North Coast 500 - I reached John o'Groats

Campsites along the North Coast 500

5. February 2024 Plan

The North Coast 500 was one of my highlights on my trip! The nature is stunning and once I got used to the RVs, cycling on the little country roads was fabulous.

The majority of nights I camped on campsites, and many of them were great! While Google and Komoot were great starting points for finding places to stay, I found that many reviews were written by people with camper vans. That motivated me, to review the campsites I stayed on from the perspective of a cyclist.

While it's allowed, at least in most parts, to wild camp in Scotland, I prefer to have a campsite to arrive at in the evening. The density of campsites in Scotland is definitely less than for example in France, nevertheless, it's quite doable to find one for the night.

Another option which seems to be quite common is the possibility of camping at the parking ground of a pub. At least when you have a meal or pint there. This has the advantage that you might be able to use the facilities available and that you get some food. I did this at the Dundonnel Hotel and their staff was super friendly and helpful! To find out whether this is an option I would recommend checking the Google reviews of a site, it's usually mentioned there.

NC500

Reviewed campsites along the North Coast 500

Map of the reviewed campsites along the NC 500

For a cyclist, or anybody just traveling with a tent, it's less relevant whether the pitches are well-leveled or whether there are electricity hookups. Other things like a common room or the possibility to charge their phones are more important. Based on my experience I developed a small framework that helps me to review the campsites based on recurring parameters. If you find that anything is missing, feel free to reach out!

The criteria are: