Disclaimer – please make sure you are familiar with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and travel responsibly. These overnight stops may change.
The North Coast 500, more commonly known as the NC500, is Scotland’s most popular roadtrip. It is often compared to America’s Route 66, with fascinating historical sights to see, as well as stunning white sandy beaches. Not to mention driving through the towering mountains and sparkling lochs. It really is one of the best road trips in the UK!
In this guide we will be sharing overnight parking spots that are included in The NC500 Motorhome Scheme as well as some of our favourite campsites around the route.
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The NC500 Motorhome Scheme, officially known as the Highland Campervan and Motorhome Scheme, was launched by the Highland Council on 1st July 2024. This innovative initiative is designed to address the growing number of motorhomes and campervans traveling along the popular North Coast 500 (NC500) route, ensuring that their impact on the local environment and communities is managed sustainably. As part of this scheme, many overnight parking spots on the NC500 are now available during specific times on the NC500 route.
There are many different places to park up around the NC500 in your motorhome or campervan. There are numerous campsites around the North Coast 500 route, as well as aires that have been set up by locals. In this guide, we share how we find our park ups and some of the great overnight spots on the NC500.
- Invernessshire
- Easter Ross
- South East Sutherland
- Caithness
- North West Surtherland
- Wester Ross
- Preparing for your trip to the NC500
Inverness
Ardtower Caravan Park
Situated in close proximity to the infamous battlefield of Culloden, this campsite offers uninterrupted views of the Black Isle and even offers free wifi. The luxurious toilet blocks offer modern bathing facilities and even feature underfloor heating (fancy!).
Areas of interest nearby the campsite include dolphin watching at the Cromarty Firth, monster hunting at Loch Ness and history lessons at the Culloden Battlefield.
You can stay overnight in Torvean Car Park if there is availability as part of the Stay the Night scheme. The scheme offers a voluntary seven-day pass costing £40, inclusive of VAT.
Easter Ross
Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame Holiday Park
Further north of Dornoch, en-route to the beautiful Dunrobin Castle (one of the grandest castles on the NC500), is Grannie’s Heilan Hame Holiday Park. Don’t worry about the correct pronunciation, all you need to know is that at this caravan park there are activities for the whole family.
From the indoor pool and sandy adventure playground for the kids to the spa and sauna facilities for the adults, Grannie’s Heilan Hame Holiday Park has everything you need. Book your stay at Grannie’s Heilan’ Hame Holiday Park here.
Caithness
Wick Caravan and Camping Site
This family-run campsite sits right on the banks of the River Wick and is just a 5-minute walk into the town centre of Wick itself. Despite its close proximity, the site is a tranquil and beautiful location, perfect for a relaxing camping trip in the north of Scotland.
Nearby activities include the town of Wick, a local golf course, the 3-miles of beautiful beaches along Wick Bay, as well as distilleries, castles and cultural centres.
Read all of the local activities and book your stay at the Wick Caravan and Campsite Site here.
Dunnet Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club Site
Continuing along the isolated north coast of Scotland, you will eventually reach the small town of Thurso. Just outside of this quaint town, sitting right on the edge of Dunnet Bay is the Dunnet Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club Site. This site is perfectly located for checking out the local wildlife, climbing Dunnet Head to admire the view and taking a boat to the Duncansby Stacks to see the local bird populations.
Book your stay at the Dunnet Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club Site here.
The below car parks are in the Caithness area and are included in the NC500 motorhome scheme and are on a first come first serve basis.
- Dunnet Head Car Park – Caithness
- Dunnet Seadrift Car Park – Caithness
- Noss Head Car Park – Caithness
- Reiss Beach Car Park – Caithness
- Riverside Car Park – Wick
South East Sutherland
Sango Sands
The award-winning Sango Sands Oasis sits high above the spectacular, golden Sango Sands beach, one of the most popular north-west Scotland campsites. With an onsite bar and restaurant, stocked full of all the best Scotch Whisky, this cosy campsite is ideal for your stay in the north-west of Scotland.
Nearby sights and attractions include the ancient and fascinating Smoo Cave, Faraid Head, Cape Wrath and Loch Eriboll. From the vantage point of the campsite, it is also not uncommon to see the odd whale, seal and even bottlenose dolphin cruising past the bay.
Scourie Campsite
Continuing south along the west coast of Scotland, you will eventually reach the peaceful spot of Scourie Caravan and Camping campsite. This campsite sits on the edge of Scourie Bay, with spectacular views towards Handa Island and beyond. This bay is extremely popular with sea kayakers as it is the ideal location to for camping north-west Scotland and to set off out to the open ocean.
If you have a pass for the NC500 Motorhome scheme you can park up in the following car parks in Sutherland:
- Durness Village Tourist Info Car Park
- Golspie Shore Street Car Park
Wester Ross
Broomfield Holiday Park
The only campsite in the town of Ullapool, Broomfield Campsite is perfectly located for those wanting to spend the night in the buzzing town centre. With loads of bars, restaurants and shops to explore and try along the seafront of Ullapool, we highly recommend this campsite for during your visit to the port town.
As the sun sets over the nearby mountains, the local pubs come to life with live music, great atmosphere and fantastic company of locals and tourists alike.
Inverewe Gardens Poolewe Camping and Caravanning Club Site
Sitting in the peaceful glen of Loch Ewe, you will find the unique Inverewe Gardens Campsite. Named after the tropical gardens that were opened in the mid-19th-century, the Inverewe Gardens campground is just walking distance from this botanist paradise.
Aside from the gardens, other sights in this peaceful part of the world include the small village of Poolewe, which has a small shop, tearoom and hotel, is the Rubha nan Sasan, an artillery stronghold that defended the mouth of Loch Ewe during WWII.
Book your stay at the Inverewe Gardens Caravan and Camping Club site here.
The following car parks are available to park overnight on the NC500 Motorhome Scheme:
- Ullapool Latheron Car Park
- Gairloch Harbour Car Park
- Little Gruinard Beach Car Park
Before You Leave for the North Coast 500
Before you head off on your trip around the NC500, there are certain things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth trip. These include how to get around the route, including being aware of single track roads, etc., what to pack for Scotland, where to stay along the route and what travel insurance to book.
How Do I Get Around?
Given the remote location of the NC500 and the majority of the sights along the route, the best way to get around this road trip is by driving. There are of course other methods that are still popular, such as cycling and hiking, however, if you have a short amount of time on the route, neither of these are very suitable.
As for public transport, the use around the NC500 is understandably difficult due to how remote each location is, however, with the increasing problem of congestion along the route, this is a good option to research if you have time. If it is something that interests you, you can read a public formed itinerary of how to get around the NC500 by public transport over here.
Where to Stay on the NC500
There is a wide range of accommodations around the NC500 route, so you will not be short on options. Depending on how long you are spending in each area will depend on how long you spend in that location. It is worth bearing in mind that some accommodations will require you to stay a minimum number of nights so it is worth researching this when you are planning your North Coast 500 itinerary.
Our new book North Coast 500 Where to Eat and Stay shares the best places to eat and stay around the NC500 and includes whether places are dog friendly, accessible, have wifi and EVC ad whether they cater to dietry requirements.
The remoteness in the highlands of Scotland will leave you with little choice of accommodation in each location along the NC500, however, there are still enough options to choose from to ensure a comfortable trip. These are mostly in the shape of B&Bs, Airbnbs, converted cottages and other quirky accommodations.
Depending on how adventurous you are, there may be more accommodation choices than just the above, often with an even better view. Caravan and camping sites are abundant along the NC500, drawing camping enthusiasts from all over the world. For some of the most spectacular bedside scenery along the North Coast 500, we recommend packing a tent and getting in touch with nature for the week.
We travelled along the North Coast 500, camped in our trusty Vango tent, on a mixture of campsites and wild sites. Wild camping is a fantastic way to enjoy the beauty of the highlands, however, it must be done respectfully. Read our full guide to Wild Camping if you wish to give it a go so you know everything you need to for a comfortable and sustainable trip.
What Should I Pack?
When it comes to packing for a trip to Scotland there is one item of clothing that you are going to need all year round: a waterproof. It rains in Scotland on average 250 days a year, meaning that during your trip you will probably experience at least a drizzle of rain. Due to this, the number one item on any Scotland packing list is a good waterproof jacket (men’s / women’s).
As for the rest of the year, the temperature in Scotland and the central heartlands is reasonably mild for most of the year. During the winter months, you will most likely experience snow, however, temperatures usually sit around freezing, so it is not too cold. For your reference, the average temperatures in Scotland are listed below during each season.
Spring (March, April, May) – 5-10 degrees C
Summer (June, July, August) – 15 degrees C
Autumn (September, October, November) – 5-10 degrees C
Winter (December, January, February) – 0-5 degrees C
As you can see, the weather never really gets above the teens, with anything over 25 degrees C considered a heatwave. The best way to pack for your trip to the highlands is with layers that can be added and removed as you need them. You will definitely need a hat and gloves during the colder months and will most likely need sunscreen to protect you on the long days in the open. No doubt you will be out exploring on foot a lot in the wonderful Scottish landscape, so it’s a good idea to have comfortable, waterproof walking boots (men’s / women’s).
We would also recommend taking our NC500 guidebooks with you on your journey. This will help you plan your itinerary and ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the best places to go on the NC500. Our Destination NC500 guidebook is well paired with NC500 Where to Eat and Stay and you can buy the combo here.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you are no doubt going to see around Scotland, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
You can read what else we keep in our camera bag over here.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Shure VP83 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 11 and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 3
Camera Bag – Wandrd PRVKE 41L and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Sturdy Phone Tripod & Selfie Stick – ATUMTEK 61″ Selfie Stick Tripod, Sturdy Phone Tripod Stand with Wireless Remote
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socket
What is the Best Travel Insurance for the North Coast 500
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, some of the best places to stay overnight along the North Coast 500.
If you have visited the NC500 recently, let us know what you thought of it!
As always, sharing is caring so make sure to share this guide with your family and friends and inspire them to head off on their own North Coast 500 adventure. If you are planning the trip for yourself, make sure you have a look at the rest of our Scotland content for more inspiration to our beautiful home country.
When you set off on your own adventure, be sure to tag us in your photos on Instagram and we will share them with the rest of our community. In the meantime, why not follow us over there to see what we are currently up to and keep up with us on our Instagram Stories.
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Free NC500 Mini Guide
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– What is the NC500?
– Local tips for visiting the route
– Our favourite sights (beaches, views)
Perfect for planning your visit to Scotland!
North Coast 500 Guidebooks
We have recently spent three months touring around the northern end of Scotland writing the most detailed travel guide to the North Coast 500 route on the market. Plan your road trip to the max with Destination NC500 and support us to write more in-depth travel guides just like this one.
