Considering NC500 in early September in a tent. Anyone done it? Are there plenty of campsites that are happy for tents? Are the sites still open in September?
Thanks
------------- Amanda
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I may well be wrong, but I think it's very much geared up for motorhomes, but someone may correct me. Not done it as we have a caravan and much of it is single track roads.
Yeah, I've seen lots of motorhome stuff about it, but they're *so* spendy to hire, and we have a tent and all the stuff :-D
Will need to research further.....
We drove this route (in a short MH) shortly after it opened, years before it became so popular. Stunning scenery: west (geopark with awesome mountains, internationally important gardens at Poolewe, interesting fishing & ferry & seafood town at Ullapool), north (huge dunes, caves, ferry to Orkney) & east coasts (Dunrobin Castle, big beaches, detour to Black Isle) - very different from each other.
NC500 has its own website which will point you to sites (plenty, allow 2 hours drive apart), and of course UKCS has its Site Search; sites will be open in Sept & the weather is likely to be good in our “Indian Summer”. Aim to arrive for or after lunch, pitch up & head off exploring: less choice of pitch as the day goes on (the one CCC site at Poolewe was full by mid afternoon). Maybe stay several days if you like somewhere in particular: there are many narrow dead end roads to beautiful deserted beaches.
Sites are not full even in the height of summer because so many MHs, tents, car campers etc park overnight for free on the beaches, in passing places, in the dunes, on the machair, in council and forestry car parks beside the “no overnight parking” signs & beside half-empty campsites. I’ve read site owners saying they’re less than half full while dozens of tents are pitched in the dunes beyond the boundary, their cars parked along the road.
We took 10 days but the guys in sports cars aim for 2 days or less. Read up on the good manners of driving single track roads. Be prepared to have no email for several days as there are plenty of not-spots. And there are other threads on the NC500, if you search the forum.
Thanks Fiona, that's super helpful. We have family in Inverness (ish) and Thurso (ish) so will be breaking the journey a bit and probably will do it over a fortnight. Well used to single track roads, so that's not a worry, but very good tips about arriving at sites early :-)
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: NC500 in tent?
via mobile 02/3/2025 at 5:32pm
