Off on the North Coast 500

One of the  big inspiration for the Scotland part of our holiday this year was ehn Neil had come across some information about the North Coast 500 driving route.It’s is a 516-mile (830 km) scenic route around the north coast of Scotland, starting and ending at Inverness Castle. The route is also known as the NC500 and was launched in 2015. We were both  drawn to the idea of stunning coastal scenery and Neil is always drawn to the idea of a long drive!  We miss the very beginning of the drive but picked it up today shortly after we left Skye.

Fortunately the sun was shining again this morning and Portree was showing its pretty face again.

We could see more for our drive back south through Skye this time and I’m loving seeing more of the heather blooming.

Our first stop back on the mainland was the famous Eileen Donan castle, probably the most photographed castle in all of Scotland. We had been here in 2007 but today under a bright sunny sky and at a high tide it was particularly lovely. Of course, there was a young piper busking away for all he was worth.

This time we also drove up the hill to an alternative viewpoint that Neil had learned about.

After this we headed north and took a side road to see another castle, but this one is a crumbly ruin. However, we had Strome Castle all to ourselves and it’s setting was just as lovely.

We then made tracks for the Applecross Road, a famous ( notorious?) stretch of one track road that climbs up over the Bealach na Ba pass before winding back down to the little town of Applecross on the seaside.

at Applcross

The rest of the afternoon was spent winding our way further north along the North Coast 500 road , aling the seashore, past lochs, through rugged glens and up and over high peaks. We drove through all kinds of weather too, from rain showers to bright sunshine. I though Neil must be tired at the end because it’s strenuous driving. Constantly stopping at passing places to let oncoming traffic through, sometimes having to back up to the nearest passing place meant it was a slow trip.

Finally we pulled in to the little lochside town of Aultbea and our home for the night. Aultbea hotel is right on the shores of Loch Ewe and oue room, although small is very comfortable. We just ate a lovely meal downstairs in the restaurant overlooking the water. Freshly caught Loch Ewe Langoustine followed by Steak & Ale pie – yum!

After dinner we popped outsie and down to the rocky beach to take a few photos of the sun setting over the loch – such a pretty place!