The Complete Guide to Hikes Along the NC500

The NC500 route in Scotland boasts scenic driving, beautiful wildlife, stunning beaches and gorgeous mountain landscapes. Since its launch in 2015, the NC500 has become increasingly popular and information about it is gradually emerging online. But, you’ll struggle to find a comprehensive guide on hiking routes along the NC500.

Lucky for you, we have developed this informative resource to help you plan your NC500 hiking trip. This guide covers 18 excellent NC500 hikes, as well as other must-do trails that we didn’t have time to cover. Essentially, all of the best hikes along the NC500 are detailed in this in-depth guide.

Most visitors to the NC500 are focused on the road trip itself, rather than hiking along the route. However, the NC500 provides a myriad of stellar hiking trails. Even if you just wanted to choose a few trails for your NC500 adventure, you’ll find an appropriate hike below.

For those keen hikers, there are enough hikes to keep you busy for 2–3 weeks. Better yet, because the NC500 attracts non-hiking tourists, the trails along the route are undeservedly quiet. So, you’ll have plenty of non-crowded trails to enjoy, even in the middle of summer!

Use this guide to help you plan your unforgettable NC500 hiking trip and watch our video production below to inspire your travels.

For more Scotland hiking content, check out 2 Phenomenal Loch Lomond Hikes in 1 Epic Day and 6 Mind-Blowing West Highland Walks in 6 Days.

NC500 Hikes | Creating Your Itinerary

Often, at Travel Made Me Do It, we’ll develop specific itineraries for you to follow, that we have experienced and enjoyed ourselves. However, on this occasion, we felt it would be more helpful to detail the best hikes on offer along the NC500, rather than sharing a specific itinerary.

Personally, adverse weather conditions meant our itinerary didn’t quite go to plan (we visited in August) and unfortunately, we had to cancel hiking some of the mountain trails. Inevitably, our itinerary was chaotically thrown together in response to the weather. For this reason, it’s best to roughly know what hikes you’d like to do, make a loose plan around this and prepare to be flexible with your itinerary. You’ll find an awesome NC500 map here.

Essential NC500 Itinerary Considerations

Trip Length: We recommend anywhere between 7–18 days for your NC500 hiking adventure. A 10-day trip will give you enough time to hike most of the trails; but, you’d have to skip some of the longer day hikes. A trip closer to the 2–3 week mark would give you enough time to conquer all of the trails in this guide; plus, enough time to check out all of the other attractions along the NC500. A trip between 4–6 days is certainly doable and you’d get to enjoy some awesome hiking; but, you’d miss out on many mind-blowing trails and you’d be a bit rushed to complete the overall route.

Best Location for Hiking along the NC500: for a hiking-focussed NC500 trip, you’ll need to base yourself mostly on the west side of the NC500 route as that’s where the epic mountain ranges are located. As you can see from the interactive map below, all of the best mountain trails are located in and around Torridon, Ullapool and Lochinver in the Wester Ross and Sutherland areas. To cover the best NC500 hikes, at least 3/4 of your trip will be based on the west side. Just give yourself enough time to get around the entire route!

Time of year: many of the epic mountain ranges along the NC500 route will be covered in snow anywhere between October-April. Hiking the mountain trails along the NC500 in snowy conditions is only permitted for experienced hikers with specialist snow-trekking equipment. To avoid snowy and potentially unsafe trails, visit between May-September for a higher chance of clear trails. The locals will tell you that the best weather in Scotland is between May-July – visit at this time to have less disruption to your hiking plans.

18 Excellent NC500 Hikes

We hope you enjoy some or all of these fantastic hiking trails along the NC500. As previously mentioned, due to adverse weather, we had to cancel plans to hike some of the best mountain trails along the NC500. This meant missing out on An Teallach, which possibly has one of the finest mountain ridges on mainland Britain. In terms of the Toriddon ‘Big Three’, we were fortunate enough to hike Beinn Alligin, but we missed out on Beinn Eighe (Western Summits) and Liathach. We simply didn’t have time to complete the Fisherfield Six or Ben Loyal (on a 10-day trip), but poor weather also foiled our plans to hike Scotland’s northernmost Munro – Ben Hope.

If you can, try and include these other essential NC500 hikes on your hiking trip, as these trails are some of the finest on the NC500, and indeed, in Scotland. However, make sure to read the WalkHighlands trail descriptions for each of these trails provided in the links above. Some of these trails require hardcore Grade 3 scrambling, so are suited for seasoned hikers with scrambling experience.

Otherwise, the 18 NC500 trails below are a great mix of challenging mountain trails, mixed-difficulty waterfall walks and simpler routes to natural attractions or castles.

Rolling mist atop Suilven – one of the best NC500 hikes

1. Rogie Falls

Type: Loop
Distance: 2km
Time: 0.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 55m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Rogie Falls Car Park

Travel Made Me Do It has personally rated each trail in this guide

If you’re completing the NC500 in a clockwise direction from Inverness, Rogie Falls will be your first hike to enjoy. This short loop track is actually one of the best hikes along the NC500. Not only is Rogie Falls an incredible set of waterfalls, but you’ll have the pleasure of watching the theatrical struggle of Atlantic salmon swimming upstream (if you visit from July-September)! Make sure to watch our NC500 YouTube production to see the salmon in action.

Rogie Falls along the North Coast 500 — Rogie Falls

2. Sgùrr a’ Chaorachain

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 7km
Time: 2–2.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 390m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Bealach na Bà Viewpoint

The relatively short out and back Sgùrr a’ Chaorachain route is a solid warm-up hike before you tackle the monster mountain trails in Torridon. From the Bealach na Bà Viewpoint, you’ll follow a wide track that heads towards the TV transmitter mast. The steady incline on mostly even terrain provides a great opportunity for speed hiking. Sweeping views of Skye Cuillin and the Isle of Rum enjoyed at the trailhead viewpoint are amplified as you begin to gain elevation.

WHAT’S SPEED HIKING? It’s our favourite form of hiking. Speed hiking is a great way to experience more trails on a trip. Speed hiking along the NC500 will likely suit your busy itinerary! Find out more about speed hiking here.

Despite the TV transmitter mast being 773 metres above sea level, this is not the summit of the mountain! In fact, the true summit is Sgùrr a Chaorachain, which is categorised as a Corbett, and is still a couple of kilometres away!

To get to the Corbett, you’ll follow a pathless landscape that initially descends and passes through some fairly boggy terrain. Some of the best viewpoints are along this section of the trail, between the TV transmitter and Sgùrr a Chaorachain.

You’ll then have some sharper descents and climbs to navigate before reaching the true summit, marked by a cairn. From Sgùrr a Chaorachain, the views of the surrounding ridges are absolutely superb! To complete the route, you’ll simply retrace your steps.

Dan and Beck stand at Sgùrr a Chaorachain at Bealach Na Ba on the NC500

3. Sands, Applecross

Type: One & Back
Distance: 2km
Time: 0.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 20m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Sands, Applecross Parking

Not to be confused with the main Applecross Beach, this short out and back beach trail explores the incredible white sands and turquoise waters of Sands, Applecross. Don’t get us wrong, you should visit Applecross Beach. But, we believe Sands, Applecross is an even better option. It’s much quieter and lesser-known. Plus, the white sand is absolutely superb, compared to the sandless Applecross Beach.

Some might argue that the Sands, Applecross trail is barely a hike. Well, that might be the case; but, the 2km out and back trail is a stellar short walk option to explore one of the best beaches on the NC500 route.

Whether you explore just Applecross Beach, the Sands, Applecross trail, or both, the driving around the Applecross area is marvellous.

4. Beinn Alligin

Type: Loop
Distance: 11.5km
Time: 5.5–6.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 1,240m
Difficulty: Hard
Trailhead: Beinn Alligin Car Park

The Beinn Alligin trail was possibly our favourite of the entire NC500 route. After taking in a lovely waterfall at the beginning of the trail, if completing in an anti-clockwise direction, you’ll soon be following the east bank of the river, passing many gorgeous waterfalls as you slowly begin to ascend.

FYI – we chose to hike Beinn Alligin atypically in an anti-clockwise direction, because the afternoon forecast looked poor, and so we wanted to complete the more intense scrambling on the southeast ridge earlier in the day.

Arriving at the first of the Beinn Alligin horns signals your first scramble of the day. Honestly speaking, compared to some of the other scrambling we have done previously in the West Highlands, this was only mild.

From there, you’ll have a couple more of the Horns to navigate and scramble as you follow some epic ridgelines. The steep peak of Sgùrr Mhòr (1,109m) marks your first Munro of the day and provides unbelievable views.

Following Sgùrr Mòr, you’ll reach Fasreidhnean Beinn Alligin – a minor top (869m) marked by a cairn, which provides more stellar views. You’ll then descend Fasreidhnean Beinn Alligin, passing some spectacular cliffs and views of endless lochs.

Soon enough, you’ll reach the second Munro of the trail – Tom na Gruagaich (922m), which has possibly the best views of the entire route. This Munro provides particularly exceptional views of the Beinn Alligin range!

From Tom na Gruagaich, you’ll begin the gruelling descent that zig-zags back towards the car park.

Beinn Alligin vs. the Other Torridon ‘Big Three’

Needless to say, Beinn Alligin was an absolutely crackin’ trail! Also, it has less hardcore scrambling than Beinn Eighe (Western Summits) and Liathach. So, if you’re new to scrambling, Beinn Alligin may be your preferred option when hiking one of the Torridon ‘Big Three’.

5. Beinn Eighe NNR Mountain Trail

Type: Loop
Distance: 6.5km
Time: 2.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 530m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Coille na Glas Leitre Trails Car Park

The Beinn Eighe NNR Mountain Trail is an ideal hiking option near Torridon (Kinlochewe) if you’re not quite prepared to tackle any one of the Torridon ‘Big Three’. Plus, this trail is Britain’s alleged only waymarked mountain trail – so, that has to be bucket list-worthy!

From Loch Maree, you’ll essentially head into the opposing forest, slowly but gradually climbing the waymarked route. The path is easy to follow, so you can simply enjoy the increasingly sweeping views of Loch Maree and the pure white quartzite crags surrounding you.

Eventually, the trail flattens as you reach the highest peak of the trail, signalled by a large cairn. Here, you’ll have superb views of the western summits of Beinn Eighe. Afterwards, you’ll pass Lunar Loch, before veering towards the side of a gorge. The trail then descends, connecting with the Woodland Trail back to Loch Maree.

SIDE NOTE: admittedly, we were disappointed not to be able to hike Beinn Eighe (Western Summits) due to poor weather conditions. But, as a consolation, the Beinn Eighe NNR Mountain Trail was a shorter route option that we could squeeze into our itinerary after hiking Beinn Alligin. In fact, this trail provides astonishing views of the Beinn Eighe Western Summits.

6. Lady Fowler’s Fern Walk

Type: Loop
Distance: 1.5km
Time: 0.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 50m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: The Falls of Measach Car Park

Once you’ve completed as many of the Torridon based NC500 hikes, it’s time to head further north. En route to Ullapool and beyond, we highly recommend stopping off to complete Lady Fowler’s Fern Walk loop trail. Located in the serene Corrieshalloch Gorge NNR, the Lady Fowler’s Fern Walk is a short and easy route, which includes extraordinary views of the Falls of Measach.

Unfortunately, when we visited in August 2021, the suspension bridge was closed. So, we didn’t get to experience the amazing views of the Falls of Measach that we had heard so much about. Honestly speaking, without accessing the suspension bridge and views of the waterfall, this walk was fairly tame and would be worth skipping. But don’t worry, as of late 2021, the suspension bridge appears to be back open! So with that in mind, we highly recommend doing this walk.

7. Wailing Widow Falls Loop

Type: Loop
Distance: 1.7km
Time: 30 minutes–1 hour
Accumulated elevation gain: 55m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Wailing Widow Falls Car Park

North of Ullapool, you’ll find more spectacular waterfalls, including the epic 30-metre Wailing Widow Falls. To reach the base of the falls, from the small roadside car park, you’ll follow a short rough track following the stream formed by Loch na Gainmhich.

Now, most people complete a short out and back, which is by far the easiest and safest option. However, it is possible to scramble to the top of the falls via a steep and rough ascent to the left of the waterfall. We only recommend this scramble to experienced hikers.

At the top of the falls, you’ll have even more breathtaking views. To complete the loop and with Loch na Gainmhich to your left, make your way through the boggy terrain towards the road. You’ll then turn right, descending the road back to the car park.

Keep in mind that you’ll pass the top of Wailing Widow Falls as part of the hike to Eas a’ Chual Aluinn – Britain’s highest waterfall! Due to adverse weather conditions, we decided we couldn’t hike to Eas a’ Chual Aluinn the day we visited Wailing Widow Falls. If you also experience poor weather, consider the short Wailing Widow Falls hike and then, hiking to Eas a’ Chual Aluinn, perhaps on another day once the weather has improved.

8. Bone Caves Circuit

Type: Loop
Distance: 5km
Time: 1.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 232m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Allt nan Uamh Car Park

Close to Ardvreck Castle is a fantastic short trail, taking in four epic caves. After passing the quaint river stream of Allt nan Uamh, the valley surrounding you begins to narrow. Eventually, you’ll arrive at a junction – follow the right-hand fork to head to the caves.

The trail gently ascends as you reach the Crag of the Caves. Soon enough, you’ll be exploring the Bone Caves, including Badger, Reindeer and Bone Cave, plus Fox’s Den. All of the caves are equally spectacular and worth exploring inside.

Afterwards, there’s an option to add an out and back to Rana Hole; but, given it’s gated off, we don’t recommend visiting as it’s quite underwhelming. Either way, you’ll eventually descend the Crag of Caves, heading to the valley floor. The trail sharply loops around an initially boggy track facing opposite the caves and rejoins the track leading to the car park.

9. Suilven

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 21km
Time: 6.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 896m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Canisp Road (head towards Glencanisp Lodge)

Suilven (731m) may only be classified as a Graham (610–762m), but it is one of the most recognisable mountains in Scotland. Excluding the incredible mountain ranges in Torridon, the hike to Suilven may be one of the best on the NC500 route.

In good weather conditions, Suilven’s incredible outline can be seen straight from the get-go. For us, with thick mist and low clouds, we weren’t able to see Suilven from afar until we made the return journey.

Even on a misty trail to Suilven, you can enjoy wildflowers, lochs and lush green hillsides.

The trail to the foot of Suilven is quite a flat one. But then, you have a steep ascent of around 500m to reach the peak.

Even though it was a whiteout at the top, luckily for us, the mist and clouds began to clear. Glimpses of the glorious array of lochs spread over the landscape began to appear.

Shortly, as we began our descent, the mist and clouds completely disappeared and we had those unbeatable views from Suilven, that we had heard so much about.

Other than the Fisherfield Six (42km), Suilven is the longest NC500 hike detailed in this guide, totalling a half-marathon (21km)! So, you’ll need to dedicate almost a full day to climb it. Thankfully though, Suilven is nowhere near as challenging as the 20km An Telleach or any of the Torridon ‘Big Three’, which involve difficult high-grade scrambling and even more vertical gain. Indeed, Suilven is long, with one steep push at the end, but it’s certainly doable for most capable hikers.

Being one of the most beloved mountains in Scotland, Suilven should be high on your NC500 hiking to-do list.

10. Falls of Kirkaig

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 7km
Time: 1.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 213m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Inverkirkaig Car Park

Another incredible waterfall walk to check out along the NC500 is the powerful Falls of Kirkaig. Following River Kirkaig to your right, the well defined undulating trail initially steers you through the forest, slightly away from the river. Soon enough, you’ll veer closer to the river, revealing several sets of nice cascades.

The trail then ascends into the heather moorland and begins to reveal the stunning nearby mountains such as Suilven. Eventually, you’ll reach a grassy knoll and a path heading towards the river and then steeply descending to the base of the falls. As you scramble down, you’ll have several viewpoints of the waterfall at different heights. Of course, we recommend getting right down to the bottom to truly experience the waterfall in all its glory!

All in all, the Falls of Kirkaig is an amazing waterfall, which is simple and easy to reach. We highly recommend adding the Falls of Kirkaig to your NC500 hiking itinerary!

11. Stac Pollaidh

Type: Loop
Distance: 4.3km
Time: 1.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 475m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Stac Pollaidh Car Park

Stac Pollaidh is one of the best shorter trails you can hike along the NC500. Better yet, hiking Stac Pollaidh for sunrise is an absolute treat in good conditions, as golden hour will put on a spectacular show!

The short but steep trail will have you working hard right from the trailhead. In the early morning, expect to be joined by some shy grazing deer.

From atop the eastern ridge of Stac Pollaidh, you’ll have spectacular views of the loch filled lands, similar to the views atop Suilven. From there, you’ll find a path, circling around the summit peaks, steering you to the western ridge. There is an option to scramble to the top of the western ridge; but, with strong wind gusts and inevitable rain, we didn’t bother! Besides, the eastern ridge already provides extraordinary views that are much easier to ascertain.

The trail then descends from the foot of the western ridge through boggy terrain, forming a loop as it veers left to the car park.

Hiking Stac Pollaidh is a phenomenal way to start the day, before cracking on with another NC500 hike!

12. Quinag

Type: Loop with 2 x Out & Backs
Distance: 15.5km
Time: 6 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 1,200m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Quinag Car Park

Alongside Suilven and the mighty mountains of Torridon, Quinag is easily one of the best hikes on the NC500 route. Quinag is a phenomenal mountain complex with three Corbetts to climb and conquer. Initially, you’ll follow a flat path towards Quinag. You’ll turn left onto a pathless section covered by a natural rocky rib to help you avoid the boggy terrain. As you begin to gently climb, the loch filled land begins to reveal itself and there are even splendid views over to Ardvreck Castle.

Soon enough, you’ll reach a defined path, steeply steering you to the first Corbett – Spidean Coinich (764m). Marked by a couple of cairns, the views are truly spectacular.

After descending this first Corbett on some epic ridge trails, you’ll again have a steep climb to reach the second Corbett.

On the way, you’ll reach a peak at the junction of Quinag’s ridges, where you’ll have more breathtaking views.

From there, the ascent is more gradual as you arrive at the second Corbett – Sail Gorm (745m). This Corbett is characterised by a spacious plateau, offering glorious views of the north coast and the quartzite peaks of the North West Highlands.

Being the first out and back, you’ll retrace your steps, before heading to the third Corbett (Sail Gharbh – 808m), which requires a second out and back endeavour. The trail to the highest of the three Corbett summits is actually the least steep. From the cairn, you’ll gain exceptional views of the surrounding lochs and mountain ranges, as well as the other Corbetts you have just hiked the hell out of!

Again, you’ll retrace your steps, and then descend into the valley to complete the hike. Quinag is truly a must for your NC500 hiking itinerary – we thoroughly enjoyed it!

13. Eas a’ Chual Aluinn

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 9.76km
Time: 3 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 478m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Layby on A894 (200–300 metres south of Loch na Gainmhich Waterfall Car Park)

One of the best hikes in the North West Highlands is the trek to Eas a’ Chual Aluinn – Britain’s Highest Waterfall (200 metres). Considering this waterfall is Britain’s highest, the hiking trail is underrated and not as well known as we had expected it to be.

Admittedly, this trail only gets you to the top of the falls, where your views of the waterfall are quite limited. Bless our DJI Mavic Air 2 for capturing this incredible waterfall! Honestly though, even just seeing the top of this magnificent waterfall is worth all of the effort.

This trail initially guides you past the top of Wailing Widow Falls. With Loch na Gainmich to your right, you’ll climb a gradually steepening path alongside a rocky ravine that soon guides you to Loch Bealach a’ Bhuirich.

After passing this loch, you’ll once again ascend, this time on an increasingly rocky track. The trail then begins to wind and descend through boggy terrain towards the waterfall. You’ll know you’re close when you start to see a widening stream of cascades.

Top of the Falls

To see the top of the falls, you have two options. You can either descend to the lip of the falls, which gets you quite close to the top of the waterfall, positioned to your right. Otherwise, you can follow a path to the right of the falls, following the cliff’s edge, that eventually leads you to a flattened area. Here, you’ll be further away from the waterfall, which will be seen to your left; but, you’ll be able to see a bit more of the falls.

As mentioned before, either way, you’ll only get to see the top of the falls. But, after some decent rainfall, the power of the waterfall cascading from the cliffs is still an incredible sight to see!

SIDE NOTE: after camping without electricity for 4 nights, we didn’t have enough battery left to record GPX directions for this route. But, you can download a GPX file for this hike from the WalkHighlands website.

14. Castle Varrich

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 3.12km
Time: 0.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 113m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Castle Varrich Parking

It would be rude to not cover some castle trails whilst exploring the NC500. Castle Varrich lends itself to a short and easy route in Tongue on the north coast of Scotland. After completing the best of the NC500 hikes along the west coast of the route, and maybe even after climbing Scotland’s northernmost Munro – Ben Hope, or neighbouring Ben Loyal, the Castle Varrich walk might be your next trail on the itinerary.

Compared to some of the more challenging trails along the NC500, the Castle Varrich walk is really a gentle stroll through serene forest and heathland. Atop Castle Varrich are splendid views of the Kyle of Tongue. Not to poo-poo Castle Varrich itself; but, it didn’t quite stack up to the other incredible castles along the NC500. Still, it’s a nice enough walk and worth checking out for a quick adventure.

Castle Varrich is blurred in the background with lovely purple flowers sharply captured in the foreground — Castle Varrich

15. Duncansby Head

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 3km
Time: 0.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 80m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Duncanbsy Head Car Park

Around the corner from the famous John o’ Groats, is the spectacular Duncansby Head. In fact, starting from the Duncansby Head Lighthouse, you’ll have only a short distance to reach the fenced viewpoint of the incredible Stacks of Duncansby. This natural attraction is one of the most visited along the NC500 and deservedly so.

By following the coastal track, it’s another 800 metres to arrive at the next best viewpoint of the Stacks of Duncansby. Along the way, there are epic cliff gaps to enjoy. Once you arrive at the viewpoint, you’ll feel close to the action, with the mega sea stacks perched right in front of you!

With the east side of the NC500 route lacking mountain ranges, you’ll have to find solace in flatter coastal walks during this part of your itinerary. Despite only being a short walk, Duncansby Head is certainly a highlight of any NC500 itinerary!

16. Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 2km
Time: 0.75 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 26m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Noss Head Car Park

Alongside Old Keiss Castle, Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is another fascinating castle to explore in the Caithness area of the NC500. Located close to Wick, and next to Noss Head, the castle is well placed for a short coastal walk. Again, the naysayers might claim this is not much of a hike; but, at 2km, we’re happy to include this glorious castle trail on the list. There are even cool sea stacks and an isolated bay to explore, making this much more than just an out and back to a castle.

17. Old Keiss Castle

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 1.9km
Time: 0.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 10m
Difficulty: Very Easy
Trailhead: Keiss Harbour

Echoing the sentiments of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, the coastal walk to Old Keiss Castle is not a challenging or long trail. At around 1.9km, this coastal walk is certainly short and sweet. With barely any elevation gain, you’ll likely finish this adventure in less than half an hour. You can expect a quiet walk with lovely ocean views, soaring seabirds and interesting castle ruins.

18. Fyrish Monument

Type: Out & Back
Distance: 6.3km
Time: 1.5 hours
Accumulated elevation gain: 281m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Fyrish Car Park

If you’re exploring the NC500 in a clockwise direction, it’s very likely that your final hike will be to the Fyrish Monument. You’ll follow the short but steep Jubilee Path, meandering through lovely forest, to reach the impressive monument. Not only will you have this landmark to check out; but, from the peak, you’ll have decent views of the Cromarty Firth with the bulky mountains of Ben Wyvis in the distance.

As you’ve discovered, the eastern side of the NC500 route is much flatter. As a result, there aren’t as many hiking trails to explore on this part of the route. However, we recommend squeezing in this final hike to Fyrish Monument before finishing your trip back in Inverness.

Other Worthwhile Short NC500 Walks

Of course, there are many other short walks to amazing beaches, castles and other natural/historical attractions along the NC500. Basically, we had to draw the line somewhere! So, if the walk was less than 1.5km, we haven’t included a description in this guide. But, please find below a photo list of worthwhile NC500 attractions to visit, which generally involve a bit of walking. We have roughly presented (left to right) in order of a NC500 trip explored in a clockwise direction. Feel free to add these shorter walks to your NC500 hiking itinerary.

Other Essential NC500 Hikes

An Teallach: Loop | 20km | 9–10 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 1,415m | Difficulty: Very hard | Trailhead: An Teallach Car Park
Beinn Eighe (Western Summits): Loop | 18km | 7–9 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 1,116m | Difficulty: Hard | Trailhead: Beinn Eighe Car Park
Liathach: Loop | 11.5km | 11.5km | 8–10 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 1,326m | Difficulty: Very hard | Trailhead: Liathach Parking
Fisherfield Six: Loop | 42km | 12–18 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 2,254m | Difficulty: Very hard | Trailhead: Corrie Hallie Car Park
Ben Hope: Out & Back | 7.5km | 4–6 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 964m | Difficulty: Moderate | Trailhead: “Parking for Ben Hope trail” (Google Maps)
Ben Loyal: Out & Back | 13.75km | 5.5–6.5 hours | Accumulated elevation gain: 804m | Difficulty: Moderate | Trailhead: 58.457500, -4.428100

NC500 Hikes Recap

The NC500 is not only an epic road trip but a route full of phenomenal hiking trails. By following this comprehensive NC500 hiking guide, you’ll be able to plan your own magnificent NC500 hiking itinerary with ease. Whether it’s a monster mountain trail in Torridon or a casual stroll to a castle, you’ll find all of the essential details in this guide. To further assist in your trip planning, continue reading below to learn about accommodation (camping and non-camping recommendations), hiking essentials and bonus tips for the NC500!

Getting to Scotland

Flights: To do this trip from abroad, it makes sense to fly to Inverness – where the NC500 starts and finishes. When booking flights, you should use Skyscanner to search for the cheapest flights. When flying abroad, we always get the ball rolling with a Skyscanner search. Although, with the pandemic, booking directly with the airlines is a far safer option.

Additionally, if you’re UK or US-based, you should sign up to Jack’s Flight Club for the best flight deal alert service. By simply subscribing to the free weekly newsletter or buying premium membership, you could save lots of money on international travel. For the Aussies, we recommend subscribing to I Want That Flight for the best flight deal alerts, where you can usually find cheap flights with Jetstar or Tiger Airways.

Getting around the NC500

Traditionally, the NC500 is a road trip so you’ll need your own set of wheels. Plus, many sections of the NC500 either have no or very limited public transport. If you don’t have a car, we highly recommend Rentalcars.com for the best car hire deals. They have an unbeatable free cancellation policy, which is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accommodation Recommendations

It’s well known that accommodation along the NC500 is limited and so it’s highly recommended to book far in advance (3–6 months at least), particularly for a summer trip.

Admittedly, we booked our NC500 hiking trip (in July for an August trip) fairly last-minute, so we had very few options in terms of camping. Many campsites were completely booked out on the west side of the NC500 route, where all of the best hiking is! So, we just had to book what was available. This meant booking some non-camping accommodations somewhat inconveniently located for the hikes we wanted to do and having an extended stay at one campsite in Ullapool. So, we can’t recommend you follow our itinerary exactly when it comes to accommodation. But, we can recommend the ideal accommodation options for your NC500 hiking trip.

Of course, wild camping is always an option in Scotland. Honestly speaking though, with all of the hiking that we do, we prefer a campsite with a shower and basic amenities.

Best Accommodation for NC500 Hikes

Given the best hikes are located along the west coast of the NC500 route in Wester Ross, you’ll want to find accommodation around there.

Conveniently located in Torridon, our first camping recommendation is Torridon Camp Site. Unfortunately, the campsite has been closed in 2021 but it should re-open for the 2022 season. The Torridon Camp Site only accommodates tents and has basic amenities including free showers. We cannot find a price for this campsite, but we imagine it’s quite affordable. Alternatively, the nearby Torridon Youth Hostel is a non-camping option brilliantly located for your Torridon hiking adventures. But, it’s very expensive and prices increase over the summer months.

With so few options with booking last-minute, we inevitably settled for an Airbnb (Private ensuite room in house on NC500 route) in a gorgeous village called Kishorn, just outside of Locharron. At £70.75/night, it certainly wasn’t a budget option but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.

Torridon was a 45-minute drive away from Kishorn, so it wasn’t too far away from the best NC500 hikes. Consider it as a solid backup option if you book last-minute as we did!

Ardmair Point Holiday Park

Our second camping recommendation is Ardmair Point Holiday Park in Ullapool. This campsite was our absolute saviour! With all other campsites on the west side of the NC500 booked out, Ardmair Point Holiday Park was literally our only option for camping that could be booked in advance. Only a non-electric tent pitch was available and so we booked that at a very reasonable £20/night. A gazebo added £3/night. The campsite had great facilities, wasn’t overcrowded and provided a great base to enjoy sunsets and sunrises from Ardmair Point.

Usually, for the NC500, it’s recommended to book different accommodation every night for a 7–10 day trip to cover the entire route. However, particularly for campers, this can be really time-consuming to set up at a new campsite every evening. Because all of the campsites had booked out we didn’t really have a choice but to book the one campsite for four nights.

Even though Ardmair Point Holiday Park wasn’t that close to many of the best NC500 hikes around Lochinver and Inchnadamph, we enjoyed the convenience of being based at just one campsite. Although, be prepared for extra fuel costs. Most days, we had to drive 35–60 minutes one-way to reach many of the trailheads and attractions north of Ullapool, that fall in the North West Highlands.

Other Accommodation Recommendations for the NC500

Given the best hikes on the NC500 are located on the west side of the route, you may not spend many nights along the northern or eastern sections of the route. But, you’ll probably need at least one or two nights along these sections as you complete your NC500 adventure.

Not far from the most northern point of mainland Britain, Thurso has plenty of accommodation options, even when booking last-minute. Also, compared to other non-camping accommodation options along the NC500, you’ll find staying in Thurso is great value for money. For instance, we booked Manor House for £65/night, but there were definitely cheaper options in Thurso around the £50/night mark.

You’ll also likely need a night in Inverness when starting or finishing the NC500 route. We ended our NC500 hiking adventure with one lovely night at No.9. We enjoyed a cosy stay in what was described as an apartment, although it is in a house with private rooms. At £45/night for a double room with a private ensuite, we weren’t complaining!

In terms of starting the NC500 route, we actually spent a night in Perth. Travelling from Manchester, and departing after work on a Friday night, it was a good halfway point for a rest. We recommend staying at Sky Lodge Perth. For just one night, you’ll pay around £54 and enjoy a comfortable stay before cracking on with your NC500 hiking trip.

Of course, when searching for camping along the NC500, we recommend using WikiCamps to find a campsite most conveniently located for your hiking itinerary. For non-camping options, we recommend using Booking.com or Airbnb. Although, be sure to book somewhere with a reasonable free cancellation policy, just in case!

Five Hiking Gear Essentials For the NC500

These are our five hiking gear essentials for exploring the NC500. For a more comprehensive hiking gear list, check out our 66 Travel Accessories That You Must Travel With. Otherwise, for a general summary of everything you’d need for a trip, visit our Ultimate Packing Checklist.

Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots: these hiking boots are super comfortable and lightweight.
The North Face Venture Jacket: a fantastic windproof/waterproof jacket.
Osprey Skarab 30L Day Backpack: a great backpack for hiking, which has plenty of space to store your gear.
The North Face TKA Glacier Fleece Jacket: an excellent warmth:weight ratio fleece jacket that’ll help keep you warm.
Columbia Convertible Trousers: a value for money pair of water-resistant convertible trousers.

Five Camping Gear Essentials For the NC500

Camping in Scotland is a fantastic experience; but, you’ll need to have the right gear when visiting in summer to avoid being bitten by midges. Thankfully, there are a few helpful preventative measures you can implement to stop them from biting you. This involves having the right camping equipment, including the Camping Living Room, which is one of our best EVER purchases (see below). It works similar to a gazebo with walls; but, without the heavy poles/equipment and time-consuming setup. In fact, it’s most similar to a tent, considering its general design and how quickly it is to set up.

So, without further ado, these are our five camping gear essentials for the NC500. You can find more information on camping gear by visiting our in-depth packing checklist and travel essentials guide.

Vango Banshee Pro Tent 300: a high-quality but affordable compact and lightweight tent, perfect for multi-day hiking.
Vango Ultralite Pro 200 Sleeping Bag: this sleeping bag will keep you warm, particularly in cold climates.
Sea to Summit Anti-Insect Mummy Style CoolMax Adaptor Sleeping Bag Liner: you’ll have a surprisingly warmer sleep with an extra layer and it’ll keep your sleeping bag clean.
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium inflatable Pillow: a compact and convenient pillow to take camping.
Head Torch: a necessary camping accessory to see where you’re going at night.

Main Costs

Your NC500 hiking trip could be much cheaper than ours by either booking in advance to ensure campsite availability or braving some wild camping! In terms of food, we did splurge on some fish and chips in Ullapool at Deli-Ca-Sea for around £25. To celebrate our wedding anniversary and for completing the NC500 route, we enjoyed a pub feed and drinks, including a whiskey of the month, at the charming Clachnaharry Inn in Inverness for around £40. The Clachnarharry Inn is only a short walk away from No.9!

Also, we only visited the Castle of Mey and Dunrobin Castle without actually entering the castles. This was because we arrived too early at the Castle of Mey and Dunrobin Castle was absolutely heaving with people when we arrived (you can’t book Dunrobin Castle in advance). However, if you’d like to check out these brilliant castles, expect to pay a £12.50 entrance fee (as of 2021) to access the respective castle/gardens.

Excluding some of the shorter castle or beach walks, there are very challenging mountains trails on the west side of the NC500 route to navigate. So, we recommend using our Wikiloc maps for GPS guided directions. You’ll see many of our GPS maps sorted under the relevant trail on this page.

For those not so prepared, if you’re needing navigation help during your hike and don’t have any phone reception, consider using Maps.me. Although, you need to have at least downloaded the map of the general area beforehand.

Bonus Tips

Book early: make sure to book your NC500 hiking trip well in advance. Campsites along the route can book out around 6 months ahead of time.
Route direction: we recommend going in a clockwise direction. That way, you’ll reach the Wester Ross area much quicker, compared to driving anti-clockwise from Inverness. This will allow you to crack on with hiking the best trails straight off the bat!
Use WalkHighlands.com: There is no way that any company or blogger can compete with the wealth of information and detail that exists on the WalkHighlands website. We used their website quite a lot to plan our NC500 hiking adventure.

Share the ‘The Complete Guide to Hikes Along the NC500‘ with your hiking partner.