Routes North Coast 500

North Coast 500 in a VW Campervan

Scotland’s answer to Route 66, the new scenic route showcasing the fairy-tale castles, beaches and ruins.

The route starts in the northern city of Inverness, heads west to the coast and Applecross. You will then turn northwards towards the bustling towns of Torridon and Ullapool. From there, you’ll venture to some of the most northerly coastal points in Scotland, passing by Caithness and John o’ Groats before heading south again through Dingwall and finally back to Inverness. The official NC500 Website can be found here.

Why take a Volkswagen campervan?

As you can imagine the route is almost exclusively winding, twisty highland roads and our campervan is not only perfect for the road conditions but perfect for giving you a once in a lifetime experience of a road trip around the NC500 with the stunning Scottish landscape as your companion and on what has been voted one of the best coastal routes in the world! Our classic campervan has a daily maximum mileage of 100 miles so please plan you trip with this in mind.

Routes

Featuring 500-miles of deserted roads, in some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery the UK has to offer, it’s the ideal place to take a week-long road trip.

While the North Coast 500 website has a variety of itineraries on its website designed for every kind of traveller, here are our six must-see locations!

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Our Routes

Dunrobin Castle

Dunrobin Castle has been home to the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland for more than 700 years, making it one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scotland. With 189 rooms, it’s also one of the largest in the Scottish Highlands and features a museum as well as castle tours.

If that wasn’t reason enough to visit, it’s surrounded by formal gardens that were laid out by Sir Charles Barry, the architect behind the Palace of Westminster, in addition to miles of dog-friendly woodland walks.
Old Pulteney Distillery

No visit to Scotland would be complete without whisky and The Old Pulteney distillery has a history stretching back to 1826. Located in Wick – a town with the distinction of being the former herring capital of Europe – the distillery is the perfect place for a first night stop on your North Coast 500 road trip.

Tours take place throughout the year and with plenty of accommodation nearby, you’ve got no excuse not to get acquainted with the range of malt whiskies on offer…
Dunnet Head

Dunnet Head, four-and-a-half miles north of Dunnet itself, is the most northerly point in mainland Britain. Managed by the RSPB, the area is home to puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes, shags and cormorants, making it a wonderful place for bird lovers to spend a couple of hours with a pair of binoculars or a camera.

Entry to the reserve is free – although donations are welcome – and the Seadrift Visitor Centre is well worth a visit too.
Smoo Cave

Smoo Cave is the ideal place to indulge your inner hermit, although at 200 feet deep, 130 wide and 50 feet high there would be plenty of space to invite friends and family to come and stay…

Access is relatively straightforward (although those with restricted mobility might struggle) and a short boat trip is necessary to reach the third chamber. Featuring a river, underground waterfalls, a deep sinkhole and links to the supernatural – including the Prince of Darkness himself – why not find out for yourself why Smoo Cave attracts more than 40,000 visitors a year?
The Bealach Na Bà drive in Applecross

Listed by National Geographic magazine as one of the Best Driving Roads in the World, the Bealach Na Bà is an 11-mile stretch of tarmac that winds its way across the Applecross peninsula.

While it’s not suitable for caravans or the bigger motorhomes due to its steep inclines, sharp bends and single-track road (there is a low-level route for that’s suitable for all), everyone else will have a ball winding their way along it. (NOT SUITABLE FOR OUR CLASSIC CAMPERVANS)
Sandwood Bay

While the North Coast 500 attracts keen drivers by the thousand, Sandwood Bay is the ideal place to take a day off to go rambling.

The beach itself is a four-and-a-half-mile walk from the road, so is rarely crowded. With many believing it is the most beautiful beach in the UK, if you happen to catch it on a sunny day you’ll wonder why anyone bothers to travel abroad! It’s also a good place to try and spot marine mammals, such as dolphins and seals.

What they say about us

Clemence and Lindsay, May 2023

We saw the Highlands… beautiful places… made beautiful discoveries. Stanley, you helped make this trip unforgettable
Rebecca and Billy, August 2023

Stanley travelled to Fort William like a dream for the UCI World Championships. We made many great memories.
Armance and Stan, August 2023

Thank you Stanley for our adventure in the Highlands. Merci!
Phoebe and Alex

An absolutely world class trip around Scotland in this incredible camper! Stan brought a smile to our faces and the faces of so many around us. Unforgettable.
Testimonials

Island hopping in Skye! We all had an amazing trip – thank you Kombi Campers and Skye!
Gary & Nik

What a great week (travelling the NC500)… thoroughly enjoyed Skye, made our trip.
Al, Glo & Jen

Once in a while you need to pack a bag, get the girls and go on a road trip.
Dave, Elena & little Max

Dave, thanks for getting us to the Isle of Bute in style! You nearly stole the show from the bride & groom when we pulled up to our friend’s wedding!! You’ve been a memorable part of our 1 year old son’s first ever holidays.
Fiona and Stephen

Dave, you have been absolutely amazing and we are gutted to hand you back… it has been an absolute pleasure and you will always have a place in our hearts.
Denise & Blair

Dave, it has been a blast! Lots of fun was had eating and driving in Dave… What an experience, loved every minute of it! You are a legend… The gem that is BIG DAVE!
Wayne & Emily

A huge thank you to the team at Kombi Campers for the use of Harris, he’s been our faithful companion on this trip and made the adventure all the more fun. I’m sure there will be more trips like this as there’s plenty more to see & do (in Scotland).
Testimonials

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Gillian & Brian

Harris has stolen our hearts, looked after us, kept us safe and warm and handled single-track roads remarkably well. We are returning him home… but hope that one day we shall be reunited with the best van around. THANK YOU HARRIS! x
Hayley, Rachel and puppy Max

Had an amazing week and Harris has made all of this possible, hope to see him again soon! x
The Fleming family

SPECTACULAR! Travelling the NC500 and Harris never let us down once, he’s gorgeous. We made the best memories with the kids and dog.
Kat, Stu & Kara

Around 800 miles in a campervan as a family… Harris was a comfort and our little home from home. The west coast (of Scotland) is full of hidden gems and some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery you will ever see.
Katrin & Enrico, Facebook

what a experience !!! one of the best holidays ever. thanks to andy and his team and his fleet, Dave especially. my first time left traffic and right hand drive. thanks andy for the 8 points. Dave is not just a car by his name, He has become a part of us in the short time and it was a bit painful to have to give it back. thanks to andy and kombicampers !!! 5 *
Will, Facebook

Andy and the staff at Kombi Campers were fantastic. They had great communication leading up to our trip and when we arrived everyone was so helpful. We took out Penelope for a week and headed for Isle of Sky. She exceeded our expectations at every turn. Beautiful, comfortable, convenient, powerful, and a great conversation starter. After traveling for 6 weeks in UK, Europe, and USA our time with Penelope stands alone as the most memorable part of the trip. Thank you Andy, Kombi Staff, and Penelope for helping us make lifelong memories.
Katharina, Facebook

The Kombi Campers Team is so competence and great! Thank you for the great trip with awsome Dave! It was amazing!
Margaret & Stewart, Facebook

Massive thank you to Andy and the team at Kombi Campers. Due to unforeseen circumstances we didn’t get our new camper van Andy stepped in and provided us with Lewis The van was brilliant, and Andy took plenty of time to explain everything to us at collection. Lovely surprise from Andy at the end to have our route printed along with our photo too! Thanks for everything, we had brilliant days with Lewis and we even got loads of blue skies.
5 star ⭐️
Gianni, Google

Beautiful classic and modern VW rental campers at fair prices. Andy is a very friendly guy and helped us out greatly when our classic van broke down by offering a replacement and paying back the difference in rent.
Joseph, Google

Absolute legends. Stanley is part of the family now. The best service you could possibly imagine!
Conor, Google

If you’re thinking of a campervan holiday Andy is your man! We got a great van, loads of helpful info for our first trip in a classic VW and an awesome in Scotland. WE LOVE ANDY AND KOMBI CAMPERS.