3 days on NC500 in Scotland in August - route ideas and accommodation seems very booked up?

[reluctantlogin]

Dear all. I have to be at an event in the Highlands in August. I booked flights and a car some time ago for an extra three days to do the West coast NC 500 (or a bit of it beginning in Inverness, perhaps via Ullapool and ending up near John O Groats).
I have just had a look at options to stay and everything seems very expensive and very booked up now. I had thought there would be some obvious reasonably priced places whether hotels/ B and Bs with perhaps a splurge on a swanky scottish castle for one night. Has anyone done it and has recommendations of route and places to stay. My fault for being late to plan I know ! Much appreciated...

We spent a week driving round the NC500 and there is not a huge amount of choice when it comes to accommodation, and what there is is generally quite dear compared to many places - su-ply and demand at play I guess. We found it limited and booked several months in advance.
Have you also looked at the glamping/pods options? Or you could consider camping if that’s your thing.

The west coast is by far the nicest side though John O’Groats area was nice and the north coast. On the east coast Cromarty was lovely and Inverness was okay for a night or two.

Thanks - that is what I have just found out sadly. I am not a camper- I like a bit of comfort- but would try a pod for one night in a scenic place.

I imagine the season is short so they need to make the most of i.t. Do you have any recommendations. Thank you

We went for 10 days.

Our hotel stops included: Inverness Gairloch, Lochinver, Bettyhill, Wick, Cromarty and then Inverness again. We didn't like Wick so moved onto Cromarty instead. Some we stayed one night, others two.

The actual hotels were Myrtle Bank Hotel, Inver Lodge, Bettyhill Hotel, Mackays (left early though), The Royal Hotel and Heathmount Hotel. We also had a night at the Marriot Courtyard at the airport.

En route we also visited Applecross, Ullapool.Durness, Tongue, Dunnet Head, John O'Groats, Dornoch, and Lochness. We went to the Singleton Whisky Distillery and the Dunnet Bay (Rock Rose) Gin Distillery. We went to Urquhart Castle and Culloden Battlefields. We also stopped at some smaller lochs, waterfalls and beaches.

We loved the west coast - the scenery was stunning. The north coast was also lovely. The east coast was not as pretty and awe-inspiring though we did like Cromarty.

We drove round clockwise from Inverness, to the west coast, up the top, down the east coast and back to Inverness.

The season is no longer short! It used to be about five months until the NC500 came (and I guess the massive surge of west coast/islands tourism in general). Now it is only January that we are more or less free of tourists. Every other month there are campervans chocka block, though obviously May-Sep is the busiest.

If you can't find accommodation you will need to either camp or cancel. If you camp in a tent please stay on sites or follow the Scottish Access Code if wild camping. If you hire a campervan please stay on sites.

Life is difficult for us here now. Please be one of the regrettably few tourists who behave well, contribute to small businesses en route, and then know you are genuinely welcome.

Thank you. I’d be happy for accommodation recommendations as requested. I do contribute to local economy when I stay in places. I’m sorry you seem to feel overwhelmed by the volume of visitors

Thank you - that’s very helpful. Much appreciated

So … following on from my previous response. Given that I’m not a camper or motor home tourist ( like beds and nice food) I’d still be grateful for any gems of accommodation on the NC500 between Inverness and Wick that you might kindly recommend with local knowledge. Thanks in advance.

3 days I would head over to torridon. Torridon hotel is lovely. Then up to Ullapool. Could venture as far as achmelvich and head back down.
Or you could head east from Inverness along the moray coast…… won’t be as busy, but beautiful in a different way.

I know you’ve asked about where to stay but what sorts of things would you prefer to do/experience? Or are you going to drive for the time you have? Might be easier with just 3 days to pick a couple of areas and do something whilst you’re there?

Where in the highlands do you have to be?

it might be easier to base yourself there and see some sights on days out

I don't happen to personally know anywhere that isn't already booked up. There are tonnes of nice places to stay, but it's just a matter of trawling the internet until you find something (anything!) that has space on your dates 🤷

That’s what I was thinking too. The East coast is surely going to be quieter (and fewer midges!) so potentially an air bnb if not hotel or guest house?. If you don’t know the area then everything and everywhere is new so I’d also find somewhere with good “days out” kind of thing, rather than following the camper van route

Edited to add - I just did a quick self catering search for a random 3 days in or near Ullapool the second half of August and there were definitely options, if you were to base yourself in one place.

The area is short of housing - so there is also a shortage of holiday accommodation. And short of money to invest and people to operate holiday accommodation

the route was created without any thought as to how it would affect the area

so little gems will be in short supply

Scotland is big and most of it is beautiful - my gem of an idea is to go somewhere that does have accommodation. Mallaig?

Thanks so much for helpful input everyone. We have a family function over a weekend near Wick with accommodation hence booking the air tickets from London with three nights free before the event without any definite plans months ago so sorry that I am really ill informed about the trip ! I have a husband who likes driving in the countryside and really wants to do the bit of the NC500 near Applecross having holidayed near there as a kid 50 years ago. I think we will do Ullapool then head north in the direction of Lochinvar, onwards to Durness/ Dunnet Head and round to Wick. We’d like to see the countryside and sea and we love castles/ history. I have a guidebook arriving today which will help me get my head around a sensible plan without too much car time. I may be back to pick your brains later.
I do take the point made up thread about the pressure of tourism on those who live in places frequented by tourists (I live in a rural tourist hot spot in the southeast).
Thanks all and have a good day.

It’ll be a nightmare in August! The hostels are in great locations.

countryside and sea and we love castles/ history.
if you’re going to be in wick: Whaligoe Steps and camster cairn (about 25mins south)
castle Sinclair in wick
walk along the cliffs at Dunnet head, might see puffins but August is late for it.

The highlands are amazing largely because of the dramatic, wild scenery. The dramatic, wild landscape means the area is sparsely populated. This means there is very little accommodation relative to the area of the region. Why anyone thinks a huge influx of tourists in this area is a mystery. Friends were in an hour long queue on a single track road last year because of all the idiots in hired camper vans who didn’t understand how to use passing places and couldn’t reverse.

Looking at your possible route, you could still consider finding somewhere to base yourselves, maybe a midpoint between Ullapool and wick, then drive north/south during the day then back to “base”. (If you can bear the busy single track or similar roads and people who don’t know the code and are new to campervans.)

Hi @reluctantlogin what guidebook did you buy, and is it any good please?

Have you booked and decided upon your accommodation? We're going in September and struggling to find places not booked up.

Is the Applecross Inn booked up? We stayed there and it was lovely (except fairly uncomfortable bed). We then stopped at The Old Inn at Gairloch, which had pretty horrid decor in the rooms (black and silver feature wall, etc) but comfortable bed and great food and the best piano man in the bar. We also stayed in the Scourie Hotel, which was posh and gorgeous with a gong for dinner and delicious seafood.

I’ve been busy at work and then away - sorry to have not engaged with thread. A number of places ie reasonable hotels seem booked up . I got the Rough Guide to the North Coast 500 from Amazon. Some Edinburgh friends have tried to put us off doing the trip in august.
at the moment we are thinking of just an east coast three days en route to our event.

Are you flying into Inverness or somewhere else?

East Coast in August you should escape a lot of the midges of the West Coast. If flying into Inverness then Black Isle is spectacular and the opposite side of the Moray Firth which is stunning.
Dornoch is a great beach and lovely little town. Helmsdale is another small but nice stop with a few hotel options.
Plenty of monuments, castles and ruins in between.