Riding the Scotland North Coast 500

© Wild Atlantic Cycling

Scotland

North Coast 500 Supported Cycle Tour

A an awe-inspiring 7 day cycle tour around the very tip of Britain. The NC500 is a must-do cycle tour for the enthusiastic and adventure cyclists. Let us take care of the tedious logistics and enjoy a fully supported and fun-filled bike challenge!

From Inverness to Inverness in 7 days! Join us and cycle Scotland's amazing North Coast 500! Scotland is full of surprises and the Northcoast 500 will send you home with a host of memories that surpass your expectations of this rugged land. Our route largely follows the Scottish Tourist Board 500 mile route (but it’s better ;) and takes in some tough climbs and beautiful mountain passes. This tour is designed for strong cyclists as it has some testing terrain and the added uncertainty of changeable weather conditions too! We recommend you come prepared.

You will be blown away (literally) by the windswept landscape of the north and the purple hue of the bracken and heather; your spirits will soar as you marvel at the remoteness and grandeur of the Lochinver pass and on a sunny day the soft sand of the beaches and the waves on The Minch, surpass many on the Southern European beaches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Itinerary

Scotland NC500 Cycle Route & Daily Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrive Inverness (no cycling)
  • ​Day 2 - Inverness to Strathcarron 100 kilometers 640 meters
  • Day 3 - Strathcarron to Gairloch 116 km 1,700 m
  • Day 4 - Gairloch to Ullapool 108 km 1,400 m
  • Day 5 - Ullapool to Durness 147 km 2,200 m
  • Day 6 - Durness to Thurso 115 km 1,400 m
  • Day 7 - Thurso to Lairg 146 km 1,000 m
  • Day 8 - Lairg to Inverness 138 km 900 m
  • Day 9 - Depart Inverness (no cycling)

Best Bits of Cycling the Scottish NC 500

  • Muir of Ord Whisky distillery (we do pass many others but we have incorporated ‘tasting time’ here into Day One)
  • The infamous climb up Beelach Na Ba to Applecross
  • Lochinver Larder - The World Famous Scottish Pie Shop
  • The Lochinver Pass
  • Smoo Cave
  • Sandside Bay and the nearby world famous beaches of Achmelvich, Clachtoll, Oldshoremore and Sandwood Bay
  • Loch Loyal
  • EU funded Timber Haulage Route from Thurso
  • The ‘Falls of Shin’ at Lairg
  • Johnny Foxes Bar in Inverness (We start and end here. You may remember the start)

The entire route is approximately just under 10,000 metres of climbing elevation. A large part of this is on the western section of the coast line. The route has many sections of stunning scenery with a number of very quiet roads and amazing beaches along the way. With the amount of climbing on this route, we’d recommend something lightweight for your North Coast 500 bike. Whether this is a touring bike or road bike, you’ll be thanking yourself when you climb Bealach na Ba!

From £1400 per adult


Departure days

  • Monday
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
  • Sunday

June — September

Contact details

Wild Atlantic Cycling Ltd

98-102, 2nd Floor, Donegall Street
Belfast
County Antrim
Northern Ireland
BT1 2GW

Tour information

Starting

  • Inverness
  • Inverness City Centre

Length

7 Days

Transport

  • Bicycle

Type

  • Small Group (1-16)

Languages

  • English

Themes

  • Adventure
  • Cycling

Tour prices


From £1400 Per Adult

Book now

Prices are subject to change depending on season

Tour Stops

Wild Atlantic Cycling Ltd

Tour company information

Wild Atlantic Cycling Ltd

Wild Atlantic Cycling design amazing bike tours and cycling vacations in Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Scotland, Portugal, and the Balkans. Our bike tours are fully supported with a van and a support cyclist. You don’t ride in a group, but at your own pace and style. Luggage is moved from stop to stop. We use very good quality hotels on our cycle tours. Our cycle routes are carefully crafted and tested to ensure you see the best scenery, enjoy great stopovers on your cycle tour and stay in great hotels.

Opening times

9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

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