During a recent 5 month parental leave trip we headed to Scotland (April & May 2024) to do the NC500. Luckily, just before the midge season! We love Scotland, but had never gone further than Inverness and we were very excited to test our new Free s600 on the Scottish roads.
I will write a separate post about our whole 2 month UK itinerary but for this post I will focus specifically on the NC500. The map below outlines the free stopovers, paid stopovers and most of the activities we did along the way.
Note – Van life is becoming more frowned upon in many places and the NC500 is one of them. Please respect the places you visit so there continues to be support for motorhomes/Camper vans and take rubbish away with you where there are no designated areas to dispose of it.
Highlights of the NC500!
Beinn Eighe National nature reserve
Just an incredible area with access to stay for free in their car park or donate. There is so much to explore in the area and it was breathtaking.
The Bone caves
Located north of Ledbeg, the bone caves were a bit of a spontaneous walk which ended in a 2 hour return hike with some steep inclines and rocky terrain. It was challenging with kids on our backs. We are glad we kept going as we had the place to ourselves and our son loved the history behind them and exploring.
Smoo Cave
Another cave but this one was a lot less strenuous. We stayed overnight nearby which was a good decision as we got there very early and had it to ourselves. Don’t miss Smoo cave.
Ceannabeinne beach
Next door to Smoo cave is Ceannabeinne beach. We stayed here the night before visiting Smoo cave. It is incredibly picturesque but what made this beach great was the ability to park up for the night overlooking it. You can also Zipline across the bay.
The Store Bistro & Bar
We randomly stopped for lunch and I believe this is the only cafe in this little town. Some places just have a different kind of feel and this is one of them. We had the Scottish and Chicken burger and also kids meals and the portions are massive. They have a log burner and kids toys plus CAKE!
Dunbeath Harbour
On our highlights as it was where our love for wild swimming was born. Great place to spend the night for a donation with toilets and a little beach with children’s toys to use.
We use Park4night as the main source for our park ups. Check them out here!
