bits, speed limit but it's not much of a problem when the roads are quiet. Also avoid Edinburgh in the rush hour as that can add a lot of time to your journey.

Try to stop in larger towns, this will give you access to B & B's that won't take your teeth out and better restaurants to eat in.

A lot of the map apps give differing times for the journey. I travel to Elgin/Inverness quite a lot and with only 1 quick stop it takes me 6 to 7 hours to do the journey from Darlington and that's 320 miles.

If I were doing it, I would aim to hit Edh at about 10 or 11 am, then straight up the A9 with a stop at Blair Atholl/Pitlochry then onto Inverness but not stay there, go on to Alness and get a B & B there (good Indian rest), then up early and head up to Wick Thurso and so on.

Our local PCGB group were talking about doing it and they reckoned with 2 stops, one at House of Bruar which is a massive shop that women love, they could do Inverness in 5 1/2 hrs, not a hope unless they were in Thrust 1. The quickest I ever did it was 4 1/2 hrs and that was in the middle of the night in 1986 when there were no cameras and very very little traffic and I didn't stop once.
 
Cheers guys all great info!
We are setting of from Leeds next Wednesday at 2pm, aiming to go up the west coast and stay in the Fort William area and arrive 8pm ish for a beer feed and bed. Up early next morning to head upto John O'Groats and take it from there. I love to do trips with little planning and nothing booked, all part of the enjoyment is the unknown! We will put back pack camping gear in just in case :thumb:
 
What a trip, get your Porsche out and do it!
 
Just amazing
 

Attachments

  • 99688344_fe87_4170_b9cd_f0c7b296fd44_110.jpeg
    99688344_fe87_4170_b9cd_f0c7b296fd44_110.jpeg
    596.1 KB · Views: 3,309
Great pic, good idea with the camping equipment given accomodation options can be limited. Hope the weather is reasonably kind. ENJOY. :worship:
 
On the way up Head east to ***** bridge and the old military road up through the Cairngorms towards Glenshee ski resort and then grantown on Spey - Avoids the tedious A9 :thumb:

Gairloch on the west coast is stunning. On that day go for food at th Applecross inn.
 
James M-S said:
On the way up Head east to ***** bridge and the old military road up through the Cairngorms towards Glenshee ski resort and then grantown on Spey - Avoids the tedious A9 :thumb:

Gairloch on the west coast is stunning. On that day go for food at th Applecross inn.

+1 for the Applecross Inn that's after the climb up and over ( stopping at the top for the views of Skye if it's a clear day )

This is dependent on doing the drive clockwise of course ( some do it anti clock but I don't think it's as good !)

Hotel at Kylesku is a good overnight stop if you can get a booking and the opportunity for great pics at that location..The section between Turn off from the Ullapool -Lochinver road towards Kylesku is particularly stunning.

Coffee stop at Durness there is a craft village where there is a decent if a bit 'hippy' cafe and craft goods shops where you can buy locally made artisan bits and bobs ( good to have in hand when you arrive home after a week away with the lads !)

The route along Loch Erribol on single track road needs care but if you know how to drive single tracks it can be 'entertaining' ...

The route along the North Coast towards Dounreay is stunning in good light and offers photo opportunities of Uk' S most northerly Nuclear facility...

If you are doing the full route you will miss one of the most entertaining sections of the road , between Thurso and Latheron is what is known as ' The
Causey Mire'...a great piece of road to be enjoyed driving spiritedly ( but carefully ......)

Word of caution ....the BIB are ever present from around the Thurso area and Southwards all the way towards Inverness and take particular delight in nabbing any well driven exotica ......

https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/ustours/nc500/index.html

Enjoy The Highlands and get the photos up ....

Terry[/img]
 
If you see me out and about give me wave ( was going to write flash but thought better of it)
 

Attachments

  • f5ad42c1_6331_41a2_9187_9d6169183d6a_186.jpeg
    f5ad42c1_6331_41a2_9187_9d6169183d6a_186.jpeg
    230.7 KB · Views: 3,081
Oops ....

Should add that it is this reg ......😎
 

Attachments

  • dc6a8e52_352c_4934_bdec_ece0dd9a70f9_213.jpeg
    dc6a8e52_352c_4934_bdec_ece0dd9a70f9_213.jpeg
    115.4 KB · Views: 3,067
Be carefull on the A9 as average speed cameras are on from Stirling to Inverness. Cruise control on all the way :x :judge:
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,354
Messages
1,439,442
Members
48,708
Latest member
JLav211
Back
Top