# Wild Camping on NC500



## Deleted member 66363 (Mar 20, 2017)

Hi Folks
I am a newbie on this site and looking for information regarding the NC 500 which I will be doing with my wife in May.

I am looking for overnight stops along the route , but wish to avoid commercial campsites if at all possible. 

Could anybody who has done this trip recommend stops and their locations .

I am also looking for best locations for wildlife, seal, dolphin spotting.

All info welcome.

Thanks


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## tailgate (Mar 20, 2017)

watching with interest as we want to do the same


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## Deleted member 5816 (Mar 20, 2017)

Join as a full member and then you would be able to download the POI map and camping stops

Alf




peters877 said:


> Hi Folks
> I am a newbie on this site and looking for information regarding the NC 500 which I will be doing with my wife in May.
> 
> I am looking for overnight stops along the route , but wish to avoid commercial campsites if at all possible.
> ...


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## Wooie1958 (Mar 21, 2017)

We prefer the anti-clockwise route and think the views when driving are better that way particularly coming down the west coast.

It`s the same on the      *Bealach na Ba* Applecross Peninsula and Bealach na Ba - Pass of the Cattle ? Scotland Info Guide

The views coming down are spectacular where as going up they are ok i suppose       :dance:


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## Auld Pharrrt (Mar 21, 2017)

To be perfectly honest, yes, joining the forum as a full member will give you access to as many poi's as you could ever hope for, but without knowing what size of van you have etc. then many might not be suitable for you.

I wander around the NC500 most years and there is such an abundance of places to stop over for a night or two that you really don't need to look hard.

The one thing I do like to point out, though usually unnecessary, is, please, use the passing places properly when you meet oncoming traffic (or for letting other pass you) on the single track sections of road.

1.  If you are travelling DOWNHILL, ALWAYS give way to traffic coming up the hill ... it's easier for you to do a hillstart going down!
2.  If the passing place is on your left, you pull in and let the other vehicle have right of way.
3.  If the passing place is on your right, stop beside the space and let the other driver pull in UNLESS THERE ARE SEVERAL VEHICLES or a LARGE vehicle coming towards you, then it's usually easier for you to pull across the road ... use your indicators to let others see your intention.
4. *NEVER* use a passing place as a stopover or picnic site!

And remember, manners cost nothing, a brief wave of acknowledgment goes a long way, improves your feel-good factor and probably their's too (or helps educate the ignoramuses, lol.)

An example of what you have to look forward to ... the first picture is the original ...



But I thought the hired van spoiled the view ...


So I rubbed it out.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Mar 21, 2017)

P.S.

Welcome to the madhouse!


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## alwaysared (Mar 21, 2017)

Auld Pharrrt said:


> An example of what you have to look forward to ... the first picture is the original ...
> View attachment 51843
> 
> But I thought the hired van spoiled the view ...
> ...



Did you use Photoshop? I'm only asking because I use PS and I'm always looking for alternatives because PS CC is expensive!

Regards,
Del


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## Auld Pharrrt (Mar 21, 2017)

alwaysared said:


> Did you use Photoshop? I'm only asking because I use PS and I'm always looking for alternatives because PS CC is expensive!
> 
> Regards,
> Del



No, I use Paint Shop Pro ... a VERY old (but full version) copy I got as a freebie a lot of years ago, V6 I think it is.  I like the animated gif's etc that comes with it.


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## Deleted member 66363 (Mar 21, 2017)

Thanks for replies. I  have just joined .
I have a swb Citroën Relay, which is predominantly my work van which I am in the process of making a bit more comfortable for our trip.

Having seen a few videos on YouTube of the NC 500 we can't wait to go.


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## Deleted member 8468 (Mar 21, 2017)

alwaysared said:


> Did you use Photoshop? I'm only asking because I use PS and I'm always looking for alternatives because PS CC is expensive!
> 
> My CC subscription is about to increase by 40% so I have cancelled it and will be using Affinity Photo.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Mar 21, 2017)

peters877 said:


> Thanks for replies. I  have just joined .
> I have a swb Citroën Relay, which is predominantly my work van which I am in the process of making a bit more comfortable for our trip.
> 
> Having seen a few videos on YouTube of the NC 500 we can't wait to go.



You'll love it ... clockwise or anticlockwise is a matter of choice, both have their advantages ... clockwise going up the west coast lets you see a lot of the shoreline that you'd maybe not see as well in the opposite direction.  IMHO the west coast is without doubt the bonniest so I like going up that way.

If you have a map, there are a multitude of wee unclassified roads which take you through some stunning beauty spots, but I'll leave you to find your own "special places" ... just last year I found a road I'd never driven and it was overwhelmingly bonnie.

Travelling the east coast has many small harbours, many are very pretty and quite isolated and always worth investigating ... there was a thread recently on here which mentions Lybster and Latheronwheel.

Across the top, has a number of places also worth visiting (Smoo caves etc.) 

I live just north of Perth and my holiday doesn't start until I'm well past Inverness if going anti-clockwise.  However, when going the other way I'm on holiday a few minutes after leaving the house!

I won't even hazard a guess at what you might like so I won't make any effort to advise on what to see, where to go except ... Driving up the Bealach na' Ba (Gaelic for Pass of the cattle) from Kishorn (excellent sea-food restaurant here, but don't blink or you'll miss it) to Applecross is heart stopping for the passenger, I've met a few tourists who's wife has said they aint driving back *THAT* way! ... there are some serious tight bends and views down into the valley.  Applecross has toilets and 24hrs fuel (expensive) and there is very highly spoken off food available in the Applecross Inn ... Drive a further 5 miles or so along from the inn and you will get to Toscaig pier.  Bonnie stopover worthy of a night or two.

Or, once at Applecross, turn right and head up the coast.  The photos above were taken quite a bit up there somewhere.  As you meander along, eventually you will make it to Durness.  A few miles before Durness is a spot I like to stop at (you won't miss it if your eyes are open) and in Durness itself there's the shopping mall (Spar) with toilets beside the shop.  Ignore those toilets and drive a little further along the road where you will see a campsite on your left (the one that is free of charge over winter) ... watch out for a brown building set back a little off the road and pull in there for toilets ... HOT WATER and clean loos.

If I carried on, I'd need a couple of days to type up some of my favourites, but, I prefer to simply whet your appetite and let you discover it all for yourself.

One thing I often suggest (actually I harp on about it an awful lot) is consider becoming a geocacher (is great for kids too) ... have a look at geocaching.com and you can either join for free or as a premium member.  Geocaching will help you to discover many places that you never knew existed (there aren't very many on the west coast) and to be honest, the first time I traveled my favourite west coast route after becoming a geocacher I found places that I'd driven past many times without knowing they were there.

There are so many threads on here with information with regards to the highlands and the islands that you can probably start now and still be reading more by the time you are ready to leave, it really is that glorious.

Most important, enjoy yourself/selves.


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## hextal (Mar 21, 2017)

As above. The NC500 is awesome, but use it as somewhere to go 'investigating' from.  There are so incredible single track roads that go on for miles into the middle of nowhere, no people, epic views.

It's a little like when you go visiting big cities abroad, they look ram packed cos everyone sticks to the main pedestrian areas, you only need to turn left or right and you find these amazing places with pretty much nobody around.


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## Wooie1958 (Mar 21, 2017)

peters877 said:


> Thanks for replies. I  have just joined .
> I have a swb Citroën Relay, which is predominantly my work van which I am in the process of making a bit more comfortable for our trip.
> 
> Having seen a few videos on YouTube of the NC 500 we can't wait to go.





Nice 1, you won`t regret it   :dance:

Get the POI`s downloaded on your phone, computer and sat nav and away you go     :drive:    you never be stuck for somewhere to overnight     :dance:

With a SWB van you can get down every road up there    :wave:


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