Qualified as one of the best road trips in the world, exploring all or part of the 830 kilometers of the North Cost 500 will remain etched in your memory. Inaugurated in 2015, it aims to bring a strong identity to this very isolated region of northern Scotland, where homes are often very far from each other, as well as to attract more and more tourists.
The landscape is breathtaking and every turn has its share of surprises. There you will encounter an old railway line, fields of heather and peat, snow-capped mountains, some ruins and small fishing villages seemingly out of nowhere.
Route : 190 km to go from Dunnet Head to Kylesku, or 3h30 of a winding, mountainous road and sometimes on a single lane for both directions of traffic. The snow is not far away, it is mid-April.
Info : plan to fill up with gas in advance and bring something to eat, the road is long, winding and there are few stopping options. Plan your route in advance, because the GPS struggles to follow, as for the network on your cell phone, it will be non-existent.
STUNNING COLORS
The images speak for themselves. These below were taken on the same day, and depending on the time, some look similar, even if they are not taken in the same place.
Bodies of water, lochs, rivers, they are everywhere and sometimes they even surround us. Depending on the light, the landscapes change from pale gray to steel gray, including all shades of blue.
Over the miles, we discover incredible tones, with shades of ocher and brown, which contrast with the blue of the sky or the lochs.
During the day, the brightness changes, bringing out patches of meadow, remnants of snow, grasses or even slabs of rock made shiny like aluminum.
It's a real fireworks display of colors, until nightfall.
KYLESKU
The village, very small, is at the heart of Scotland's first geopark. The ferry, which attracted people there at the time, has been replaced by a bridge which is the pride of the people of the region. Kylesku Hotel specializes in local produce, particularly from the nearby Loch. Try the mussels or scallops without reservation, they are excellent.
For seafood, you will find it or not, depending on the results of the fishermen. Out of season, local residents frequent the establishment. For our part, we met a couple there who were celebrating a birthday. For the occasion, the gentleman was dressed in a Scottish kilt. On-site parking is small and does not allow campers.
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