Which Scottish route is a scenic drive along the northern coast of Scotland?

The Scottish scenic drive along the northern coast of Scotland is the North Coast 500.

Usually shortened to NC500, this 516-mile touring route starts and ends at Inverness Castle. It loops through the North Highlands, passing destinations such as Applecross, Gairloch, Ullapool, Durness, Thurso, John o’ Groats, Wick and Dornoch. The route includes the famous Bealach na Bà mountain road near Applecross.

The North Coast 500 was launched in March 2015 by the North Highland Initiative, with support from VisitScotland and Highlands & Islands Enterprise. Its aim was to create a unified tourism route connecting communities and attractions across Inverness-shire, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness. It was soon promoted as “Scotland’s Route 66.”

It is not a single newly built highway: much of the NC500 follows existing public roads, including narrow single-track sections. That distinction matters because increased popularity has brought traffic, parking, speeding and environmental concerns. The South West Coastal 300 is another Scottish road-trip route, but it travels through the southwest rather than the northern Highlands.