Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! The NC500 route around Scotland is, as you may have guessed, approximately 500 miles. From our starting point in Essex, up to the route, around the Isle of Skye and back home via the Lake District we covered 2800 miles. This journey will see you cover many many miles and have your eyes peeled back as far as they will naturally go. It is a joy to travel this route and explore every corner.
145 days ago we loaded up our car with as much long life food as possible, A LOT of wet weather gear and what we like to think were sensible purchases to make our experience in the wilds of the Scottish highlands as comfortable and safe as possible. There are other blogs on my page about our purchases and how we also kept the budget down. Keep tuned in for other tips and itinerary hacks.
The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below.
This is the itinerary for Day 9 of our NC500 road trip.
We stayed in Applecross on the evening of day 8 and if you haven’t read the highlight of that day, I would take a moment to read it before you decide on your accommodation!
Staying in or around Applecross will give you a good starting point for the amazing journey to the Isle of Skye. Below is a guideline for timings. There are also other visits I will suggest on this one as I have heard they’re amazing and unfortunately we didn’t make it this time.
Unfortunately our first stop of the day was closed but I have heard wonderful things about Manuelas Bakery (A87, Ardelve/Kyle IV40 8DY) which can be found on the approach to the Isle of Skye. They usually open at 8am and serve breakfast items which would be great for your journey. This place closes in the winter much like the rest of the highlands, so check out their social media pages to double and triple check that they are open. Do let me know what you think so I can incorporate this into our next trip!
Make your way to the Skye Bridge get ready for the busiest part of your journey so far. The Isle of Skye is used by many tourists as a place to see ‘all’ of Scotland in one place. There are lots of minibuses and car parks are very busy. Tour buses come here on 5 day trips from Glasgow and Glencoe. It provides people with enough insight to say they have seen Scotland without venturing too far from the main towns and airports. Each to their own and I’m taking this opportunity to warn you that you are in for a big awakening from the sleepy nature of the trip so far. Take it in your stride and remind yourself that patience is a virtue!
The main roads on the Isle of Skye are in excellent condition. Just watch out for the deer on those early morning drives. We had two very close incidents indeed.
From the Skye Bridge find your way to Coo View Point, if like me you have become enamoured with the highland cuties this is definitely a good spot to stretch the legs and take in the view and the love. Parking is more like a layby and as it is not signposted once again I have detailed the exact spot you’ll need using What 3 Words.
From here you’ll find it an easy drive down to Sligachan Bridge. The car park, although small, does empty out rather quickly owing to the very small attraction here. I advise you to allow yourself just a short amount of time here as there really is a limited amount to do and it is a small tick off the list of things to see today and the next stop needs as much time as you can muster.
The Isle of Skye Fairy Pools are exceptionally popular. We went in late September and yet the two car parks were very busy. There is a free car park on the approach to the second car park which costs £6. Now I know you will wonder why we chose the second car park and truth be told, we were just glad to be able to park at all. However in the second car park there was a new toilet block which we were exceptionally grateful for and it gave great views over to Bidean Druim nan Ramh. We did see the walk back to the first, free car park on our return from the pools and it was up a very steep road and after the 2.5 hours we spent hiking the area we were glad of our choice. The Fairy Pools are exceptional and I do wonder if they become easier to navigate in the drier summer months. I suspect people choosing to vacation within the UK during two years of disrupted travel has caused a lot of the muddy pathways to become as treacherous as they were and advise very sturdy footwear. There is so much to see and there are a lot of chances to swim in the pools. I advise going in with an open mind. This is the busiest place we went to on Skye.
From here there is a deviation from the itinerary below. A short 15 minute drive away is the Oyster Shed (W3W notifying.scored.pays.), serving you guessed it … oysters. I have heard wonderful things about this place and even though it was closed I would try and return when we are back in Skye. I advise checking their social media pages to double check when they are open and again this place will be seasonal.
Before you attempt the next walk, I advise food, keeping snacks in the car is a must while on Skye as there are very few shops dotted around and even fewer out of season. It’s peculiar to think of places having an out of season in late September and yet we found it to be the case very often. Although not particularly taxing, this walk does go on and on and I hope the pay off at the end is better for you than us. It rained the ENTIRE time. We literally walked through clouds. And yet it was still an experience that makes me laugh even now. The car park is very very small and at the time we were there only 3 cars fit. I have included the What 3 Words directions here as it is a blink and you’ll miss it kind of situation. I have tried to include the directions I used from google to guide you on your way, however should you have a phone signal using the W3W directions again (W3W aced.warned.relieves) to find Talisker beach would serve you well when you think you are lost.
‘At the end of the car park on the left hand side the public road becomes a private drive, follow the track. You will have a stone wall on your right hand side which is a large walled garden with mature trees overhanging the wall. On the left there is a grass bank. After a short walk you will get to the first metal gate, on the right by the wall there is a smaller gate head on through and continue down the drive with the stone wall on your right. You will get to a large white house with various outbuildings, the track continues on and remains clear in direction. Cross a concrete bridge and follow the track as it gently rises up to the second metal farm gate. Open the gate and head on through (carefully closing the gate behind you). You are now on the hillside where there is likely to be grazing sheep. The track continues with a slight raise. Looking ahead you will start to see the bay and the high cliffs that surround the beach. Follow the farm track which remains very clear. This track carries on to the beach and you can see most of the route ahead. Nearing the beach the track raises up towards an open gateway. Passing through the open gateway and turn right. Now with the beach in sight the path fades away. Cross a short grassy area to access the beach. The top of the beach is covered in rounded grey rocks, when the tide is lower a large grey sandy beach is exposed. On the right hand side of the beach there are high cliffs and a huge waterfall.’
I do hope your walk is better than ours as the pictures of Talisker waterfall online are absolutely stunning. Do let me know if you succeed!
After two big walks you deserve a much needed return to ‘civilisation’ and making your way to Portree does just that. Its tightly packed streets are beautiful and have several options for food. We chose to park on the Quay itself which is just next to the fish and chip shop. I highly recommend this place. There is no seating inside but grab your dish and use your dashboard as a table. You may be as lucky as us and spot a harbour seal swimming around the fishing boats looking for his next meal. ITs a beautiful spot to stop to watch the boats bob about and rest your tired feet.
Should you like one more small walk the Apothecary Tower (W3W symphony.spruced.passport) is nearby and offers views over Portree and the surrounding landscape. I haven’t included it in our itinerary below as we can’t give you a fair recommendation as we opted out of this one. We just needed to peel the soaking clothes from our bodies and sleep. Really we should have pushed ourselves. It is a ten minute walk from the quay.
Book a night’s accommodation on the Isle of Skye. Portree and the surrounding area will serve you best for tomorrow’s itinerary.
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Framework Travel 