Exploring Scotland’s NC500: Four Seasons, Epic Views, and a Drone’s Eye Dream
Our adventure began long before we reached the start of the NC500. We set off from Jersey, taking the ferry over to the UK mainland and then driving nearly 600 miles from Portsmouth to Inverness, the official starting point of the North Coast 500. It was a road trip within a road trip – a long haul, but the excitement of what lay ahead made every mile fly by.
There’s something magnetic about the NC500 – Scotland’s answer to Route 66 – that draws you in before you’ve even set foot on its winding roads. We began our journey on the east coast and took the anti-clockwise route, ending our adventure on the breathtaking Isle of Skye. It was a trip filled with rugged beauty, ever-changing weather, and plenty of unforgettable moments.
Everyone says you can experience all four seasons in one day in Scotland – and we can now confirm, it’s absolutely true. Sunshine, sleet, wind, rain, and back to sunshine again, all within a few hours. While that made for a dramatic and atmospheric road trip, it also made flying the drone a bit of a challenge. That said, I still managed to get it up in the air a few times between the NC500 and Skye, capturing some incredible footage. It wasn’t as much as I’d hoped, but it was enough to plant the seed – we’ll definitely be coming back.
The route took us through some truly stunning spots:
Dunrobin Castle – a fairytale-like castle perched on the coast, with beautifully kept gardens and a dramatic backdrop.
John o’ Groats – the iconic northeastern tip of mainland Britain, perfect for a quick photo stop.
Assynt – a wild, remote region filled with jagged peaks, vast moorland, and deep lochs. It felt like driving through a landscape that hadn’t changed in centuries – raw, untouched, and utterly mesmerising.
Torridon and Shieldaig – where the mountains loom high, the lochs stretch wide, and the roads twist tightly through some of the Highlands’ most dramatic terrain. The scenery here is unforgettable.
Applecross and the Bealach na Bà – one of the most iconic drives in the UK. Climbing over the pass with its steep switchbacks and panoramic views was a true highlight of the trip.
We ended our trip on the Isle of Skye, which turned out to be the highlight. Even after all the jaw-dropping scenery we’d already passed, Skye somehow took it to another level. The Quiraing, the Old Man of Storr, and the Fairy Pools were every bit as mystical and breathtaking as they look in the photos – maybe even more so in real life. The changing weather only added to the atmosphere, casting shifting light across the landscape like a moving painting.
This trip lit a fire in us – we’re already planning the next one. Next time, we’ll hire a campervan, slow things down even more, and hopefully catch better breaks in the weather for the drone. Scotland has a way of getting under your skin – the space, the solitude, the sheer scale of it all. There’s so much more to see, and we’re already counting the days until we can go back.
Until next time, Scotland – thanks for the wild ride.