Tag: itinerary

NC500 Day 12 – Itinerary

It is bittersweet to write this. This is the last day’s itinerary from our 12 day tour of Scotland via the NC500. This is an easy paced day and we found ourselves at a loss when a few of our plans changed. It was out of our control and yet we found some other points of interest to visit. I’m going to suggest one of the activities we had to miss because, simply put, it looked incredible. 

If you stayed in Fort William on the eve of Day 11 I cannot stress enough the absolute pleasure of getting a pastry breakfast from the Rain Bakery on Fort William High Street. I got there as soon as they opened and the pain au chocolat I bought for Mr W and I were hands down the best we’ve ever eaten. 

It would be a good idea to check the mountain report for this morning’s activity before timing your day. We were unable to head up to the Ben Nevis viewpoint due to inclement weather conditions. But I hope you are able to. From afar this mountain range looked incredible. There are gondolas you can take up the mountainside for £25 per person.  https://www.nevisrange.co.uk/mountain-report/

Before you scale the tallest mountain range in the United Kingdom head to the Ben Nevis viewpoint in Corpach which also happens to be a crossing for the Jacobite Steam Train. Seeing this icon from street level is quite something. The train passed over at 10:28hrs, a mere 13 minutes after it departed Fort William station. 

Check the online schedule for the train at: https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/timetables

From here head to the Ben Nevis Gondola Station. I anticipate you will need at least 90 minutes and hope it is as amazing as I expect it to be. Needless to say, dress warmly as it’ll be rather windy. 

Upon leaving it is a good idea to load up with petrol and snacks in the immediate area. There are no facilities for the rest of the day and it can be a lengthy drive. 

Head onto the Glencoe Viewing Point. I have notated a particularly big parking area for you to stop and drink in the scenery as it is a very busy and popular site. There are numerous places to stop and check out the Glencoe region but it wasn’t until we reached the viewing point at the What three words location below that we found a space. Driving through this area was beautiful and a nice final farewell to the mountains of Scotland. 

There is a walk that is highly recommended on all the hiking sites for the Glencoe area and although we didn’t have the time there is no reason to suggest you won’t. I’m copying this for you below:

Loch Achtriochtan –  

Allow 2-3hours – wild swimming is possible

‘Signal Rock loop walk – Ballachulish PH49 4HX

The car park at the site of the old Visitor Centre is unsigned, but can be found on north side of A82 1km west of turn off to Clachaig Inn. There are plenty of parking bays and an information board on the walks available; the route described here follows all the loops. The walk begins from the far (west) end of the car park on a tarmac path, with great views of Clachaig Gully. The path soon leads to a bridge over the River Coe; there are good views downstream where the river flows through a small gorge, and upstream with Bidean nam Bian as an impressive backdrop. Immediately over the bridge the path forks; take the left branch up the steps. This reaches a second junction in the forest; take the left fork again, which waymarked blue and black. Ignore a small branch path off to the left, following the Signal Rock sign as the path curves right. At yet another junction, this time with a big tree right at the junction, turn left uphill – waymarked in blue. Remember this point as you must return here after visiting Signal Rock. The path passes through a gate in the deer fence and then descends once more. Soon you’ll pass a junction with a branch path on the right signed for Torren Cottage only. Ignore this branch and continue up the steps to the foot of Signal Rock. This is climbed via steps round the back. Return back to the unmarked junction with the tree. Turn left onto a smaller path but before reaching the gate ahead turn right onto a well-made trail. After crossing some streams via planks this trail climbs the hillside ahead in a series of easy zig-zags, finally reaching the top of the hill after passing round the back. This is An Torr, and a better view can be gained by following a short branch path off to the right on the top, where a rocky outcrop has an open view through the trees. Continue following the An Torr path as it winds back downhill. When it joins another path, turn left (turning right soon rejoins the outward route to Signal Rock) and pass through a deer fence (there is a small gate on the right if the main gate is locked) and then emerges on the minor road in Glencoe. The great mountainside opposite is the western end of the Aonach Eagach – the ‘path’ that can be seen is the dangerously eroded route beside Clachaig Gully that is out of bounds to responsible walkers. Turn right along the road, passing the Clachaig Inn, where refreshments can be had. Immediately after passing the red iron snow gates beyond the Clachaig Inn turn right onto a well-made path. This heads back to the bridge over the River Coe and the car park beyond.’

With lunch in mind we stopped at the Loch Tulla viewing point by chance. It too is a busy area for sightseers making their way to the Isle of Skye from Glasgow but the views are incredible. Make the most of the time here to unwind. The next drive is 90 minutes long and is fraught with tight winding roads. 

The 3 lochs drive is a private forestry road and costs £2 to enter. It is a beautiful 7 mile stretch of road in which flora and fauna are in abundance. There are several viewpoints over the 3 lochs you can stop at and many relaxing walks you can also complete. The road closes at 16:00hrs and the exit loops you back to the entrance to help you on your way. 

As this may be your last day the timings of the activities are yours to decide upon. At the end of this itinerary you may choose to stay in Glasgow or return to Edinburgh. Should you head to Glasgow you will find easy passage to the Lake District or the many delights of the Northumberland National Park. I will link my Northumberland travel blogs below. 

The itinerary for the last day in Scotland was no wayward winner. The common belief of ‘going out with a bang’ on one’s last day on vacation suggests that this itinerary is rather boring. My belief is that after 12 jam packed days, it was for the best to take it slower and appreciate the absolute rawness of Scotland before departing. It was nice to take it slowly and remind ourselves that the NC500 isn’t about the destinations but about the road itself.

I hope you find this outstanding road and tour everything you want it to be. I know we did. And more. We are planning to return in a few years once some international travel is achieved. 

Thank you for sticking with this blog for so long. Tomorrow brings about the final highlight of the series and hopefully we’ll be tying it up in a neat and tidy tartan bow.

Highlight 12 of the NC500 – 3 Lochs Forest Drive

Northumberland in 4 days
Refreshing thoughts
Hindhope Linn
Time and a place
NC500 Day 11 – Itinerary
NC500 Day 12 – Glencoe and the Trossachs

NC500 Day 7 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! It has been 121 days since we set off on our huge Scotland road trip. 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. 

121 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 7 of our NC500 road trip. 

After staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool for the night your journey to Clashnessie Falls will take approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.

Clashnessie falls is a site dependent on the right weather conditions for two reasons. Should it rain before your visit the falls will be at their most dramatic and beautiful. However the route to the falls will be, as we found, extremely boggy and unstable. Alternatively if there has been a dry spell, of which is uncommon in the western highlands, you will find the route easier to tackle and yet be greeted upon a fine mist of a waterfall at the end of your walk. The car park can be found using the what 3 words instructions on the itinerary below. The walk from the car park to the beginning of the waterfall route is very simple. From the car park opposite the beach turn left and walk back up the road. You will pass a red phone box on your left. Keep going up the small hill and you will come to a sign post indicating where the walk to the falls begins. It is down a track and when you get to the Falls Cottage you can choose to go either across the stream using the stepping stones or to the right along the fence. Both lead you to a good view of the falls. The route from the car park to the falls should take no longer than 20-25 minutes on a good day, however considerably longer should the ground become boggy in bad weather. I would definitely plan accordingly.

The timing of this day will depend on the weather and how much you care about soggy feet, coats and bodies. Saying that, regardless of the weather the next stop is an absolutely must do. Achmelvich Bay was an absolute pleasure to visit and I’ll post the link soon to why it was my highlight of Day 7. Out of all the places we went to along the route I can hands down, without any hesitation say for both myself and Mr W that we would return to this beautiful slice of paradise. The car park is situated next to the Shore Caravan site and I suggest using (again) the what 3 words app to get you to the exact spot you need to be. The car park does have a charge, although like other sites, it is more of an invitation to pay rather than a demand. There is a single large toilet cubicle on site, which would be great should you wish to change out of swimming gear and such like. This again is chargeable, however the pay machine was broken on our arrival and we were still able to use the facilities. Out of all the activities today, should you be a brave traveller and like to swim, I would bank on spending a lot of your time here and plan your day around this particular site. There is a small cafe which sells fish and chips. Honestly, you can’t go wrong!

From here, you can pretty enjoy the route while you scope out more food to recharge your batteries. Lochinver Larder is highly rated among the NC500 enthusiasts. They will heat the pies should you desire and although pricey (£14 for two pies) they are very filled and tasty. There is nearby free parking. Next, treat yourself to a hot drink at Sovi’s Coffee. The car park is a sharp left turn en route to Ullapool and I suggest slowing down as you approach. The parking is used by hikers to the Bone Caves which takes between 30-60 minutes depending on your fitness level. Although we didn’t do this particular walk, we saw a few people coming and going which leads me to believe it is a popular spot. I have read that the route can be quite uneven and the final climb to the caves is steep. I advise some further research before planning this into your day. 

After your pause for drinks, head onto Ullapool for a real treat. For the first time on your route, you will find a beautiful town with lots of shops and places to eat and explore. We ate at the Seafood Shack, and despite my hesitation with fish, I enjoyed my food immensely. The town has wide avenues and although nothing like the size of Inverness or Edinburgh it had the bustle of a small town that feels very warm in its invite. We found street parking plentiful and were lucky to park a stone throw from the Seafood Shack itself. 

After you have reacquainted yourself with the familiar sights and sounds of buildings and signposted streets you will notice the return of road markings and busier roads on your journey to the Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve. 

With its utterly mesmerising view of the gorge and path-making waterfall, this is an absolute must do for any visitors to the Ullapool area. Although a quick visit at just 40 minutes, its effortless snaking paths and views are the best way to end day 7. Parking was plentiful.

Finish your day by making the stunning drive to Aultbea for your overnight accommodation. The drive itself took on the coastal roads which gave dramatic views out to the Summer Isles and the dark navy waters of . On a clear day you may see the island of Lewis and Harris, an island in the Outer Hebrides.

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/16/nc500-day-6-itinerary/
https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2023/01/17/highlight-seven-of-the-nc500-paradise/

NC500 Day 7: Clashnessie Falls, Achmelvich Bay and Corrieshalloch Gorge
Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me

NC500 Day 6 – Itinerary

Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning!

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 6 of our NC500 road trip. 

Smoo cave must be seen to be believed. With its green algae painted walls and beautiful waterfall this is a highlight on everyone’s NC500 itinerary. Entrance to the cave is free and is reached via some steps that lead you down the cliff face from the free car park. There are also some not too shabby free toilets in the car park which I have come to love in Scotland. There are so many facilities everywhere you go! There is also a little honesty box that the neighbouring house has set up. I bought a knitted green hat for £4 and there were other items that were of equally good value. 

I liked getting here early to beat the crowds and have the cave almost to ourselves. Even though it was early enough and the cave was quiet, the car park was full. Much like other sites in Scotland, parking space was taken up by the odd RV and it was quite small anyway. To save you time and frustration, start your day early! Close by is a food van that sells Cheese toasties, unlucky for us, we didn’t see it on our visit, but I have heard wonderful things and I spoke to the guys over on their Instagram page and they seemed real friendly. 

From here we originally planned to head to the Sango Sands viewpoint which is only a 4 minute drive away. Sango Sands is a big complex with facilities for Rvs and campers and is well known on this route. The viewpoint is reached through the complex and gives you a view down to the water and its neighbouring coast. As you may have come to expect after reading these blogs, there was only a brief description alongside a postcode for this stop and we found ourselves pulling up at another beach entirely. Durness beach is very close to Sango Sands, from the hill above the beach you can actually see the viewpoint to the west. This is going to divide opinion on which view is best. But in my very honest opinion. I did like seeing the view from Durness. You are above the beach and see its white sands in full. If you are at the Sango Sands view point, you are looking at it side on and personally I don’t think it is as beautiful or captivating. There is also the chance to traverse the sandy slope here and go wild swimming in the turquoise waters. Can’t go wrong with that can you? There is a small, well maintained car park that you do need to pay for. This will be the deciding factor for you on how long the day will be as to how you spend your time at this beach. Pack a wetsuit and jump in.  

When you decide to warm your bones by moving on, head to Kylesku bridge. There are car parks at either end of the bridge however I had given directions to just one as it gives a better view of this concrete monolith and also has a food truck offering a posh fish menu. The views here are amazing and you will be here longer than you anticipate. There are benches but no toilets. 

From here keep journeying south to one of Scotland’s hidden gems. You can view Wailing Widow Falls from the riverbed it cascades into and from Loch Gainmhich that feeds it from above. Please take extreme care when walking along the river bank to the waterfall. I have covered our experience in my ‘Highlight’ blog from this day and linked it below. The riverbank walk itself is extremely difficult for those not used to very muddy and unstable paths. The walk above next to the loch is much easier but you need to be very careful at the edge of the loch when looking down to the waterfall. The whole area surrounding the loch and waterfall is very boggy and unsteady. Walking boots are absolutely necessary and it would be wise to take extreme caution. There are two laybys for these walks, the first for the waterfall is more like a grassy layby that has been formed overtime by visitors. The ‘What 3 words’ app is very useful for these two visits. 

From here make the very short drive to Ardvreck Castle where there is ample layby parking on either side of the road. It is quite boggy here in places but the easiest of all walks today. On one side of the road is the Castle and on the other is Ardvreck waterfall which is a small yet powerful beauty. It is quite clear in certain places of Scotland that some visits are not advertised by the Scottish tourist board and because of this certain walks have not been made safe for visitors. It is also apparent when wire fences have been trampled over in order to reach a river as is the case in Ardvreck. It definitely makes you feel as though Scotland is a new world only just coming to light.

Staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool will suit tomorrow’s itinerary best.  

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/14/nc500-day-5-itinerary/

NC500 Day 6 – Smoo Cave, Wailing Widow Falls and Ardvrech Castle
Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me

Highlight four of the NC500 – My husband, the rally driver!

This is my highlight from Day 4 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route. 

The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself. 

This particular highlight will remind you that planning for every eventuality cannot truly happen. 

2 motorbikes crashed in Broar on the A9. Not only did they crash badly enough to be airlifted to the hospital but they crashed on the small bridge crossing the river Brora which runs off of Brora Loch to the west. This slicing piece of water divides Scotland in the east all the way to Lairg. It’s not something you need to know until the bridge is blocked. And here it was, blocked. I have tried since then to find out how the rivers are without any further news found. At our accommodation in Wick we met several people who were caught in the aftermath of traffic and we found out the two involved were American tourists. It is certainly not something you want to happen on your travels and I hope they are okay. 

Man and woman air-lifted to hospital after motorbike crash on A9 in Highlands

Now I mentioned our accommodation in Wick. From Brora it is an hour’s drive via a small stop off at the Whaligoe steps. We were making good time on our Day four itinerary (see link below) and were due to arrive early at our accommodation for 5pm (ish). And yet our detour from the crash was over 115 miles long! We left Broar at 3:45pm and arrived at our accommodation at 7:10pm. Now if you are a regular reader you may take an educated guess at my mood at the very beginning of this little problem. 

This meant missing the Whaligoe Steps, one of the big highlights of the NC500, and potentially missing our check in at our accommodation. A night in the car was not something I was looking forward to. As we took the Sat Nav’s advice, we came upon a ford. No not a car, a river ford, with very visible wheel tracks leading into the water. Now Mr W isn’t particularly precious over his car, but upon my closer inspection from the suspension footbridge, I couldn’t see the riverbed and just could not risk it. Not only did we have Marv the drone in the car but my laptop, a lot of camera equipment, luggage and food. Oh and ourselves! We retrace the road back to the A9 and Mr W set about finding a new route to Wick. The Sat Nav presented us with a 3 hour detour and honestly my heart sank. A quick look at the news told us that the road had been closed since 11am and we made up our minds to take the detour. 

We headed west from the A9 towards Lairg and joined the A836. Quickly the road became single track and the most difficult we’d faced under the tyres so far. Most of it was loose shingle and even though we had started the NC500 on that same morning, we had been blessed with normal roads so far. This introduction, although early, most definitely gave us an insight into what was ahead in our trip. The road itself cut through flat heathlands which were sparse albeit with the occasional swampy looking river. There was just nothing there. No cattle. No houses. Nothing. It was us and the four cars in front of us. It became clear very quickly at how the crash on the A9 was affecting the eastside of Scotland as traffic built up ahead and behind us.  

The four cars in front of us became our ‘team’ as Mr W put it. The front car set the pace and to stop any delays in having to pull over in a layby for oncoming traffic we were all in this together. Occasionally one of the ‘team’ would pull over to give themselves from the twisting turning roads and Mr W would shout out ‘come on, team’ as we sped away. Despite the dodgy roads and the fear of actually crashing I could not stop laughing at his finding joy in the moment. My husband, the rally driver, was pumped up and exhilarated from the change in circumstances. His inner comedian bounded out with every bump in the road and I could not help but grin. 

After a while with the time of arrival on the sat nav having changed dramatically and it becoming clear we would indeed make our check in time, we both started to relax. The roads became narrower, with blind bends as we turned onto the B873. On one side were the slopes of the mountains around us and on the other the road made way for steep drops the Loch Naver below. The waters were as black as night and yet as an Asda home delivery truck pulled around the corner I could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. If he was all the way out here, we would be fine. As people joined and left our team as we whizzed around the road Mr W whooped and cheered us all on our merry way. 

We saw images of Scotland that we did not see for the rest of our trip. Men dressed in waders out in the rivers fly fishing. A lonely single Inn watching the road bursting into new life. Rain clouds passing over Loch Naver deciding on whether to meet its surface. We also whipped past our accommodation for the next night and I realised that we would be tracing some of this detour again in the morning. From Bettyhill right round to Thurso we found the double track roads had returned and the car glided onto our final destination as Mr W bade goodbye to our ‘team-mates’ as they went on to fulfil their day’s plans. 

The relief was palpable as we reached our hotel and yet despite the interlude of doubt, worry and racing, I found myself in absolute awe of my husband. He had not panicked like I initially did. He took it for what it was. He took it in his stride and laughed at every challenge. 

I am grateful for him. I am grateful for having seen a much more rural piece of Scotland than we had planned to see. I am grateful we didn’t attempt the ford crossing and stayed dry in our car. 

This also means we have unfinished business in Scotland. Oh no! We shall have to return. 

NC500 Day 4: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Dornoch Beach and Big Burns Falls
NC500 Day 4 – Itinerary

NC500 Day 3 – Itinerary

Hello and welcome back to the Scotland itinerary series. 

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. 

Day 3 of our trip was altered slightly due to the reshuffle of our Loch Ness Cruise due to the Queens funeral. Instead of tucking something else into the itinerary we gave ourselves more time in each place and set pace for a leisurely day. It meant we got back to our accommodation in Strathpeffer much earlier than intended and definitely helped ease us into this mammoth trip. This little day can be as long or short as you want it to be. 

Reelig Glen is a quaint little space with easy walks to boot. We did the tall trees trail which takes you close to the river which ultimately is where our interests lie. It is a simple root with unbroken ground and slightly steep hills. Going in the morning means you get the place almost to yourself. When we arrived at the car park there was only one other vehicle to keep us company and it was the same story as when we left. There is no charge for the car park and there is a board with the two trails mapped out clearly upon it. 

As we soon noticed on our journey through Scotland, online advice often points you to an address simply by postcode. This obviously covers a large area of space and with instructions such as ‘halfways between this town and that’ can often be quite foreign to a city dweller. As in previous itineraries I am including the ‘what three words’ pinpoints to as many car parks and locations on this trip as possible. I downloaded the app before heading to Scotland and found it very user friendly. We found this app extremely valuable throughout this trip. You do not need to have a phone signal to use this method however we found we had great signals wherever we went. We were incredibly lucky in terms of signal. If mine would cut out Mr W’s was fine and vice versa. In light of this I would look into how you can use what three words app offline and then you are absolutely covered. 

Back to the itinerary. 

Head to Chanonry point if you have plenty of patience. This is a fantastic place to sit and look out. The waters here are popular for dolphin sightings and proof enough are the carvings of these beautiful creatures in the benches dotted along the beach. There is ample parking which costs £1 an hour. This is a popular place with Rv’s and I suggest you get there before midday to beat the amount of people who come here to sit, eat and watch the waters. There are bins on site too. Open to the water this site is unprotected from the wind, evident by the benches bending ever so slightly out of shape. Take a flask, sandwich and a pair of binoculars. We spent two hours here and although we didn’t see any dolphins we did see several sightings of seals which was just fantastic. If you want to make the chances of sightings more favourable, you can visit when the tides turn. There is advice that suggests the dolphins will chase the plentiful fish on a rising tide. Which is usually 1 hour after low tide. 

A very nearby visit will get your cold limbs working again with a short walk to Fairy Glen Falls in Rosemarkie. Should you find the ‘official’ car park full, don’t be deterred, there is another car park right next to the community run toilets. Both car parks at the time of our visit were free. The toilets too are free, however as they are community run, a donation is as you can imagine quite welcome. The walk to the waterfalls themselves is relatively easy and you return on the same path as you enter by. This is not one of the most remarkable waterfalls on this trip but undoubtedly has its merits and a beautiful walk on which to stretch your legs. It was particularly busy as we left as there is a caravan park between here and Chanonry Point. There were families heading to the falls on a leisurely afternoon stroll. I would say that children would have little trouble navigating this route, although those with pushchairs may struggle. 

Now, if you look at this day as a build up to the big kahuna. Rogie falls is the ONE that you’ll have been waiting for. The car park jumps out of nowhere so use the what three words app if you can. It is a big and free car park and again has public toilets. A godsend on long days like these!

The walk is very short but has some steep up and down sections. But believe me it is entirely worth it. There is a small stone wall with display boards as you reach the ledge of the gorge. You can pause here to see down into the aggressive waters below. The action however can only truly be enjoyed from the suspension bridge that crosses the river just a short walk away. I advise a phone lanyard so you do not drop your phone. Because you will need it. This place is absolutely stunning. Mr W and I both said that if we didn’t know any better we would have thought we were in Canada. To find out about our experience check out the links below. My advice is, wrap up warm, keep that camera/phone battery exceptionally high and give yourself more time than you think you need. On my last video my phone battery ran out and THAT is the only reason we left when we did. There are two trails here and naturally we took the shortest one as this is the reason we came to Rogie Falls in the first place. To see the spectacle here, it is advised to come in August and September. Please try to. It was amazing. I practically skipped back to the car in delight. 

There are no benches here but I found I could sit up on the stone ledge just to the side of the river and sat for as long as I could put up with the cold on my legs. Otherwise patience and grit will serve you wonders at this place. Focus on the very top pools of the waterfalls and try not to blink. 

Return to your accommodation for your second night in the area. Tomorrow. The true beginning of the NC500 begins!

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/08/nc500-day-2-itinerary/
https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/11/highlight-three-of-the-nc500-the-journey-upstream/

NC500 Day 3 – Reelig Glen, Chanonry Point and Rogie Falls

NC500 Day 1 – Itinerary

Hello, we are back! What a trip and experience and just everything unimaginable. I almost feel the need to apologise to the UK at this point for previously thinking it had nothing to offer. Who would have thought covid restrictions and airline and airport issues would bring us so much joy in pushing us to try something new!

This is blog one of the Scotland itinerary series. Much like the Italy itineraries I shared with you, I will be posting the itineraries for this mammoth trip day by day so you can get a real feel for what this involves. I will be editing my original itinerary and including the new and improved version for you below. 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. 

So let’s start shall we…

I had hoped we would dig into our pre-bought food supplies to have a breakfast of porridge on our very first day however having to be in the car at 5am did not warrant getting up at 4am for a more refined meal. I salute the previous buying of sausages rolls and fruit for the journey up from Essex the day before as we tucked into a much simpler breakfast. 

Having missed our opportunity to do Arthurs Seat in 2021, we drove to Edinburgh to complete our ticklist for the city. We planned to park in our trusty free parking spot in Kirkwood place, however despite arriving early we found this completely rammed. This may be due to it being a neighbourhood area and everyone still being in bed! However with quick googling skills I found a car park literally at the start of the walk for Arthurs Seat and also free on weekends. Highly recommended!

As mentioned in my Day One blog (link below) you will see that we stupidly took the wrong route. As a starting hike for this trip, we intended to keep it nice and simple and therefore wanted to take the blue route to the top of Arthur’s Seat. And yet you will not find any signposts for the different routes. The only advice I can give you is to take the grass route when everyone veers right. As you walk up the tarmacked path with the sloping hills of Arthurs seat on your right and the road on your left, you will climb a sloping hill that turns to the right. Above you on the left are some ruins with a mud path leading up to it should you like a quick look. Returning to the same path, this is where I found the path took a definite right hand turn and the shingle underfoot became larger and looser. This is where a sign would be posted for the blue/red routes. The blue route follows the pronounced grassy hill on the left and the red route is on the right. At our climbing time everyone was on the right and we sheep followed it unknowingly. We kept an eye on the grassy path as we climbed the rocky alternative and it was very clear from above which route would have been more favourable. By taking the blue/grassy route you make a slower, more gradual ascent up ol’ Arthur and definitely smoother. You will slowly curve your way up the grassy sides of the volcano before rejoining the red route for the last very short scramble. Whether you take the blue or red route, the last scramble is the same. There is no clear path to follow as it is literally a hands and feet climb across an expanse of jagged but small rocks. For ease I would return via the blue route, whether you used the red for the ascent or not. It is less busy and has better views of the top as you return to your car. 

Be aware once at the top there are no plateaus as such so put all your weight in your legs for those all important selfies and be prepared for the wind! This is a great little introduction to the hikes of Scotland.

Continue your day up the eastside of Scotland to the Cairngorms National Park. This is not a route to rush. We crossed the Queensferry Bridge which was just fabulous and please do take time when driving through Edinburgh to look at all the fantastic architecture. There are also beautiful tree-lined avenues just outside the city itself and I-spied a gorgeous park called South Inch Park that I could easily have spent an hour or so with a coffee.   

As you enter the Cairngorms the scenery dramatically changes and I feel it is a perfect start to your wilds of Scotland trip. The great thing is there are many many stopping points and they invite you to stop and drink it all in. I advise you to use as many of these as possible. During our time, there were lots of motorbike riders and sports car drivers on the snow roads and we wanted to be slow to take it all in. The laybys help you avoid the rushing for sure. 

Our aim was to drive through the National Park to Grantown on Spey for our hotel (link to review will be added below very soon) and stop at the Balmoral Estates for the walk to the Prince Albert Cairn. Unfortunately due to the Queen’s passing on 8th September the estates’ walks were closed. We did however check out the car park and found it much bigger than I initially understood it to be and it would be a shame if you miss this off of your itinerary. Therefore I have included the information for you below! Go for it! One day we will get there. 

Be very aware you are on the grounds of the royal house of Balmoral and flying a drone at the Cairn will be prohibited. 

I advise you to stay at Grantown on Spey as there are a lot of food options and it is the perfect starting point for Day 2 of my itinerary! We had some fabulous and much needed hot food to finish off the day. Recommendations coming soon. 

A lot of this day is dedicated to driving. The first slog of driving is uneventful but you make up for this with the stop and start nature of the second half. It is definitely a great introduction to what lies ahead!

NC500 Day 1- Edinburgh and the Cairngorms.
Highlight one of the NC500 – A royal goodbye

Travelling the Nc500: the final prep

In roughly 7 weeks we are taking on our biggest trip together ever!

It’ll be the longest trip we’ve taken together and it’ll include 12 hotels, 16 waterfalls, 7 beaches and over 1800 miles driving. There will be days where all we do is eat in the car as we drive from place to place and it’s completely different from all of our other big holidays. 

We. Are. So. Excited.

Last week I set out to research just how many wild swimming spots we could include on our itinerary. There are a lot of rivers, beaches and lochs on the trip but I wanted to work out which ones are safe in the access sense and also safe once in the water. It has opened my eyes majorly to just how particular the precautions are. Keep out of the sea due to the meetings of three currents. Watch out for the depth of the lochs. How cold certain places are. Slippery rocks. Where and when you can’t. The list goes on. And something that kept coming up was COLD WATER. And even though I’m going into this trip with such a big leap of enthusiasm, cold water is a big deciding factor for me. If it is the pool in our garden, I quickly jump in and then into the warm house/sun/shower. It will be an entirely different story in Scotland. The water will be glacial and we’ll need to strip down in the air, dry as much as possible and then jump back into the car for the journey ahead. So raring to go for it, Mr W and I had a chat about wetsuits. Making sure we definitely wanted to try the swimming I searched online for some that would fit our bigger bodies and was surprised to find a site that was selling them for a bargain at 60% off! 

Today, they came and without hesitation Mr W grabbed the bag and headed upstairs to try his one on. After a while I heard him coming back and wondered if the wetsuit had fit or if he needed help. As he reached the final steps, I heard the noise of the neoprene brushing against itself. It’s a peculiar sound. And there he was. Smiling but needing help with the zipper. Ziiiiiip. Up it went. And then the laughter began. The noise is hilarious. Him squatting and twisting was hilarious. All he said was how hot he felt. It is currently 27° in Essex. I wonder why he was hot. Then it was my time. 

I had forgotten how difficult these things are to put on. The last one I wore was 9 years ago in Australia and it was a lot thinner in its material. It was less to do with keeping warm than protecting your skin from jellyfish. This one is thick and less stretchy so wrestling it on, I hoped it would fit and keep me warm in the Scottish waters. After wrangling it onto my legs and body, Mr W zipped it up and it dawned on me just how difficult it’s going to be to do this out in the open. I couldn’t stop laughing. The legs are slightly too long, that’ll be down to me being 5’5”, but it fits which means we are ready to go! No stopping us now. 

Now something that is very daunting is packing. As we are taking our two weeks worth of food you can imagine that it’ll take up quite an amount of space in the car. So when it comes to clothing and other essentials we have to be strict. Currently there are boxes of food in our guest room that have been organised and it all looks very structured. Turning round there is a pile of other bits and pieces that need sorting and I get deflated every time I see it. But it’s there waiting and if Essex ever gets a rainy day, it’s a job I can tackle with some loud music in the background! It is really silly stuff like toiletries, water shoes, zip lock bags for dirty clothing and now, the wetsuits. It needs doing, but it’s just so boring!

The itinerary itself is maybe a day away from being finished. Which is… unreal. 

Something Mr W and I need to do, almost our biggest priority, is to get some real hours of drone flying under our belts. Our initial flight went really well and I surprised myself by really enjoying it, but to be completely confident we need more time. So that will be scheduled in the next few busy weeks. 

Can you believe it? How is that for being prepared? 

Now it’s the time to let the excitement, and a few nerves, to build!

Northumberland in 4 days

So, as you may have seen, we’ve been in Northumberland on a little holiday recently and I thought I’d share my initial itinerary with you. So that’s below, in its most basic forms…

After the first itinerary I’m going to tell you all about the changes I would make and then create a brand new itinerary for you to follow should you ever want to visit one of the Uk’s most magical areas!

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Edits:

DAY ONE.

Arriving into Alnwick as early as possible would be great for the sake of seeing the gardens to their full extent. The poison garden is absolutely awesome and even though I’m not a tour type of person, it is a must as there are government regulations concerning the Class A, B and C drug plants they have on site. The central fountain and serpentine interactive fountains are just so much fun. The ornamental garden at the top of the site is just absolutely stunning, I recommend taking a book and a sandwich so after you wander you can find a bench and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the streams of water bubbling over their pebbly paths. There are some huge shaded tunnels which are perfect to hide away from the midday sun and yet enjoy the views over the gardens. If you choose to go to the gardens I think you should give a good four to five hours to immerse yourself completely. When buying a ticket for the gardens you can use the Pavilion restaurant which has a beautiful outdoor seating area. The food and drink on offer is tasty enough but light, so as we planned to have dinner here, I now know this is not possible. Also, if you choose to visit Alnwick Castle and not the gardens you cannot go into the Pavilion restaurant, however The Bakery located just outside the entrance to the Alnwick Gardens serves the same food. So don’t despair too much! Should you choose to go into the Castle I believe you only need two or so hours. Which means you can start your day later or spend more time in the town!

After leaving your entrance of choice, I recommend a visit to Barter books, if you choose to use the car park I mention, it’s not too far a walk. The car park closes for new cars at 4/5pm, but they leave the exit open so you can park all day without a worry. It is £3 for the whole day which I think is really reasonable.

Barter books is a used book shop housed in an old train station and it is phenomenal! Nothing about the actual building has changed and everything feels so traditional and unchanged, mainly because it is!

There is a tearoom in the old waiting room, and even on our second visit to this place we have missed its opening hours. So, another itinerary edit is to make sure you get there before it’s 6pm closing time! After this you have an hour to look around the building and make sure to look UP in the second room as you enter. It is an absolutely stunning building and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back when in the area! 

DAY TWO

Honestly, when I say have a big breakfast I mean it. The weather changes rapidly in Northumberland and if it’s raining your body is going to need the pep up to keep you moving. IF it’s sunny, you are going to sweat! So good food and slot of fluids! We take our metal drinks bottles or a 2L reusable bottle on our trips and refill them regularly from a 5 litre bottle we keep in the car. Keep hydrated!

We stay in Bellingham when we are in the National Park, it works nicely with visiting Kielder, accessing the petrol station in the village and is only 25 minutes from the A1. There are lots of areas to stay in the National Park and each have their own merits. Most will be self catering so check out the locations for shops for supplies. On this trip we had a lodge in Bellingham and took all of our own food as the hotel shop nearby is a Co-op and they can be pricey at the best of times.

To get the best out of the Hareshaw Linn walk, start early to avoid the majority of all the visitors. Take a long pause at the end of the trail before making your return. There is a cave to sit in, stop and just listen to the waterfall. We allowed 4 hours for this walk, but I’d say it’s easy enough to finish with lots of breaks in 3 hours. These breaks are for the amazing scenes on each of the 6 bridges and the carefully selected locations for the benches. Make sure to keep an eye out for the elusive red squirrel. On both of our visits to this spot we have spotted squirrels and this time even saw a full size deer! Take your time and enjoy!

After your walk, take a short drive down to the amazing Tea on the Train experience to enjoy the home-made sandwiches, cakes and treas on offer. You will not regret it!

Now here is where things got extremely tight on time. The Kielder reservoir is enormous! and the Lakeside way walk is 26 miles long. With multiple art installations it is hard to just pick one. This was our second attempt to walk to the Silvalis Capitalis site and we were thwarted again. In order to do most of the walks in Kielder you need to buy a £5 car park ticket. The walks are long, rewarding but long! So bare this in mind. Buying a £5 all day parking ticket means you can use any of the Kielder car parks so moving around is easier for you should you want to have little wanders rather than do huge hikes.

Here I have changed the afternoon to include a smaller walk along the bottom of the Kielder reservoir. This will take in the Mirage deck installation, the minigolf at the Waterside Visitor Centre and a short 20 minute walk to Freya’s Hut. Give your 4 hours. It is a beautiful area. Keep a look out for wildlife. We saw chaffinches, sparrows and rabbits!

DAY THREE

This is a big choice of options. Option A will be a huge undertaking. 20 miles is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. You will need plenty of water, food, layers of clothing and perseverance. You’ll see slot of the Kielder installations and you will be tired! We will be undertaking this on our next visit and I will link my story back to this blog when we do!

Option B is going to be a lot easier and so much less daunting. The Minotaur maze is found at the Kielder Castle visitor centre. Something fun to get you alive and kicking for the day. There is a toilet block on site.

From here you can join the Forest Drive toll road. The toll is £3 and gives you permission to drive the 12 mile road that takes you through a dense working forest. Prepare to reach the 1500 metres at its highest point and make sure you stop at ‘The Nick’ to admire the views and the wind chill!

This is a simple day, but with so many pleasures. Visit Hindhope Linn, before exiting the toll road and make the very short 15 minute detour up to the Scottish border. To say you popped over to Scotland for an hour is something not many people can say. 15 minutes from the border is Jedburgh which gives you the perfect chance to stretch your legs before heading back to Northumberland. Use my tips for the most beautiful drive and scenic views. With a much smaller and intimate border crossing you’ll feel like you are sneaking back into England!

DAY FOUR

This really all depends on where you are driving home to. We live in Essex and found it to be a nice plan to break up the day. I’ve not changed any of this day as it worked out nicely. Dress up warm for Sycamore Gap as you will be battered by the elements! This walk is less about staircases and more about shingle slopes. It is strenuous but one of the more milder walks in the National Park. A fairly moderate stroll will have you complete the journey from the car park in 40-50 minutes.

Now check out the itinerary below for your final plan!

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Driving a wardrobe

Today Mr W got his first glimpse of the NC500 itinerary. 

We sat and scrolled through all of it together. I was so nervous. It’s 6 months in the making and lots and LOTS of research. Up until today I hadn’t even thought to check the word count. It comes in at a hefty 11,000 words. It finally feels finished now that my partner in crime has seen it. 

There are some checks to be made in terms of the postcodes for the hidden locations and truth be told I’m looking to use the ‘what 3 words’ app. This hones down an area by using three random words. And is accurate down to the last 3 metres squared. It’s already all done online, worldwide so I just have to put my brain into gear and spend a day sorting it. With over 80 locations and hotels it’ll be a feat of concentration for sure. A lot of the places we are visiting are described rather than having an address so this will cut a lot of time and guesswork out of the driving. As too many of the places don’t exactly have car parks and you need to rely on laybys we need to have our locations pretty spot on.

When it comes to car parks in general there’s no definitive information on some about payment etc. So it’s another thing to remember to carry a supply of change etc. 

We also discussed lots of ideas about how we will travel in terms of luggage. We’re pretty set on how the food supplies will work. We’ll have meals on the go in one box, snacks and drinks in two more and then the breakfasts and dinners in the back of the car so we can grab them for the evenings. We’ve decided to take one big piece of luggage for clothing such as trousers, tops etc and then a smaller bag for underwear and other small items. We can then compartmentalise the car, much like a wardrobe, and it’ll make grabbing what we need really easy. The idea behind all this planning and strategizing is minimising the amount of time we hunt through luggage and boxes for what we need. We want the car to be like our home on wheels. We have drawers at home for socks. So we will come up with a similar concept in the car. As we will be on the road, in-between hotels for 10-15 hours, we need to be able to cut down on the faffing about. So streamlining the process of reaching our hotel and checking in is really important to me. To check in with our valuables and an overnight bag is our plan. 

As Mr W proclaimed today, this kind of organising effort is right up my street so I’m not worried at all. There are going to be days that we’ll feel like zombies, but as my darling husband announced today, ‘this is an adventure’. And I simply cannot wait!

Oh and a little update on our pool-time extravaganza today. The sun didn’t emerge from the clouds until after 2pm and by that time it was hidden behind the huge trees behind our house. To say the water was cold is an understatement and after many huffs and puffs from me, we moved the pool to higher and hotter ground, it’s now ready for the summer festivities and I am ready for it! It is now also in a place that is not overlooked, which means I’ll be wearing a bikini for the first time in my life and owning every single second of it!

Planning the NC500 cont.

Well here we are, I have covid.

I ‘the ultra liable to get sick’ have managed for two and a half years to keep completely healthy and bam it’s got me!

So far it’s been body aches, night sweats and shivers, a running tap of a nose and loss of appetite. Oh, and the sore skin! Omgosh. My skin feels burned. 

But other than that I am lucky. Either without the jabs, now or back in 2020, or with a stronger strain perhaps, things could have been so different. 

I’m counting my lucky stars for sure. 

Sleeping hasbeen the main course of action. Yesterday I saw sunlight for 4 broken hours. Crazy. Today the aches are subsiding, the temperature is just hot hot hot and I’m not so tired. Ever the optimist, ha, I’m thinking this all means good. I’ve taken solace that I havent lost my sense of taste, albeit I’m not hungry but I’m guzzling down tea like never before and it does taste like tea so yippee!

You may have noticed my last few posts were rather abstract. With my fuzzy head I delved into my archive of writings and dug out what I could. It was that or mash my forehead on the keyboard and pray for something good to come out of it. I will let you decide if the route I chose was the best. 

So Scotland, there have been several updates to the plans which is great. It’s finally getting somewhere! We are no longer stuck in a rut and movement is being made.

Most of the hotels have now gotten back to me regarding the recycling emails I sent out, so that is a big weight off of my chest. I’ve compiled all the info (nerd) so I know how to plan for our sustainable rubbish collections as we go along. 

After trying to fit a whiskey distillery into our trip, Mr W decided it wasn’t worth all the detouring and squeezing of our timelines. So that is a rather big adjustment I don’t have to make. I don’t drink whiskey at all, Mr W would give it a go, but ultimately it is something you are told time and time again to do when you head to the highlands, so into the plans it went. Unfortunately the time we have in Skye was planned around one particular distillery, and when it came to booking, they are under refurbishment. There is SO much we want to do on the Isle of Skye that adjusting became such a nightmare. It was doable, by my standards at least, but it did mean another day of getting up at an ungodly hour. And quite frankly, if my stomach and gag reflex around whiskey is anything like it is around brandy, we could have been in a bit of a pickle. That pickle being a mound of pukey puke puke! So that’s another item… not ticked, but deleted off the to-do list. Which in a way has given us more time to wander around Portree harbour and we actually get time for a hot meal. I mean, hello!

Speaking of which, I finally remembered to call a restaurant to book us in for dinner the night before we arrive in Inverness. It is in a tiny town at the very top of the Cairngorms, and one of the last times we’ll eat hot food off of a plate. Sounds dramatic, but it is true. 

I’ve had a brief look into geocaching and nothing jumped out at me when I looked at the list. This may be something I come back to at a later date. Maybe. Probably one sleepless night. This is a possible ‘to be continued’ moment. 

I’ve also tried paying off our final accommodations and yet they are all pay on arrival, so that’s a note made on the itinerary. 

All rather boring stuff I’m afraid. I’ve even tried to book the very last thing on my list and the website is being refurbished, so I can’t! Ha! You cannot make it up.

Right now, I’m checking out locations on our route that can help us get some family tartan. That would be the only souvenir I plan to get on this whole trip, so I want to make sure that I pre-order it and that I don’t have to travel too far off of our route to get it. I have a few that I’ve found and will check them out soon.

All very thrilling stuff as I’m sure you can determine for yourself. For now, my head is getting fuzzy, my temperature is spiking and my final cup of tea of the day is calling. 

Well done to the people who have beaten me and still not caught covid. Thank you to the jabs for making sure I’m not suffering too badly. And praise the tea-god for they are all so powerful!