NC500 and Whisky Tour

Scotland - NC500 & Whisky Tour

Gurps Kandola (Founder & CEO of Road Trip Connoisseur)

Special Post for Connoisseur

The NC500 should be on any true petrol head's bucket list. What is the NC500? Well, the route starts off in Inverness at the castle. It was officially founded in 2015 as a known route to do, competing with the likes of Route 66, Route Napoleon, Transfagarasan Pass, and so on. This is the coastal road that goes on for around 500 miles around the northern coast of Inverness.

The route has increased visitor numbers to parts of the north of Scotland, bringing economic benefits to some areas. However, the increase in traffic has also led to more instances of bad and dangerous driving, as well as damage to the roads and concerns about the environmental impact.

It was on my places-to-visit list for a long time; however, driving from London, it was quicker for me to drive deep into France or even to Switzerland than it was to go to Scotland. And let's face it: the drive is pretty grim. I am sure that everyone reading this right now agrees that the M6 isn't the prettiest motorway of them all and is only good for The Tebay Services (between junction 38 and 39).

It was during Covid time, and travelling abroad was virtually impossible. Thanks to the French not allowing us to drive there, we had to stay in the UK. I had originally booked a weekend away in Malta, but within 24 hours of my booking, they announced that if you were travelling from the UK, you had to quarantine for two weeks, and that was a no-no. Around that sort of time, both Top Gear and The Grand Tour did a trip to Scotland and did the NC500 and the highlands. This gave me an idea. I was solo and had just had my Audi A8, not for long. It was mid-summer, and I had a week to do whatever I wanted. So I planned the perfect road trip from London to the North.

I left super early in the morning around 2/3 am. The M40 was empty, and I had an open road, so at 70 mph, I put my foot down and headed straight to Edinburgh. I had filled my car with Red Bulls, which gave me wings for my drive. I got to Edinburgh at 9 am, parked up, checked in and freshened up and had some breakfast. I always love visiting Edinburgh. It's a city that is not only beautiful but also very peaceful. It's like a nicer and kinder London, always worth heading to The Royal Mile, see the castle, buy some tartan, some whisky, and obviously shortbread.

The following morning, I headed from Edinburgh to Inverness. The drive wasn't the best, but the further north I went, the prettier it got. I love creating content, so this was important for me. It wasn't a long drive, but I took it easy and enjoyed the journey. I visited Loch Leven, one of many stunning lochs. Not far from there, I stayed at the Atholl Palace Hotel Pitlochry with my family, which brought back many memories. After breakfast, I headed to the House of Bruar, which is a shopping outlet for everything Scottish, from art and clothing to food and whisky. I had planned to visit the Glenfiddich Distillery, as it is one of my favourite whiskies. However, everything is in one area, so you will go to one distillery, and there are more right next door, in some cases, quite literally. I faced one of the biggest predicaments of my life - where do I go? The idea was to go to one and head straight to my place in Inverness, ready for an early start in the morning.

The first distillery of interest that I came across was Glenlivet. It had just opened two days before after Covid and its brand-new makeover, which I was actually one of the first people to visit. I was the only person there at the time, and I was given a private tour and tasting session. The indoor area was how I would set up my own man cave, with beautiful sofas, a big fireplace, and art and whiskies on display everywhere. They were super friendly and told me that if I did not go anywhere else, then I had to visit Macallan as their distillery was a work of art designed by the architect Roger Stirk Harbour, the same man who designed the Millennium Dome. After leaving Glenlivet, I visited a couple of smaller independent ones - Balvenie, Glenfiddich, and then to Macallan. Just driving there felt like it was something out of a James Bond movie. Parts of it had been built into the hills, and with a thunderstorm on its way, it would be rude not to stay and explore for a while. They have a really nice bar and restaurant, and it's worth spending some time here even if you do not go to any other distillery. I eventually got to my Air Bnb that night and had a good night's sleep after a nightcap.

The following morning, I was up bright and early, filled up with diesel, and headed to Loch Glass. It was tricky because when you enter this into Waze or Google Maps, it takes you to a certain point - a watch house which is gated. The only way to get to the loch by car is here. I remember parking my car next to a couple of other cars, and from here it was about a 2km walk. Luckily, a ranger came past in his pickup truck, and I stopped and asked him if I was in the right place and if it was safe to leave my car there. He laughed at me and said yes, of course it is. This isn't London, and he knew immediately that I wasn't local.

When I reached the house, it was such a great feeling. There was mist over the lake, the smell of fresh air, 5G on my phone, and not a person in sight. I took some pictures and sat down there for a while to take it all in. After doing some heavy research, a lot of people said that you should do the route anti-clockwise, which I did. The reason for this is that the more west you go, the prettier it gets. Just when you think it can't get any better, it does.

That night, I headed to a place not too far from John O Groats. It was advertised as an off-the-grid hut, ideal for glamping. I remember turning up, and the guy asked me if I was lost in my luxury Audi A8 while holding my Louis Vuitton duffle bag. But I was at the right place. I wanted a totally different experience - I wanted to be off the grid. It turned out to be such a great, peaceful night - nice whisky, cigar, and a kebab from the local shop, which was a 10-mile drive away!

I woke up the following morning for the sunrise, and it was a clear and beautiful morning. I just knew it was going to be a great day. I quickly headed to the famous sign where I was greeted by a couple of guys in their Ferraris. It seemed that everyone was on the same wavelength: get the picture and go for a drive. I was in my element at this point, with the perfect playlist, a coffee from the local café, and an open road. The issue was that although it is a great road, much of it is single-lane, so it is highly likely that you will get stuck behind a tractor, a lorry, a caravan, or a slow driver. Having said that, there is mutual respect from everyone. If you want to overtake, people will pull over for you to go for it.

Not long after John O'Groats, I stopped off at this small car park at the bottom of the mountains. There was a Porsche 911 there, and the guy had driven solo from Brighton. We got talking, and both of our cars stood out, so we just connected. We decided to drive together for a few hours. He stayed behind me as he knew I had the bigger car to move people out of the way, and he knew he'd be able to keep up. At one point, we were driving on twisty roads, and we'd been stuck behind a caravan for a while. I went for the overtake, but the caravan stopped me from going. I thought I had annoyed him, but, in actual fact, there was a lorry coming in the opposite direction. As soon as it went past, the caravan waved and gave me the thumbs up for me and the Porsche to go for it. It was such a memorable moment. A couple of places we passed that I highly recommend visiting were Duncansby Head, Tongue, Durness, and of course, the famous Kylesku Bridge.

It ended up being a super long drive for me alone. I would recommend around 5 - 7 days to see and properly enjoy everything. Most people stick on the mainland; however, that evening, I headed to the Isle of Skye. During July, the sun doesn't set until close to midnight, which was great for me. I remember stopping off for diesel before getting onto the Isle of Skye, and as I was leaving, a bunch of supercars went by: Ferrari F12 TDF, 458 Speciale, Aventador and Murcielago SV's, a Continental GT Supersport, and a bunch of others. There was only one direction they were going, and it was to the Isle of Skye. It would be rude not to join their convoy. But it was sunset time, and the views were incredible. Don't get me wrong, mainland Scotland is beautiful, but mixed with the perfect sunset, for someone who has travelled to 50 countries and driven around the world, this is by far one of the greatest drives I have ever done!

The Isle of Skye offers plenty to see and do. If you wish to break up your trip, there are whisky distilleries to explore, such as Talisker and Torabhaig Distillery. You can also take the ferry over to Rassay, which crosses over every hour. Another distillery is available there too. Portree Harbour is a lovely spot with various eateries offering fresh seafood. Hikers can visit The Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, Fairy Pools, and even Coral Beach, despite its location slightly off the beaten track. I stayed in Uig and discovered some stunning driving roads in the mountains that are rarely used but well worth a visit. You can also get some great photos of your car here.

On the following day, leave the Isle of Skye and head towards Fort William. I recommend staying a night there, as it can be quite an intense drive, but staying here breaks up the journey. The following day, I woke up early to visit two iconic movie locations: The Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous for the Harry Potter train, which can be seen twice a day. However, check the timings beforehand, and get there early for a good viewing spot to avoid disappointment, as it happens quickly. The other location is in Glencoe at Glen Etvie, known for the iconic scene from Skyfall, where M and James have a deep conversation before heading to his house. It is a narrow road and can be difficult to spot, as the sign that used to point out the location has been removed. But it is towards the start of the road, so don't go too far down, as the roads get rough, and it can be tricky to turn your car around. I was fortunate enough to capture a couple arriving in their Aston Martin V8 Vantage, which they had purchased for their 50th wedding anniversary, as I was photographing my car. This is the final location worth seeing before leaving the NC500 region and returning to reality.

Gurps Kandola

Gurps Kandola has been very fortunate to travel around the world from Japan to the USA to Russia to Canada to India to Dubai to Scandinavia and pretty much every other country in Europe. He has used his expertise to plan trips and itineraries all around the world for himself, his family, his friends and coworkers and started to realise that most people either didn’t have the time, creativity or the know-how to find some of the most hidden gems this world has to offer.

Thus, The Roadtrip Connoisseur was born.

The Roadtrip Connoisseur welcomes you to our world of bespoke, tailor-made travel, where our zealous international team of travel technicians excavate the most marvellous destinations and craft the most delightful travel adventures for you and your loved ones. From leisurely hotels to luxury apartments, exquisite resorts and retreats, we meticulously curate trips, holidays and excursions that are unique and exceed your expectations. For more details, please visit Roadtrip Connoisseur.