North Coast 500 (NC500) 5-day Itinerary

Starting from Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, head over the Kessock Bridge to the bucolic Black Isle and north up the east coast.

Dip into Dornoch, a picture-postcard little coastal town famous for its golf courses, dreamy dune-backed beach and a 13th-century cathedral.

Take a side trip to the Falls of Shin then continue on to the pretty village of Golspie and the fairytale Dunrobin Castle before doubling back to Dornoch for the night.

Continue north, the route hugging the east coast, to iconic John O’Groats – famously ‘the end of the road’.

Two miles further on is Dunnet Head the real northernmost point on the British mainland with its lighthouse and spectacular 300ft cliffs.

Take a tour and tasting at artisan Dunnet Bay Distillery then check out the Castle of Mey, the late Queen Mother’s favourite holiday home on the Caithness coast – before checking in to the guesthouse created by King Charles.

Today drive the length of the wild north coast fringed by glorious sweeps of sand and spectacular cliffs. Take a breather in Durness, visit Smoo Cave and go beachcombing on Balnakiel beach. Then head to Balnakiel Craft village for a hot chocolate at artisan chocolate maker Cocoa Mountain.

From here you can visit Cape Wrath, the most westerly point on the mainland via the passenger ferry and bus. Then swing down the west coast to your bed for the night.

Rise early to explore the rugged north-west Assynt landscape and its wildlife by kayak, bike or on foot. All can be organised by the hotel. The route south takes you through the jaw-dropping North West Highlands Unesco Global Geopark.

Grab an award-winning pie from the Lochinver Larder for lunch or fish and chips by the harbour in bustling Ullapool. From here the route squiggles around the captivating coast to Torridon, and a night at the Torridon Hotel.

There are three mountain ranges to the north on the doorstep with six Munros to bag. The hotel offers mountain guiding excursions and less strenuous guided hikes.

Afterwards curve around the coast to the remote Applecross Peninsula. Tuck into local langoustines doused in garlic butter, hand-dived scallops or crab at the Applecross Inn on the waterfront before tackling the legendary Bealach na Ba pass which snakes through the mountains down to Shielaig. The final leg takes you cross-country back to Inverness and a boutique bed overlooking Loch Ness.