Experience Autumn on the North Coast 500
You’ll be spoilt for choice on the North Coast 500 for great places to enjoy the spectacular array of colour autumn brings. Whether it’s a stroll through a golden hued woodland, or a hike up to the top of a mountain to view the multi-coloured scenery below, the North Highlands is the perfect place to explore the spectacular landscape autumn reveals and discover some of nature’s most majestic sights.
Wildlife Spotting
The North of Scotland is a hive of wildlife activity in autumn. The annual rutting season is one of nature’s most dramatic sights. You’ll often hear roaring stags as they lock antlers to battle it out for the hearts of the female deer, but be warned, this is best viewed from a distance! Head out on a safari walk with The Torridon Resort for a chance to witness this spectacular battle for dominance.
Every autumn, wild salmon make a challenging journey from the open sea to their spawning grounds as they leap upstream, battling against strong currents and thundering waterfalls. Best seen in late autumn, Falls of Shin and Rogie Falls are two of the top places along the NC500 to watch this incredible event.
As the leaves begin to fall, autumn in the North Highlands becomes a birdwatcher’s paradise! From the large and powerful Peregrine Falcon which reaches speeds of up to 200mph; to the migrating Greenland White-fronted Geese, Whooper Swans and Icelandic Greylag Geese who visit Scotland for the winter.
The Grey Seal favours exposed coasts and islands, making the North Coast 500 the ideal place to spot them. Although famous for its Bottlenose Dolphins, the Moray Firth is also a great place to spot Grey Seals, particularly in autumn when they head ashore to give birth to their pups.
Photos: Stags rutting (c) shaftinaction/Adobe Stock Images | Salmon leaping at Falls of Shin (c) Jamie /Adobe Stock Images | Whooper Swans (c) Ben Hall / RSPB | Grey Seal Pup (c) Charlie Phillips
Autumn Delicacies
The North Coast 500 is a culinary heaven for food lovers in autumn; from seafood so fresh it practically swam through the door, tasty fruit and vegetables harvested from fertile fields and game and venison fresh from the hills. Sample some of the best seasonal produce in the country with a meal at one of the many restaurants, pubs or cafes around the route, or stock up at a local farm shop, deli or smokehouse to cook your own autumnal feast.
Frying chantarelle in the autumn forest (c) genlock1/Adobe Stock Images
And let’s not forget about Scotland’s Water of Life! The annual autumn Dornoch Whisky Festival which normally takes place during the last week of October, celebrates some of the best whiskies, gin, vodka and rum that the North Highlands has to offer. If you plan on visiting after October, don’t worry! there are many great distilleries and bars to visit along the route.
Stargazing along the North Coast 500
Autumn marks the beginning of star-lit nights, and with some of the darkest skies in Europe, the North Coast 500 is the perfect destination for stargazers. Nothing quite beats standing underneath the star-scattered sky, wrapped up warm with a flask of tea or hot chocolate, and as the North of Scotland lies at the same latitude as Stavanger in Norway and Nunivak Island in Alaska, you’re also in with a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights! Get some tips and advice on how best to capture this magical phenomenon with Graham Bradshaw Photography.
Beinn Alligin and Loch Torridon (c) Graham Bradshaw Photography
Haunted Highlands
With Halloween just around the corner, Autumn is the best time of year for tales of the supernatural.
Before the lighthouse at Cape Wrath was built, the remote Sandwood Bay was host to many a shipwreck; and home to legends of sailor ghosts, mermaids and ghostly wild horses!
On the shores of Loch Assynt lies the ruinous Ardvreck Castle, once the stronghold of the MacLeods of Assynt. It is said to be haunted by two ghosts, a tall man clad in grey thought to be related to the betrayal of Montrose, and the weeping ghost of one of the daughters of the clan chief who threw herself out of a window after being promised to the devil.
On the bleak Culloden Moor near Inverness in 1746 the final battle of the Jacobite Rising took place, and in less than an hour over 1,600 men were slain, ending the Jacobite Rebellion. Sightings of spectral soldiers marching across the battlefield have been reported, and visitors to the moor may notice a heavy atmosphere surrounding the site. Discover the history of this bloody battle at National Trust for Scotland’s Visitor Centre.
Photos: Dornoch Castle Hotel | Sandwood Bay (c) James Foster | Ardvreck Castle (c) gornostaj/Adobe Stock | Culloden Battlefield (c) National Trust for Scotland
Be sure to download the North Coast 500 App (available on Apple App Store and Google Play) for more spooky stories.
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