NC 500, The Monocle Escapist 2019

The Highlands feature an eclectic topography: thick forests of Scotch pine, glens tucked between austere hills, innumerable lochs and a coastline that could easily be mistaken for California. The North Coast 500 highway, completed in 2015, made this natural blessing more accessible. We’ve picked a dramatic section that encapsulates the full variety of the NC500, as it’s known. Kick off proceedings at the quaint loch-side Balmacara Hotel. Head northwest to Stromferry on the A890 and then hug the water to your left. At New Kelso, when the road forks, take the left towards Locharron.The road (A896) begins to rise and twist as you move into the mountains.This part of the route delivers unbridled driving pleasure.When the road brings you to Tornapress, turn left at the junction to continue your ascent. Pull over at the Bealach na Ba Viewpoint for a sweeping 360-degree view. From here the road dips back down past ponds and lakes, before the North Sea comes suddenly into view. The path then weaves through dense patches of trees and gorse before finally coming to the town of Applecross. You can eat at the Applecross Inn before you push north along the NC500, head south to Culduie where, in the bays and on the beaches, you can see seals frolicking on the rocks and bobbing their heads above the water. Retrace your tracks back to Applecross and shoot north. This straight bit of road is nothing short of Scotland’s Big Sur. As you round the peninsula at Fearnmore and begin to head east again along the coast, the trees become supersized and densely packed. The town of Shieldaig is just up ahead in the bay. Pull over at the Shieldaig Coastal Bar and Kitchen for lunch. Its dive-like appearance belies a laudable kitchen.Continue east along the the A896 in the direction of Torridon, then Kinlochewe, where the road enters a dramatic glen. At Kinlochewe head northwest on the A832 to Gairloch, so that Loch Maree is on your right. Pass Gairloch and continue to Big Sands for a picturesque finish on one of Scotland’s most beautiful beaches. A left turn off the main road after the town, into a network caravan lodges, leads you right down to the water’s edge. Go back to Gairloch and find the A832 again, driving north. It’ll take you through the quaint village of Poolewe and then to the Aultbea Hotel in the town of the same name. It’s a well-designed 10-room outpost overlooking the Isle of Ewe, and has the welcoming feel of home.