North Coast 500 Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Loch and mountain in the north-west Highlands of Scotland — Photo: Brian Taylor on Unsplash

The North Coast 500 is a 516-mile loop around the top of Scotland, starting and finishing in Inverness — sea lochs, single-track roads, empty beaches and mountains that come right down to the water. A campervan or motorhome is the natural way to do it: you are never racing to reach a hotel, and some of the best overnight spots on the route are only really open to you if you are self-contained. Enter your Inverness postcode on the search page, set a collection radius, and you will see insured campervans and motorhomes from owners and operators ready for the loop.

Every vehicle is listed by its owner — private owners and local rental businesses — and booked through our partner Outdoorsy, with insurance and payment protection on every booking.

What is the North Coast 500?

A signposted circular route around the far north of Scotland, developed to link existing roads — the NC500 is not a new road, it is a named way of joining the A9, A836, A838, A894 and A896 (among others) into one loop. It runs from Inverness up the east coast to Caithness, along the north coast through Durness, down the dramatic west coast through Assynt, Wester Ross and Applecross, and back to Inverness via Lochcarron and Garve (Skye Bridge and Loch Ness are popular detours). Much of it is single-track with passing places, especially on the north and west coasts.

How long do you need for the NC500?

Plan for 7 to 10 days. It is physically possible to drive the 516 miles in less, and some do it in five, but that turns a spectacular route into a driving test — the roads are slower than the mileage suggests, and the places worth stopping for (a beach, a distillery, a headland view) are the whole point. Two weeks lets you add a day for weather, which the north-west coast will occasionally demand.

The route, stage by stage

A sensible clockwise breakdown — it is often driven this way so the trickiest, single-track west-coast stretch comes with a full trip’s worth of driving confidence behind them.

Inverness to the Black Isle and Cromarty — about 25 miles, an easy half-day. Chanonry Point for dolphin-watching, then the quiet villages of the Black Isle.
Cromarty to John o’Groats via Caithness — about 130 miles, 1–2 days. The Whaligoe Steps, Wick, Duncansby Head’s sea stacks, and the flat, wide landscape of Caithness.
John o’Groats to Durness along the north coast — about 95 miles, 1–2 days. Some of the most remote road in Britain, with the beaches at Dunnet Bay and Sango Sands at Durness.
Durness to Ullapool through Assynt — about 95 miles, 1–2 days. Single-track for long stretches, with the distinctive peaks of Suilven and Stac Pollaidh and the beach at Achmelvich.
Ullapool to Applecross via Wester Ross — about 115 miles, 1–2 days. Gairloch, Torridon’s mountains, and the Bealach na Bà pass into Applecross — one of the steepest roads in the UK, with hairpins that rule out anything long or wide (see vehicle size below).
Applecross to Inverness via Lochcarron and Garve — about 85 miles, 1 day. Back over the pass (or round by the coast road) to Lochcarron, then east through Achnasheen and Garve. Skye and Loch Ness are popular detours that add to this.

The official route is 516 miles. These stages come to about 545 because they include the Black Isle and Cromarty, a detour of roughly 35–40 miles off the main road north. Distances are approximate and rounded.

What size campervan or motorhome for the NC500?

This matters more here than almost anywhere else in the UK. Much of the route is single-track with passing places, and the Bealach na Bà pass into Applecross climbs to 2,053 ft with gradients of 1 in 5 and hairpin bends, and its sign advises against very large vehicles, caravans and learner drivers. The official NC500 advice is not to take motorhomes over about 16–18 ft over the pass; the coast road from Shieldaig via Kenmore reaches Applecross without it.

2-berth camper van — the easiest choice for the whole loop, including the pass, and the one most NC500-specific hire listings are built around. See camper van hire.
4-berth motorhome — manageable on nearly all of the route with a driver who takes it steadily; use the coast road around Applecross instead of the Bealach na Bà pass. See motorhome hire.
6-berth motorhome — doable on the main NC500 road network but the hardest option on the tightest single-track sections; check the specific route with the owner before booking if you’re set on a larger vehicle.

Whatever you hire, expect to reverse into passing places for oncoming traffic — it is normal here, not a sign you have gone wrong.

Price follows the same pattern as anywhere else: the smallest camper van is consistently the least expensive option, a 6-berth motorhome the most expensive, and the price per night usually drops the longer you book for. NC500 season (June to August) costs noticeably more than May or September, both for the vehicle and for campsites along the route. Enter your dates on the search page for a real price rather than a generic average — see motorhome hire prices for more on what moves it.

Where to stay along the route

Campsites cluster around the towns; the stretches between are where wild and informal overnight stops (where genuinely permitted) come in, alongside the route’s small network of dedicated motorhome stops.

Inverness — Bught Caravan Park (seasonal, roughly Easter to the end of September) or Bunchrew Caravan Park, both good for the first or last night; see campervan hire in Inverness for pickups.
John o’Groats area — several small sites around Wick and John o’Groats itself, useful for the Caithness stage.
Durness — Sango Sands Oasis, right above the beach, one of the best-placed sites on the whole loop.
Assynt / Ullapool — sites around Lochinver and Ullapool for the midpoint of the west-coast stage.
Torridon / Applecross — informal and small campsites through Wester Ross; book ahead in summer as options thin out here.

For June to August, book pitches as soon as your van is confirmed — sites such as Clachtoll, Sango Sands at Durness, Applecross and Shore at Achmelvich can fill weeks or months ahead, and turning up without a plan on the north or west coast in July can mean a long drive to find a pitch.

Driving the NC500

Single-track roads. Pull into passing places on your left, or opposite one if it is on the right; do not park in them. Give way and be patient — this is normal driving here, not a sign of trouble.
Fuel gaps. Distances between fuel stations on the north and west coasts can be considerable — fill up whenever you pass a station below half a tank, not when the gauge is low.
Midges. May to September, especially in still, damp conditions at dawn and dusk, particularly on the west coast. Repellent and a midge net are worth packing.
Mobile signal. Patchy to non-existent on long stretches — download offline maps before you set off.
Left-hand side. You drive on the left, as everywhere in the UK.

When to travel

May, June and September are the best months — long daylight, reasonable weather odds, and before or after the worst of the midges and the peak-season crowds. July and August are busiest and dearest, with the closest vehicles and the route’s limited campsites booking out well ahead — reserve the vehicle four to six months in advance for those dates and book campsites as soon as the van is confirmed. Winter driving is possible but the far north and west can see snow and ice on higher sections and long dark stretches; it’s for confident, well-prepared drivers only.

North Coast 500 campervan and motorhome hire — FAQs

How much does it cost to hire a campervan for the NC500?

It depends mainly on the vehicle size, the season and how long you hire for. A small campervan is consistently the least expensive option and a large motorhome the most expensive; booking for June to August, the peak NC500 season, costs noticeably more than May or September; and the price per night usually drops the longer you book for. Enter your dates on the search page to see live prices from vehicles near Inverness. See motorhome hire prices for more on what moves the price.

How long does it take to drive the North Coast 500?

Plan for 7 to 10 days. It can be driven in five if you are determined, but that leaves little time to stop, and two weeks gives you a buffer for weather on the west coast.

What size campervan should I take on the NC500?

A 2-berth camper van is the easiest choice for the whole loop, including the hairpins of the Bealach na Bà pass into Applecross, which are unsuitable for long or wide vehicles. A 4-berth motorhome manages the route well if you take the coast road around Applecross instead of the pass. A 6-berth is workable but the hardest option on the tightest single-track sections.

Do I need a 4×4 for the North Coast 500?

No — the entire route is on public roads suitable for a normal 2-wheel-drive vehicle, including camper vans and motorhomes. What matters more is vehicle length and width on the single-track sections, not drivetrain.

Where should I start the North Coast 500?

Inverness — the route is defined as a loop starting and finishing at Inverness Castle. See campervan hire in Inverness for pickup options in the city.

Can I drive the NC500 anticlockwise instead?

Yes, some people prefer it, arguing it gives you the dramatic west coast first, while you are fresh. Clockwise is often recommended because you start on the easier east-coast and Caithness roads and reach the trickier west-coast single-track sections with more experience behind you. Either direction works.

Do I need to book campsites in advance?

For June to August, yes — the number of sites on the more remote stretches of the north and west coasts is limited, and turning up without a booking in peak season can mean a long extra drive to find a pitch. Outside peak season you have more flexibility.

What does “fully insured” cover?

Motor insurance for the named driver or drivers and payment protection come with every booking through our partner Outdoorsy — you do not organise cover separately. 24/7 roadside assistance is optional, so add it if you want breakdown help on the remoter stretches. The damage excess and the refundable security deposit are set out on the listing and in the rental agreement before you pay. Terms vary by owner, so read them for the specific vehicle, and check breakdown cover extends to the remoter stretches of the route.

Planning a road trip? See our Scotland west coast and Skye campervan road trip guide, with a day-by-day route, where to stay and driving tips, or browse more road trips.