6 Campsites near the NC500 - A Scottish Roadtrip

Scotlands answer to Route 66, the NC500 is a 516 mile stretch of stunning coasting scenery along the far north coast of Scotland. Typically travelled over 5 days, you'll meet plenty of highland cows, pass many lochs and of course, witness beautiful coastal sea views.

Dunnet Bay Caravan & Motorhome Club site

Dunnet, Thurso, Highlands KW14 8XD
01847 821 319

Jane & Geoff: Wonderful sand dune beach next to the campsite and shops at Thurso. Facilities are good but can get crowded. It’s not far from John o’Groats and the ferry to Orkney. It’s on the NC500 route, so it’s best to book it in advance.

Cashel Campsite (Loch Lomond)

Rowardennan, Glasgow G63 0AW
01360 870 234

Angela & Trevor: We camped in our NV200 right on the shores of Loch Lomond during our tour of the Outlander TV series film locations.

Rosemarkie C&CC Site

Ness Road East, Rosemarkie, Highlands IV10 8SE
01381 621 117

Jane & Geoff: We watched dolphins off Rosemarkie Beach during our NC500 tour of Scotland.

Sango Sands Oasis

Durness IV27 4PZ

Jane & Geoff: Stunning scenery from this clifftop campsite overlooking Sango Sands beach. Full facilities from April to late October; basic facilities mid-November to mid-March. Bar / restaurant next door. EHU if you book ahead.

Fortrose Bay Campsite

Wester Greengates, Fortrose IV10 8RX
01381 621 927
Open April-mid-Sept

Jane & Geoff: 15 miles NE of Inverness on the NC500 route, Fortrose Bay offers a good chance of seeing bottlenose dolphins. It’s on The Black Isle peninsula which is usually warmer than other parts of Scotland and should be mostly free of midges, since it is on the windier East coast of Scotland. Good for golf and camp fires on the beach.

Applecross Campsite

Applecross, Strathcarron, Ross-Shire IV54 8ND
01520 744 268

Jane & Geoff: We’ve seen some stunning sights en-route to Applecross on the NC500 route. We were thrilled when these stags joined us for dinner. A huge storm came in while we were there.

Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping Park

Glen Nevis, Fort William PH33 6SX
01397 702 191

Els: There’s an excellent campsite at Glen Nevis which is perfect for walking up the Ben or for some of the less strenuous walks around there (including one with a wire bridge!). Bodie and I did Ben Nevis the next day, making him the highest dog in the UK. The campsite is in a 30-acre park, and the facilities are very good. There’s a shop on-site, as well as a bar-restaurant near the campsite.

Scurrival Campsite

3 Eoligarry, Castlebay, Eilean Siar, Isle of Barra HS9 5YD, Western Isles
01871 890 292 or 07896 471 580
Open to end September

Jim & Joy: Stunning location overlooking a long sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a good spot for sunsets as the camping field faces west. Good clean toilet and showers, campers’ kitchen with sinks with hot water, a kettle, toaster, microwave, table and seating. Campervans and tents are welcome.