Author Topic: NC500  (Read 8539 times)

Offline LSBristol

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
NC500
« on: 02 September 2022, 21:49 »
Having just spent a week driving round Scotland - this is the perfect car. It does everything. End of story.












2017 mk7.5 non-PP, Indium Grey, manual
1991 T25 Camper
1967 Beetle 1500

Offline Watts

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,584
Re: NC500
« Reply #1 on: 02 September 2022, 21:53 »
Got any useful NC500 tips? It's something (or similar) that is on my list to do.
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline LSBristol

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
Re: NC500
« Reply #2 on: 05 September 2022, 12:16 »
Firstly - do it! It's fantastic.

There are lots of useful guides online - I did it in 5 days Inverness to Inverness which is the minimum people recommend, and itdidnt feel rushed. Between 2 and 4 hours of driving each day which is fine.

The route I did was:
Inverness to Wick
Wick to Tongue via John O Groats
Tongue to Dundonnel
Dundonnel to Melvaig
Melvaig to Inverness

Plenty of great walks, waterfalls, distillery tours, zipline, beaches etc on the way around.

Just make sure to keep topping the fuel up at any opportunity because fuel stations can just be empty when you turn up! Although I was very impressed with the GTI - around 43 mpg on the Bristol to Inverness leg and around 37mpg around the actual NC500 which included some steep inclines, spirited driving and overtaking! That's with two people and plenty of luggage, and AC on the whole time.
2017 mk7.5 non-PP, Indium Grey, manual
1991 T25 Camper
1967 Beetle 1500

Offline Watts

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,584
Re: NC500
« Reply #3 on: 05 September 2022, 15:33 »
Thanks for that, very useful. Maybe next year then! :smiley:
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Pete-r36

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: NC500
« Reply #4 on: 08 September 2022, 09:49 »
Looks great. I did the NC500 in 2018 in an S1 Elise and a Caterham. Fantastic experience and would like to go again.

Best advise I can give is to do it anti-clockwise which most people don’t do. The scenery builds each get and it gets better the further west you go.

Can’t recall all the places but we did Inverness, JoG, Thurso, Durness, Ullapool, Applecross.


Offline Pete-r36

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: NC500
« Reply #5 on: 08 September 2022, 09:50 »
Looks great. I did the NC500 in 2018 in an S1 Elise and a Caterham. Fantastic experience and would like to go again.

Best advise I can give is to do it anti-clockwise which most people don’t do. The scenery builds each day and it gets better the further west you go.

Can’t recall all the places but we did Inverness, JoG, Thurso, Durness, Ullapool, Applecross.



Offline Watts

  • Forum addict
  • *
  • Posts: 4,584
Re: NC500
« Reply #6 on: 08 September 2022, 12:08 »
That does look great. Thanks for the orientation tip! I think we need to do this next year.
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline LSBristol

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
Re: NC500
« Reply #7 on: 08 September 2022, 13:43 »
Absolutely agree with anti-clockwise. That's the way we did it and it does just get better and better, with Applecross pass as one of the final driving roads which is incredible.
2017 mk7.5 non-PP, Indium Grey, manual
1991 T25 Camper
1967 Beetle 1500

Offline jc_tattooer_

  • Not said much yet
  • **
  • Posts: 42
Re: NC500
« Reply #8 on: 03 April 2023, 21:35 »
I would love to do this…! Did you guys car/camp? Camp or hotel it?
‘18 Mk7.5 GTi DSG deep black pearl

Offline LSBristol

  • GTI forum regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
Re: NC500
« Reply #9 on: 06 April 2023, 22:25 »
I would love to do this…! Did you guys car/camp? Camp or hotel it?

We did a variety of airbnbs on the way around. Averaged at around £100 a night total for me and my mate.

To keep it interesting we tried to find the strangest airbnbs, including a shepherd's hut in melvaig, picture below!



2017 mk7.5 non-PP, Indium Grey, manual
1991 T25 Camper
1967 Beetle 1500