11th May 2025 Durness North West Scotland to the finish at Winchcombe north Gloucestershire

11/05/2025.   Depart Sango Sands, for me possibly the best campsite I visited on the NC500, but many others could disagree.     Best for scenic views where my pitch was.      All NC500 sites were fantastic.   Jem and I now head south along the western Scottish Highlands and after around 35 miles arrive at Scourie Campsite for just 1 night and making quite a number of scenic stops along the A838.     There was a on route a modern BT type phone box, which now looks out of service with the handset damaged.

12/05/2025.    Depart Scourie Campsite for Admair Holiday Park near Ullapool western Scotland and a distance of 40 miles with more fantastic mountains and Lochs on route for pictures.      With the 2 world Wars and  Western Scotland, there are a number of War Memorials to be seen on route.

13/05/2025    Depart Admair Holiday Park and travelling still south along the Scottish west coast, Jem and I find Sands Camping and Caravanning at Garlick  west Highlands 65 miles.     Many streams are running low on water, due to the dry spring of 2025.

14/05/2025.  Departing Sands Camping and Caravanning Jem and I do a longer final full day on the NC500.     It is around 170 miles of driving own very narrow roads with passing in places, through to Applecross and the very tight hairpins of Bealach na Bà,     Respect the locals, as they are now trying to get this part of the route removed, as it is not suitable for caravans, and larger motorhomes.    

Also please check the fuel levels of your vehicles, due to the steep inclines and declines.      My fuel was showing at 200 miles at the start of this journey today, and my fuel light came on whilst driving up hill and showing very little fuel.     As soon, as I started to go back down the mountain road, I was showing 160 plus miles.     On the flat, I was showing 140 miles of fuel, so I had fuel in my tank to cover the rest of the day’s journey.      I also visited the Applecross postoffice and stores for a memento car sticker plus other bits.    Very friendly stopover.    Fuel wise, I found a small village with one petrol and one diesel pump, self service paying by card to a maximum of £100.00 per transaction.     The station was at Locharron  and the fuel was Pace fuel, as I understand it is part of the Cetas Energy group.    I did see a number of this type of filling station on route.  I then head east along an easier drive for the last part of the NC500 along the A 890 and A832

I had originally planed to try for Culloden near Inverness, where I started the NC500, but time did not allow, due to the long journey.     I ended up at a fantastic lowland site at the village of Beauly, and I found the campsite in passing for my last night.     There is a river passing to one side

15/05/2025.   Departing Beauly campsite, I head for Inverness, then turn around and back past through Beauly, and I find the cheapest diesel anywhere I have seen for quite a while at 132.9 pence per litre, and it was Esso, so I filled up to the top.   I then finish the NC500 complete loop and I cross the Moray Firth bridge in to Inverness. And then I now head south along the A9 to and just through south of Aviemore to a campsite and holiday park, and for quite a few sites, I just turn up on speck, and I am able to get in for just a one night stopover.     There are is a large amount one can do in the area, but I just take it nice and easy, and take Jemma for a walk around the campsite and area.

16/05/2025.   Depart south of Aviemore, I am heading south along the A9 and A74(M) towards Glasgow and Carlisle.     I use a website Pitchup to fond a campsite around 7 to 10 miles west of Carlisle.     The site was based at a pub with 6 hard standing pitches and a number of grass pitches for tents.     Haven driven around 240 miles, I just took it easy for the evening, before heading south the following day.

17/05/2027.   I depart near Carlisle and head south again and end up on Spec again to Blackpool South, with a journey of around 145 miles making a stop at Fleetwood and drive along the seafront at Blackpool.   The campsite recognise me from a stopover heading north a few days earlier.

18/05/2025    I depart Blackpool for my last stopover, and again Winchcombe campsite.    This again is on spec.   The site has spaces for 2 nights, so I check in, and have pitch number 71 , the same pitch as when I was there 3 weeks earlier.    May 18th is my wedding anniversary, and my late wife and I would have been married 34 years, so I have a double whiskey malt from a distillery  I stopped at in Scotland.    The Whiskey was a very nice malt.

20/05/2025.   Winchcombe departure after my 3rd visit there, and back home to near Lymington SW Hampshire and a total journey of around 2250 miles in 23 days.      I would recommend the NC500 to anyone, but I would recommend to stick to campsites and respect the locals.     Try to be as invisible as possible but to enjoy this fantastic road trip.      Also, when I was there, the midget season was just starting, so be prepared from May through to September for midgets on the NC500.

More pictures  may follow from video.    The latter stages, I decided to take a break from photography with around 3000 pictures taken and over 500 on the website of this fantastic journey, but I did some video from the motorhome.     I will see how this looks, and If I decide to add video photos.

Thanks for Looking