Scottish Highlands & NC500

The Scottish Highlands represent the ultimate motorhome adventure in Britain. No other destination on these islands offers such a combination of dramatic landscape, open space, and sheer driving pleasure. From the ancient Caledonian pine forests of Speyside to the sea stacks of the far north coast, from the brooding lochs of the west to the vast empty moors of Sutherland, this is landscape on a scale that has to be experienced to be believed. From our Pontefract depot, Inverness — the capital of the Highlands and the starting point for the famous North Coast 500 — is around five and a half hours' drive, making a Highland motorhome holiday a trip of at least a week, ideally a fortnight.

The drive north from Pontefract is part of the adventure. Take the A1(M) through North Yorkshire and County Durham, past the Angel of the North near Gateshead, and across the Scottish border near Berwick-upon-Tweed. From there, the A1 continues up the east coast through the Scottish Borders to Edinburgh, or you can take the faster route via the A68 through the Cheviot Hills. Beyond Edinburgh, the M90 crosses the Firth of Forth and heads north through Perth toward the Cairngorms and Inverness. Each stage of the journey reveals new scenery, and the landscape grows wilder and emptier the further north you travel.

The North Coast 500, launched in 2015, has rapidly become one of the most celebrated road trips in Europe. The route traces a 516-mile loop around the northern Highlands, starting and finishing in Inverness. It follows the coast through Easter Ross and Caithness, rounds the dramatic north-western corner of Scotland through Durness and Ullapool, and returns south through Wester Ross and the Great Glen. The scenery is extraordinary from start to finish — white sand beaches backed by mountains, sea lochs cutting deep into the land, and cliff-top roads that seem to hang above the ocean.

Heading clockwise from Inverness, the route passes through the Black Isle and along the coast of the Dornoch Firth before reaching Dunrobin Castle, a fairy-tale stately home overlooking the sea near Golspie. Further north, the landscape becomes increasingly wild. John o' Groats marks the north-eastern corner of the mainland, though the more dramatic point is Dunnet Head, the true most northerly point of mainland Britain, where the cliffs drop sheer into the Pentland Firth with views across to Orkney.

The north-west coast is where the NC500 reaches its peak. The beaches at Durness — Balnakeil and Sango Sands — have Caribbean-white sand and water of startling clarity, backed by the rugged peaks of Cape Wrath. Smoo Cave, a vast sea cave near Durness, is one of the most impressive natural features on the route. Further south, Assynt is a landscape of isolated peaks — Suilven, Canisp, Quinag — rising from a plateau of ancient Lewisian gneiss, some of the oldest rock on Earth. The road through Lochinver and down to Ullapool passes lochs, rivers, and mountain views that rival anything in Scandinavia or New Zealand.

Ullapool, a planned fishing village on the shores of Loch Broom, is the social hub of the north-west Highlands. Its whitewashed houses, harbour-front restaurants, and ferry terminal for the Outer Hebrides give it a lively atmosphere. From Ullapool, the route continues south through Wester Ross, passing through the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve and along the shores of Loch Maree and Loch Torridon — landscapes of primeval grandeur that have barely changed in ten thousand years. The Applecross Peninsula, accessible via the Bealach na Ba — one of the steepest roads in Britain with gradients of up to 20% — offers a side trip that is not for the faint-hearted but rewards the brave with one of the finest views in Scotland.

Motorhome campsites along the NC500 range from fully equipped holiday parks to basic wild camping spots. Broomfield Holiday Park near Ullapool is a popular choice with good facilities and stunning loch views. Sango Sands Oasis in Durness sits right above the beach. Dingwall Camping and Caravanning Club Site near Inverness makes a comfortable base for the start and end of the route. Be aware that the NC500 has become very popular, and in July and August the best sites can fill up. Booking ahead is strongly recommended, particularly at weekends.

A few practical points for motorhome travellers. Many sections of the NC500 are single-track roads with passing places. Drive slowly, use the passing places to let faster traffic through, and give way to vehicles coming uphill. Fuel stations are sparse in the far north and west — never pass one with less than half a tank. Mobile phone signal is unreliable in many areas, which is either a blessing or a challenge depending on your perspective. Most importantly, take your time. The NC500 is not a race. Two weeks is ideal; ten days is comfortable; a week is rushing it.

The Scottish Highlands are the motorhome destination above all others. The combination of world-class scenery, uncrowded roads, and the simple freedom of having your accommodation with you makes this a trip that stays with you for life. From Pontefract, the journey north is part of the experience — watching the landscape transform from the familiar fields of Yorkshire to the wild mountains of Scotland. Collect your motorhome, point it north, and prepare for something extraordinary.