The NC500 campsites we stayed at – and what we thought of them
Tradition says you should begin in Inverness and follow the NC500 in an anticlockwise direction, north to John O'Groats, then down the rugged west coast via Ullapool, Applecross, and Glencoe. But we decided to go clockwise, starting in Glencoe, and we had a great time!
Why go the “wrong way”? Mark had done his research. He is an avid cyclist, and wanted to tackle the climbs in reverse meaning they would be less busy. It also meant he got the biggest climbs done early in the trip. A win-win. Actually we both spent a lot of time planning out this trip using the No-Fuss travel guide, which proved invaluable to us, it made sure that we found some great stops en-route and gave us guidance on which campsites would best meet our needs..
This wasn’t just another holiday. It was our first real campervan road-trip adventure, complete with a HUGE rookie mistake, some unexpected wins, and plenty of laughs.
After a 6-hour drive from Leeds, we arrived in Glencoe, the dramatic gateway to the Highlands. Our base for the night was the Camping and Caravan Club site, nestled under brooding hills, just steps from the National Trust Visitor Centre. Exciting!
However, we quickly learned two valuable lessons:
Our electric hook-up lead was too short.
We really, really needed camping chairs.
In our wisdom we’d left them at home, they’re quite bulky and we were convinced it would be too cold to sit outside. It wasn’t, and even if it had been cold, we needed to be able to sit outside to allow room to cook inside! With the electric hook-up, the couple in the camper next to ours offered to swap as they were nearer the electrics, which was really kind. They plugged our short lead in & we used theirs for our van. Problem solved!
We made do without our chairs, had a long walk with the dogs and tucked into perfectly heated pizzas using our mini pizza oven (a stroke of genius after a long day on the road) then got ready to settle down for the night. The facilities were excellent especially the individual lockable sink and shower cubicles and spacious dishwashing area. A torch is handy, depending on where you are on the site, there is only lighting around the main walkways.
Eilean Donan Castle (Near Dornie)
Day two started with toasted teacakes from the pizza oven before setting out. We made a scenic stop off at Eilean Donan Castle near Dornie—one of the Highland’s most photographed landmarks. Perched at the junction of three sea lochs, it's postcard-perfect. We didn’t buy tickets to go inside the castle (dogs in tow), we enjoyed the gift shop, cafe, and snapped plenty of photos.
Vegan/vegetarian chips in a separate fryer? Result. Car parking is pay & display, use of the facilities is free. It's a perfect pit-stop.
The drive to Applecross was the most challenging stretch yet, with narrow, twisty roads and jaw-dropping views. Our reward was a stay at a great campsite offering various pitch types and even glamping pods. Obviously we still had no chairs, but thankfully, the kind man at reception let us borrow a bench from outside the coffee kiosk while it wasn’t open.
When we were researching Applecross, the Applecross Inn was highly recommended everywhere, so we'd decided to give it a try. It was a short walk from the camp site, and it was fully booked even in April, so definitely pre-book. The food and sunset? As promised, amazing.
The facilities at the Applecross campsite were reasonable, the showers were hot with good water pressure, but not a lot of hooks etc to hang things up & keep them dry.
Nanny's in Shieldaig
Mark set off early on his bike while I tackled my first solo drive in the van, navigating the scenic coastal road to Shieldaig. It was tense at first, but Mack and I soon found our rhythm, him spotting traffic coming in the opposite direction and me working out which ‘Passing Place’ was the best option. The coastal road we took is slightly longer but more forgiving than the alternative inland route.
Nanny’s Cafe turned out to be the perfect meeting spot. Cute, friendly, lots of home-made goodies and benches overlooking the water. It took us around and hour or so to drive over and Mark made the cycle in just less than 2 hours, which was quite good going!
This campsite was such an unexpected treat! Located on the beautiful beach it’s a popular stop for NC500 travellers, and it’s easy to see why. As well has having plenty of pitches looking out to sea, there are lots of added extras such as the communal cooking/eating area, paddleboards, games equipment & books to borrow, (sadly no chairs!) There’s a fridge to use, and an honesty fridge too if you run out of essentials, even a herb garden.
The showers were good, they were quite busy though (extra showers behind the kitchen area), but all in all this site is absolutely perfect for a longer stop, and great for families.
Showers were good, albeit busy. (Top tip, there are extra showers behind the kitchen area) This is a perfect site for families or anyone looking to slow down and soak in the scenery.
Smoo Cave
Next stop: Smoo Cave, about 60 miles north of Clachtoll. You can walk down to a dramatic waterfall chamber free of charge or join a guided tour (weather permitting).
It was a brilliant scenic stop on the NC500, perfect for stretching legs and letting the dogs explore.
John O' Groats had been on my UK bucket list for years, and it didn’t disappoint.
The campsite was excellent, with clean individual shower rooms that were designed not to need shower curtains (I hate it when they float in and stick to your legs). Lots of dishwashing facilities, and the John O'Groats signpost is right on the doorstep!
A shout out for some local gems: the John O'Groats Brewery Experience & Tap Room, 'The Cabin' for a wide selection of hot food including amazing crispy/fluffy vegan-friendly chips, and the First and Last souvenir shop with surprisingly reasonable prices.
A highlight? Mark snagged the last pint at last orders in the last pub on the mainland! Iconic.
Duncansby Stacks & Lighthouse
In the morning, we headed to Duncansby Head, just a short drive from John O'Groats. After a gentle walk from the lighthouse car park, you're treated to views of the dramatic sea stacks. We didn’t spot puffins this time (maybe too early in the season), but it was breathtaking nonetheless, don’t miss this one.
Whaligoe Steps
About 25 miles south of John O'Groats, the Whaligoe Steps are a hidden treasure that you should see if you can. There are around 330 steps leading down to a natural harbour. It's steep, beautiful, and best attempted without dogs, the path is narrow and leads can get tangled. But once at the bottom, (& back at the top) the views are well worth the effort.
Our final night was spent about 140 miles south of John O’Groats at Loch Ness Shores on the quieter southern banks of the loch. It was so cool to be on the shores of Loch Ness! Another UK bucket list ticked off for me, and some great walking for the dogs.
This site was stunning, with panoramic views, spacious pitches, glamping pods, a lovely playground and even boating facilities. Lots of dishwashing slots and the showers were great with cubicles, benches and hooks aplenty.
The shop and cafe were a treat, order by 6pm for a freshly baked pastry in the morning. Oh, and can you believe… they sold camping chairs.
We walked the dogs, cooked up some falafel flatbreads in the pizza oven while we soaked up the views, and wished we had more time.
I wouldn’t attempt this journey with a caravan. A lot of the route is single carriageway and the passing places, although frequent, are short. They will fit a couple of cars, tops, which can make it very difficult to pass vehicles coming the other way. Some of the sections of road even say that it’s not suitable for caravans.
Shops are more frequent than expected, but it's still wise to carry a few essentials.
Pizza Oven + mini generator = camping glory, the oven is so versatile and heats up really quickly, it was a great addition. You would be amazed at what you can cook on there.
Would we do it again? Yes, but allowing more time. Five nights made for a fantastic road trip, but it left little time to explore the towns and villages properly. Next time, I’d stretch the trip over 10 days and plan longer stays in places like Clachtoll and Loch Ness.
As for the drive into and out of Scotland, we definitely underestimated that.
It’s a heck of a journey. From Leeds, Glencoe is six hours – next time we’ll probably break up the drive with a night in the Lake District or Northumberland.
Oh yeah, & we’ll bring some chairs.
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by Sally Bendall
