Scotland is on a winning streak this 2022 after a string of successes recognising the country’s beauty, a report by the Scottish Daily Express revealed it had been voted ‘the best for winter holidays’ in the UK and this follows National Geographic crowning the Edinburgh Christmas Market as the ‘best in Europe’ and putting the Scottish Highlands in their ‘Best of the World 2023’ list.
The North Coast 500 (NC500) is a 516-mile scenic route that brings together the best of coastal scenery across the far north of Scotland, starting and ending at Inverness Castle in the historic capital of the Highlands.
If you’ve already visited the NC500 during summer then you might think you know it all but the scenery comes alive in an entirely new way in the colder months - so here are 11 top reasons to visit Scotland’s NC500 this winter.
5. Less busy roads
If you visited the NC500 during summer then you know how busy the roads can get, but the winter season is the less common choice - in some cases you may have the road all to yourself - just make sure you drive safe on the icy roads. Photo: via WikiCommons
6. Incredible winter hikes
If hiking is your calling then the winter walks on offer at the NC500 are unmissable. As we said earlier there are 282 Munros scattered across this route and also a wealth of beaches - the snowy beach season may not be the conventional choice but that's the beauty of visiting the NC500 after summer. Photo: Julia Tryon via Geograph
7. Whisky Tours and Tasting
Highland is by far Scotland's largest geographical whisky producing area and the highlands (and islands) have at least 47 distilleries all in all, according to VisitScotland. This includes many distilleries across the NC500 which offer tours and tasting sessions that, amid the freezing cold weather, add a heat to your body that feels blissful. Photo: MarianVejcik via Canva Pro
8. History, heritage and a lot of castles
Reportedly some museums in this region close around October and remain shut until Spring, however there is still a wealth of history on offer across this route. Dunrobin Castle, for example, is the largest of its kind in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms and the NC500 starts from Inverness Castle itself which has its own museum. Photo: Dave Conner via Flickr