The NC 500 - North Coast 500 cycle tour is a breathtakingly scenic route that loops around the northern Highlands of Scotland, covering approximately 500 miles of rugged coastline, majestic mountains, and charming villages. Our NC500 cycle tour offers a unique way to experience this stunning region, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in the natural beauty and rich culture of the Scottish Highlands.
Route Map of Scotland's NC500 Cycle Tour
NC 500 Distance and Climbing
This tour is designed with the ‘avid’ rider in mind (please see rider types) as it has some testing terrain and the added uncertainty of changeable weather conditions too! We recommend you come prepared.
The NC 500 cycle tour is a challenging tour with some longer days in the saddle. Days vary, but generally the route has some climbs of medium difficulty and a few which are challenging such as the well-known climb of Bealach na Bà on day 2. A winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula.
You will most likely need to train for the event and ensure you are fit enough to complete the distance and climbing.
This tour is suitable for our AVID Riders. Find out if you are an AVID or ACTIVE style of rider here. The total distance is 924 km with a total of 11,423 metres of climbing. The daily average is 132 km and 1630 metres of climbing.
Bike Rental
Why not make your life easy and rent a high quality road bike? Your bike will be there for you on Arrival Day and taken back to the shop for you! Only £395. We will work with Cycle Hire Scotland and you can make bookings directly with them. Simply select the tour you are on from this page and make your booking along with any extras - https://www.cyclehirescotland.co.uk/book.
Price
The price is £1,895 per person sharing. Some single rooms are available for an additional supplement of £495.
What is included in the tour
- 8 nights bed and breakfast in good hotels
- Lunches on at least two of the cycling days
- Suggested coffee and lunch stops (where not provided)
- Van support with snacks
- Support from an experienced Scottish crew with local knowledge
- GPX files of the route
- Daily briefings
- Route profiles with maps
- Baggage transfer
- Mechanical assistance and repairs
- Emergency pickup
- Final group meal
What is NOT included in the tour
- Airport transfers at the start and finish can be provided at a cost of £70 each way.
- Bike Rental is extra and can be ordered from our trusted rental partner - Cycle Hire Scotland. £395
- Lunch and coffee stops. These will be provided on at least two of the days in remote areas. On other days you will be given some recommendations of where you may wish to refuel!
- Evening meals - Our stopovers all have reasonably priced restaurants and pubs nearby and most of the hotels have good dining. Breakfast IS included and lunch on some days
- Optional trips / entry fees for any excursions you arrange independently
- Insurance - you need to organise your own bike and travel insurance as required
- Gels, high energy bars, energy powder and shakes - bring your own as per what works best for you and your tummy!
- Flights to and from Scotland
North Coast 500 GPX Route Files
All our cycle tours are supported with GPX files of the entire route. These start at the door of the hotel you are leaving and finish right at your finish hotel. The GPX route files for the NC 500 will be sent well in advance for you to check uploading to your bike computer. Any revisions will be resent.
Scotland NC500 Cycle Route & Daily Itinerary
Our route largely follows the Scottish Tourist Board 500 mile route (but it’s better!) and takes in some tough climbs and beautiful mountain passes. We go off the beaten track in places to avoid busier sections of the official NC500.
Daily Breakdown:
Arrival Day - Inverness (no cycling)
Take a walk along River Ness and pop into Johnny Foxes for a lunchtime Cullen Skink and a pint.
You will sample at least one Cullen Skink on your trip; it’s a thick Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions and perfect fodder for the hungry cyclist.
It’s a bit like porridge at lunchtime!
At briefing in the hotel we will do our introductions and we’ll explain more about timings and how the tour will operate.
Day 1 - Inverness to Strathcarron 101 kilometers 744 meters
Our Day One route takes us west to Strathcarron north of Lochcarron via Loch a’Chuilinn and Loch Luichart by-passing many other small ones on the way. A varied day of picturesque lochs, expansive moorlands, and views of the rugged mountains. Leaving Inverness you’ll pass beautiful forests and countryside views. From Garve the route starts to get more hilly as you approach the mountains. Expect stunning views as the terrain becomes more rugged and wild with the Torridon Hills coming into view as you approach Strathcarron.
Day 2 - Strathcarron to Poolewe 142 km 2,342 m
The ride to Kinlochewe via Shieldaig is spectacular, taking you along the wild coastline, through remote glens, and past towering mountains. We follow the rugged coastal road through Shieldaig and Torridon, offering breathtaking sea views and dramatic Highland scenery.
The dramatic landscape of Glen Torridon is a relatively flat section with incredible mountain views, including Liathach towering above the road. The road follows the shores of Loch Torridon, with breathtaking reflections on calm days. Glen Torridon is surrounded by some imposing peaks like Beinn Eighe and Beinn Alligin. A narrow, winding road with long, sweeping descents.
Day 3 - Poolewe to Ullapool 80 km 1,181 m
A long, steady climb to Corrieshalloch Gorge at 60km – wee worth a hop off the bike for a short explore of the deep gorge. Then it’s a fast and fun descent into Ullapool for the night.
Day 4 - Ullapool to Durness / Smoo Cave 148 km 2,343 m
For sheer visual impact the best part is probably the first bit from Lochinver to Clachtoll beach. This is truly one of Scotland’s most spectacular but challenging cycling roads. Its short, sharp climbs and winding descents offer incredible views. You will be rewareded with the turquoise waters and thr stunning white sand of Clachtoll Beach.
A long but steady climb out of Rhiconich, is followed by a dramatic descent into Durness. A few kilometers on and you come to Smoo Cave - a massive sea cave with an underground waterfall.
Day 5 - Smoo Cave to Thurso 115 km 1,400 m
Crossing the Kyle of Tongue Causeway is great fun with stunning coastline views. The road continues to follow the coastline, offering rolling hills and great sea views.
The road becomes flatter as we approach Thurso via the quieter road slightly south through Glengolly.
Save something in the tank if it’s a good day as there’s an optional 20k ride out to Dunnet Head - Scotland’s most northerly point (not John O’Groats as is widely believed to be the case).
Day 6 - Thurso to Lairg 146 km 1,321 m
A quiet and scenic road following the River Helmsdale is a gradual descent, making for a smooth final section into the small fishing village of Helmsdale.
A short section on the A9 before coming off on a road through some of the most peaceful landscape of Sutherland. This road is steep in sections, but rewards you with incredible lochside scenery, rolling moorland and forest, with barely any traffic.
Day 7 - Lairg to Inverness 135 km 948 m
We ride out along the Cromarty Firth to the very tip of the Black Isle at Cromarty passing through historic villages and rolling countryside. This section is mostly on quiet, well-surfaced roads with a few gentle climbs and gorgeous coastal views. Keep an eye out for seals near the shore.
From Cromarty we take ride the southern edge of the Moray Firth, offering a combination of quiet rural roads, beautiful coastal scenery, and gentle rolling hills.
There are distilleries, fisheries, bouillabaisse and cafes on this stretch as we detour from the main road to complete our circuit back into Inverness.
Departure Day - Inverness (no cycling)
Return home with a smile on your face, legs like tree trunks and one of our coveted and well earned medals.
and tell all of your friends that
‘you took the high road’
Hurry back! We’re continually having fun out exploring and adding new routes to our growing portfolio of exceptional cycle tours.
Routes are subject to change if necessary. For example if a particular hotel stop is booked out we may need to find alternatives.
Your Scotland NC 500 GPX route files will be sent in advance for you to upload to your bike computer.
Cycling Terrain and Bike Suitability
The entire route is approximately just under 10,000 metres of climbing elevation. A large part of this is on the western section of the coast line. The route has many sections of stunning scenery with a number of very quiet roads and amazing beaches along the way. With the amount of climbing on this route, we’d recommend something lightweight for your North Coast 500 bike. Whether this is a touring bike or road bike, you’ll be thanking yourself when you climb the Bealach na Ba!
Arriving for Your North Coast 500 Cycle Tour
The tour starts at our hotel in Inverness, Scotland on the first date of the advertised tour with a detailed briefing in the afternoon. We then prepare our bikes and spend the night in the hotel . This first night is included in the price of the tour. We begin cycling the next morning.
Inverness Airport serves limited domestic and international routes, but has direct flights from London, Amsterdam, and Belfast. However, it's also possible to fly into Aberdeen and drive the 2.5 hours to Inverness, or take the scenic train between the two northern cities. If you are travelling in Scotland for a long period of time, then you could also arrive in Glasgow or Edinburgh and spend time there before driving or taking the train north.
If you live in the UK, then you can of course opt to drive your own car or camper van up to Inverness as part of an extended road trip, or take the train to Inverness and rent your car there.
If required, we can provide transfers to the hotel for you, your bike and your luggage from Inverness Airport. Transfers from Inverness Airport can be provided for a small fee.
Other
Please contact us if you have other travel requirements you wish to discuss and we will do our best to assist!
Departure Planning
The tour finishes at the same hotel we started on the last date of the advertised tour. We will have a finishing meal and celebration. This is included in the price of the tour along with a final night's accommodation. The next morning you can depart at your leisure. Transfers to Inverness Airport can be provided for a small fee.
What to Expect on a Wild Atlantic Cycle Tour of Scotland:
Weather in Scotland
The weather in Scotland is famous worldwide for being wild and unpredictable. In June you can expect to ride in anything from snow to blazing sunshine. The reason we go in June is because if you are going to experience the latter then this is the time it will happen and when the Scottish midges (small flies) are least likely to annoy you!
Bring your wet weather gear and your sun cream. There is a very high chance that you will need both!
Group Size and Tour Leaders
Our groups are generally around 12 to 18 people. Our Scotland NC 500 tour will go ahead with a minimum of six people.
Our groups are supported by a Tour Leader and Assistant, both of whom have previous tour support experience and are themselves cyclists who fully appreciate just how it feels however your day pans out. The tour leader and assistant ride in the van to better aid a speedy assist where required. On most tours we also have a rider on the road with basic mechanical and first aid skills who will try to ride ‘mid-pack’, but the van generally gets there first.
At the initial briefing all cyclists are provided with the tour leader and assistant’s number, as well as that of the emergency services which they are instructed to use in the event of an emergency.
English is the main language of Scotland.
Camaraderie
Camaraderie forms a big part of the whole experience our tours provide and although single supplements are available, our tours are priced and catered for such that a single cyclist can feel comfortable making a booking and opt to share a twin room with someone they don’t know.
People tend to settle into their own way of cycling throughout the day and groups can vary from day to day and evening to evening. You can cycle at your own pace for a solitary cycle or join others.
Navigating the North Coast 500 Cycle Route
We recommend you bring a bike computer onto which you can upload the GPX files of the route. GPX files of the North Coast 500 route will be emailed to you before the start of the tour.
Direction of Travel
We travel clockwise from Inverness to Inverness.
Bike Maintenance
Each morning (and evening) bike cleaning materials, basic tools, pumps and lubricants will be available so you can groom your trusty steeds.
You can telephone any time for mechanical support where required.
Mechanical Issues
With regards to mechanical issues it’s helpful if everyone knows how to repair a puncture or replace a tube. However, we are on call if you need help re-seating a stiff tyre on the rim.
Minor mechanicals can be dealt with roadside and where more specialist help is required we can transport you and your bike to a local bike shop to carry out repairs.
Support Van & Cyclist
Our support van with water and refreshments will pass you at least once each morning and afternoon en route to lunch and hotel so you will normally be able to access your day pack before lunch, at lunch and in the afternoon.
We usually have a Support Cyclist on the road as well.
In the afternoon we ensure we get your bag to the hotel before you arrive.
Daily Routine
Every day starts with a hearty breakfast and a briefing.
Breakfasts are usually traditional cooked Scottish style, but for the most part will include cereals and fruit and cheeses, with coffee, juice and tea.
We’ll advise of a suitable morning coffee stop for ‘second breakfast’ and we’ll also specify a lunch stop where the van can be found. Sometimes there will be a choice of restaurant but in remote areas there may only be one suitable.
Evening meals are available in some of our Scottish hotels. We do however advise a little walk each evening just to sample the delights these towns have to offer.
