North Coast 500

[David]

It is our plan to go and do this trip in early May next year, thinking of just after the 1st bank holiday in May
I have a few questions Will it be pretty much midge free at this time on the West Coast, and sort of how busy will it be.
Also looking good campsites or wild camping areas, any advise greatly received
Thanks David

 

[karl webster]

I'll be doing that trip sometime over the next couple of years too.

Can't help you with the nudge thing though. Andy will probably be on to answer.

 

[AndyCook]

Yeah, should be no midges then
We tend to camp until end of May, then stop until mid September to avoid the midges

Good campsites in Applecross, gairloch sands, port a'braigh near achiltibuie,
And achmelvich and clachtoll @lochinver
Scourie and Durness sits supposed to be ok
Bettyhill one gets dire reviews

I will pm wild spots, don't want them on public forum

A couple shown on iOverlander app

 

[AndyCook]

Vince said the campsite at Dornoch on east was good

 

[David]

Yeah, should be no midges then
We tend to camp until end of May, then stop until mid September to avoid the midges

Good campsites in Applecross, gairloch sands, port a'braigh near achiltibuie,
And achmelvich and clachtoll @lochinver
Scourie and Durness sits supposed to be ok
Bettyhill one gets dire reviews

I will pm wild spots, don't want them on public forum

A couple shown on iOverlander app

You are a star will try and come home via you if we get time

 

[AndyCook]

No probs

 

[AndyCook]

The route is getting busier, and may is a popular time, cos no midges and can often get best weather of entire year
I was mountain biking in torridon in mid May and loads of supercars following the route. The torridon In had its busiest night ever when we were there.
We used ground tent in the free site in torridon, but they have locked gates now so can't camp next to vehicle.
With your setup, there are loads of spaces you could wild camp
North of Applecross on the coast road there are some lay-bys with big space next to them

 

[GeekOKent]

Great time of year todo this, I would recommend anti clockwise.

 

[David]

Great time of year todo this, I would recommend anti clockwise.

Out of interest how does it make a difference

 

[Chris]

Midge free Scotland. Hmm, new oxymoron there. We get midges in February when we're there. OK not swarms, but the wee beggars are just waiting to pounce given any opportunity. Just not getting the deep winters to kill them off.

 

[Gr8Yota]

I did it in ‘16 in May ‘officially’ i.e. after the marketing dept came up with the name, before that it was the main and only route anyhow...Yes you’ll get midges...welcome to west coast Scotland!

Applecross main beach is no camping but lots of other options and the road is great. Sands beach a little further up is great. Drop into the tourist office in Ullapool and chat to them... lots of good info. Their advice is miss the Lochinver loop but do detour to head off at Kinlochbervie and Oldshoreman beach and Sandwood Bay (you can camp at either).
You can wild camp anywhere, except Loch Lomand area in Scotland and I found the Forestry Commission sites good, the Borgie Forest on the North Coast has nice areas. But it is getting harder, this year a FC site on Skye was no overnight parking but was fine last year! You can also camp at the top at Dunnet Head, fantastic on a good day (I’d never before seen it in the sunshine) There are plenty of fuel stops, the most expensive, strangely was Thurso, and the furthest between fills is as you come down the A9. There is plenty of info online via ‘visit scotland’

 

[GeekOKent]

Out of interest how does it make a difference

Lots of (most?) Guide books seem to indicate going clockwise. And that is what a bazillion europeans end up doing, as we found out in 2016 May. They dont quite know howto use passing bays. Generally going in the other direction from them worked out quite well for us.

Also, if you are doing a lot of photography on the move, we got more usable footage, better views etc from the camera facing front and left, rather than the one facing right (these were external and dash mounted gopro thingies ).

The other thing is.... you get to have some early quiet time. Save the violent periods of midge slapping for the later part

 

[Gr8Yota]

Would recommend OS level mapping so you can find beaches, forests etc and 'explore' the route ahead. I use Viewranger and Explorer 1:25000 maps and they made a huge difference in discovering places like Sandwood Bay.

 

[IRLGW]

This sounds like a very nice trip, what is it like in the winter with snow etc?

 

[David]

Would recommend OS level mapping so you can find beaches, forests etc and 'explore' the route ahead. I use Viewranger and Explorer 1:25000 maps and they made a huge difference in discovering places like Sandwood Bay.

Yep I have Memory Map and View Ranger certainly helps find better places

 

[Gr8Yota]

This sounds like a very nice trip, what is it like in the winter with snow etc?

There are seversl parts with snow gates so you might find you can’t tske the route, some of those gates would result in a very long detour

 

[AndyCook]

We also have the new NE 250 just annouced in Aberdeenshire and Moray

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-41913831

https://www.northeast250.com/

 

[David]

Less than a week before we go and be buggered if I can decide which way round to go

 

[Gr8Yota]

Well the nicest bit is the west coast but if you go clockwise you'd go up the Apple Cross pass not down which is nicer...