Disclaimer – We stayed at the NC500 Pods as part of a collaboration. The opinions below, however, are ours and are in no way influenced by this.
On the north east coast of Scotland, nestled in amongst nature near the small village of Brora are the NC500 Pods.
The NC500 Pods offer luxurious glamping accommodation on the North Coast 500 road trip. This post is specifically about the NC500 Pods in Brora, however, they do also have pods in Achmelvich on the west coast of the north coast 500.
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Destination North Coast Map
Make sure you have all the resources you need to make the most of your trip to the North Coast of Scotland. Our Destination North Coast Map is the perfect addition to any traveller’s toolkit. With detailed information on all the best spots, along the NC500, this map is your ultimate guide to exploring the rugged beauty of Scotland’s north coast.
NC500 Pods Brora - A Complete and Personal Review
Our stay at the NC500 pods in Brora was very welcoming. We stayed in the Ben Bhraggie Pod and in this post we will go into more detail of our experience here and what you can expect if you book a stay yourself.
Table of Contents
Planning Your Trip
We use the below booking platforms to plan our trips. We hope you find them useful too!
The NC500 Pods
There are currently four Pods on site at the Brora NC500 pods. One luxury Honeymoon Pod and three regular pods (that still feel luxurious, just a different layout). A small sauna is also available to use onsite with a glass window and fantastic view towards the coast.
If the weather is nice, this is a perfect place to have a BBQ in the communal area and relax in the serenity of your surroundings. Each pod also has a large bean bag outside for your comfort when watching the sunrise from outside your deck.
There is free wifi in all the pods. No password is required to access this.
When you make your booking at the NC500 Pods, you will receive a booking confirmation with the pod name and a key code. The key code will give you access to the small key safe that sits on the outside of the pod with your key inside.
If you need any assistance when you are in the pod, there are help signs guiding you to pages in a very easy to read welcome guide.
The NC500 Pods is a dog friendly accommodation on the NC500, however, they must not be left in the pods on their own and must be kept under control at all times.
DON’T FORGET
Your trip to Scotland will be a lot more comfortable with a midge net and midge spray. These little biting bugs can be enough to ruin a trip if you don’t have the equipment to protect yourself from them. A repelling candle can also be helpful if you are sitting oustide.
Location of the NC500 Pods
The location of the NC500 Pods is perfect if you are travelling around the north coast of Scotland as it sits only a short drive from Brora, meaning that it is also only 5 minutes away from the beach. The town of Brora itself is within easy walking distance, so while you are staying at the pods you can check out the things to do in Brora.
Staying in the pods doesn’t feel this close to civilisation though. Sitting under the mountains and surrounded by fields, it is a very peaceful location.
There is a single track road leading to the pods and a small parking area with enough room for one car per pod.
The distance from the car park to the pods is not far, however the slate stones underfoot could make it difficult to pull a suitcase so we could advise bringing luggage that you can carry. To add, this would also make access difficult for those with impaired mobility.
Relax in the Lounge
In the Ben Bhraggie Pod, we had a very comfortable L-shaped couch, in line with a flat screen TV. The TV has Netflix and other catch up apps, including YouTube, however, there are no standard satellite channels. If you are wanting to charge your devices, there are plenty of charging points around the pod, both USB and 3 pin plugs.
The interior inside the pods is very modern and they are decorated with beautiful tartan throughout. The underfloor heating is a nice addition, keeping the well insulated pod nice and warm.
Ben Bhraggie, along with some of the other pods, sleeps 4 people as the couch pulls out into a comfortable double bed and the dining table extends with extra chairs. The Honeymoon pod is an exception to this, with only room for two.
Unwind in the Bedroom
The pod is open plan, apart from the bathroom. The bedroom is separated from the lounge area with a cut out partition. There is a blind that can be pulled over this partition if necessary. The double bed is extremely comfortable and there is unique shelving on each side for additional storage overnight.
There is a full length mirror on the outside of the bathroom door, giving an extended feeling to the pod. Unpack your clothes onto the clothes hangers that hang at the end of the bed and beneath, at the bottom of the bed, is some storage space for your bags.
Get Naked in the Bathroom
Each pod has it’s own en-suite bathroom with a lovely hot shower. To save you bringing your own, bath towels and hand towels are included in the room. There is also a hair dryer under the sink for your use.
Cook up a Feast in the Kitchen
Each pod is fitted with a small, well equipped kitchen area, complete with utensils, a microwave, oven, kettle and toaster. There is also a small fold out table that sits neatly against the wall and can be pulled out to dine at.
There are two additional seats if there are more than 2 people staying, however, this is not the case in the honeymoon suite. There is also a fridge for you to store your food.
Indulge in the Local Food
On our arrival, we were recommended Sid’s Spice, an Indian in the village of Brora. Sid’s Spice has been voted the second best Indian in Scotland so we had to give it a go. There is a range of options on the menu and we were really impressed with the food and the price.
We can also recommend visiting Cocoa Skye in Brora village for breakfast, their waffles are next level!
If you are wanting to buy food before you arrive at the NC500 Pods, there is a Co-op in Brora village.
There are recycling facilities onsite to dispose of your waste.
Enjoy the Views from the Sauna
A little something to make your stay that NC500 pods that little bit more luxurious is the unique sauna that is onsite. The sauna is a small wooden cabin and shaped like a pod to fit in with the theme of the area.
It takes around 20 minutes to heat up so we would recommend turning it on before you want to go in. This is the best way to heat up after you’ve been for a wild swim!
We would highly recommend getting yourself a Seashell dryrobe for keeping warm when you get out of the icy cold water! They even have pockets to store your keys!
Overview of our Stay at The NC500 Pods
The NC500 Pods is a lovely bit of luxury on the east coast of the NC500. We were given a very warm welcome from the host and had a very comfortable stay here. We spend two nights at the NC500 pods and cooked one night and had a take-away from Sid’s Spice on the other night. The kitchen was very easy to cook in and didn’t feel too small.
The NC500 Pods is a great glamping accommodation on the NC500 that we can highly recommend.
Struggling to plan your North Coast 500 road trip?!
Before You Leave on 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.
Read more planning tips for the North Coast 500 in our full guide.
How Do I Get Around the NC500?
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.
If you are looking to rent a cosy, reliable and luxurious campervan for your trip along the NC500, we recommend hiring through Spaceships Rentals.
Browse the full range of vehicles on offer at Spaceships over here.
What Should I Pack for the NC500?
When it comes to packing for a trip along the NC500 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 7-day NC500 road 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.
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.
It is also important to stay hydrated, especially if you are out exploring in the marvellous landscape of Scotland. We use Water to Go water bottles to fill up with water from running streams when we are hiking.
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.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Sony Mic ECM-B1M
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 Socke
What is the Best Travel Insurance?
We 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, a complete and personal review of our stay at The NC500 Pods If you are planning a trip to the NC500 then we can highly recommend you spend a night at the NC500 Pods. If you have already visited the NC500 Pods, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
As always, sharing is caring so make sure to share this review 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.
Now Read:
- Unmissable Things to do on the NC500 Route
- North Coast 500 Packing Guide – What You Will Need for the NC500
- 7-day North Coast 500 Itinerary – FREE, Detailed and Unforgettable!
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