Glamping along the NC500
If you’re looking for all the adventure of camping with a little extra luxury and warmth thrown in, then look no further! From bell tents to shepherd’s huts and hand-built, off-grid luxury cabins, you’ll find dozens of Glamping options along the North Coast 500, suitable for solo travellers, couples, families and groups of all sizes.
Glamping is becoming increasingly popular, especially along the NC500, and it’s easy to see why. This wild camping and traditional self-catering hybrid is the perfect option if you’re looking to spend a few nights in various locations along the route. Whether you’re looking for a romantic break for two, or a way to meet like-minded North Coast 500 travellers around the fire pit, Glamping allows you to plan a trip which is truly your own. Opt for a quirky glamping pod in the wilds of the North Highlands, or choose a base closer to a small town or village, with amazing sea views and access to all the facilities you’ll need. Still looking for inspiration? Read on to discover our top recommendations along the way…
Bell tents
Crafted from heavy cotton canvas for extra warmth, bell tents make cosy overnight bases. Opt for a tent on a raised platform, or on level compacted ground. If you’re looking to Glamp at the beginning or the end of your North Coast 500 trip, ACE Adventures & Hideaways, by Dunphail, near Forres, is the perfect option. Each bell tent in the woodlands sleeps up to seven people comfortably, and is equipped with a wood-burning heater, comfortable mattresses and a barbecue area with a fire pit and cooking skillet.
Along the west coast of the NC500, Quercus Accommodation in Ullapool is the perfect overnight stop – though we’re sure you’ll want to stay for longer once you’ve seen inside these tip-top tents. Furnished with wooden beds and side tables, decorated with bunting and fairy lights, and kitted out with electric blankets, quirky teapots and USB ports, these bell tents offer the ultimate camping experience without any of the hassle of travelling with equipment.
Photos: ACE Adventures & Hideaways outside Inverness (Image 1&2), Quercus Accommodation, Ullapool (Image 3&4)
Shepherd’s huts
For a romantic break with a bit of a difference, why not overnight in a shepherd’s hut? Spacious and modern on the inside, with traditional wheels and corrugated iron tops that hark back to days gone by, shepherd’s huts offer the ultimate Glamping experience – plus they’re fully insulated and ready to withstand even the wildest Highland weather!
If beer is your drink of choice, a stay in Black Isle Brewery’s shepherd’s hut is a must! This cosy little hideout for couples can be booked directly through their AirBNB. During your stay, make sure to tour the brewery, where you can learn all about distilling on this beautiful Highland peninsula and even pick up your very own NC500 beer to enjoy back at the hut, or to take home with you.
Along the west coast, stay overnight at Fionn Croft, near the sleepy seaside town of Gairloch. Their shepherd’s hut sleeps two people comfortably and boasts incredible views over the sea to the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye. Heading further north-west, Inchnadamph Lodge, B&B and Hostel offers two new shepherd’s huts for booking, one with a kitchenette and the other with access to catering facilities in the main lodge.
We’ve already recommended ACE Adventures and Hideaways for their brilliant bell tents, but a wee mention is also needed for their shepherd’s huts, equipped with everything you’ll need for a comfortable break.
Photos: Black Isle Brewery’s Shepherd Hut, ACE Adventures & Hideaway, Inchnadamph Lodge, B&B and Hostel, Fionn Croft
Wigwam pods
These no-frills camping pods are just the ticket for adventure enthusiasts, offering the full camping experience without the need to pitch a tent. Book a pod at Black Rock Caravan Park by Evanton, Dingwall, and relax on your own private veranda, or head west to Sands Caravan and Camping Park in Gairloch and spend a night or two in a wooden wigwam, complete with an outdoor picnic table and fire pit.
Over on the north coast, by Melvich, North Coast Touring Park offers glamping in spacious Clansman pods. Smaller pods sleep four people, while larger pods can accommodate groups of up to seven, all with full access to site facilities.
Photos: Black Rock Caravan Park, Sands Caravan and Camping Park (next to Big Sands beach), North Coast Touring Park (image 1&2)
Add some bubbles
For a little extra luxury, why not hire a property with a hot tub? Perfect for warm weather, and still enjoyable even when it’s cold! You’ll find plenty of properties along the North Coast 500 route which offer hot tubs, even Glamping pods.
If you’re planning to spend a night or two in Caithness, Braeside Retreats at Sibmister Farm is the perfect base. Here you’ll find a collection of brand-new, bespoke, luxury pods, each with a private hot tub for you to relax and recharge. Watch the sun set over Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the Scottish mainland – bliss.
Photos: Braeside Retreats
A Glamper’s take on Scottish Bothies
A little like micro luxury lodges, ready and prepared with everything you’ll need for a unique Scottish Glamping experience! Staying in a traditional Scottish Bothy is an adventure which is truly unique to Scotland, but why not try a Glamper’s take on Scottish Bothies!
On the east coast, just outside Tain, Delny Glamping’s ‘wee bothies’ are anything but small, fully equipped with flatscreen TVs, outdoor seating and tea and coffee facilities. Evelix Pods, near Dornoch, offers another excellent east-coast choice. These pods are fully insulated with underfloor heating, so they’re perfect for year-round use.
Over on the west coast, just outside Ullapool, The Highland Bothies offer outdoor living in style, while the new NC500 Pods in Achmelvich are handmade from timber, with all the modern facilities you’d expect from a hotel, allowing you to glamp in style.
Travelling as a group or family? Conveniently located near the beginning and the end of the NC500 route, Black Rock Caravan Park offer plenty of options for couples and groups, while Delny Glamping’s Bothies can sleep up to six people. North Coast Touring Park’s handy location on the ‘roof’ of the NC500 offer spacious lodges with spectacular sea views and an onsite restaurant. Barns Highland, a brand-new camping site outside Inverness, features Glamping pods and a boutique cottage to rent, all within 15 minutes’ drive of Inverness Airport.
Photos: Evelix Pods, Delny Glamping (image 1&2), Black Rock Caravan Park
Luxury basecamping
Basecamping works so well along the North Coast 500 because the route is circular. Set up a base within the centre of the NC500 route, and use inland roads to explore the North Highlands each day. Not only will you complete sections of the main NC500 route, but you’ll also be able to discover some of the very best hidden gems which the North Highlands has to offer.
Arda Glamping offers the perfect base for this style of travel. Situated in Bonar Bridge in a 130 year old Caledonian Pine wood, Arda provides the perfect settting to disconnect from technology and reconnect with yourself, each other and nature. They don’t have “pods”, they have base camps which are skilfully crafted from discarded materials that would otherwise go to landfill.
Photos: Arda Glamping
A cross between a cottage and Glamping pod!
Located along the north and north-west coasts, set up a base in a rustic cabin or chalet among our spectacular wild and remote scenery.
Caisteal Liath Chalets offers quality redwood holiday chalets with private balconies in their own well-kept grounds, while ‘The Squirrel’s Leap’ chalet at Loch Broom Chalets offers a fully-furnished home away from home, with all of the conveniences that you would expect to find in a self-catering property. Or settle in to the Birdwatcher’s Cabin, the a unique and cosy off grid log cabin nestled on the edge of Balblair woods in the Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Aultbea Lodges by Aultbea, Rustic Cabins by Lochinver, Ardmair Point Holiday Park in Ullapool, or Mackay’s Cabins and Croft 103, by Durness.
Photos: Aultbea Lodges, Croft 103, Caisteal Liath Chalets, Birdwatcher’s Cabin
|Mix it up a little!|
Bothies, pods and tents are all great options, but did you know you could also stay in a static caravan, or a bunkhouse? These types of accommodation are perfect for groups of cyclists and motorbikers, or people looking to meet like-minded North Coast 500 travellers.
Static caravans
A real home away from home, static caravans can make the perfect base to hire for a week and explore the surrounding area. Make The Hideaway, just outside John o’Groats or Farm Buggy Tour’s caravan your base, if you’re exploring Caithness and the far north of the NC500 route – during your stay at Farm Buggy tours, you can meet their hairy heilan coos among other farmlife, during a tour around the farm.
Alternatively, why not check out Dornoch Firth Caravan Park along the east coast? Other popular options include Achmelvich’s Shore Caravan Site, Black Rock, Beauly Holiday Park, Inver Caravan Park, Gruinard Bay Caravan Site, and Thurso Bay Holidays.
Photos: Ardmair Point Holiday Park, Dornoch Firth Caravan Park, The Hideaway, Farm Buggy Tours
Bunkhouses
When you’re travelling as part of a larger group, bunkhouses make the ideal accommodation base, or if you wish to meet other like minded NC500 travellers! The west coast boasts an array of bunkhouses, perfect for making new friends and discussing the endless opportunities of outdoor activities in the area. Kinlochewe Hotel’s 12 room Bunkhouse is popular among walkers, climbers and cyclists throughout the year, offering clean, simple, warm and budget-priced accommodation. While, Sanachan Bunkhouse, near Lochcarron can accommodate up to 15 guests in two dorms and offers paddle boarding. Ledgowan Lodge’s Bunkhouse is a small bunkhouse in Achnasheen, sleeping 5 guests in 5 rooms, just a short walk from the railway station and also central to many Munros.
As you explore the interior of the route, stay in a renovated former mill Cornmill Bunkhouse – the mill’s old grinding wheel now serves as a unique coffee table! While Black Rock Campsites‘ bunkhouse on the east coast is the perfect start or finishing point of your NC500 travels.
For a luxury Scandinavian bunkhouse outside John o’Groats, choose The Highland Haven – the Scandinavian design of their interior invokes a relaxing, cosy environment to enjoy leaving you feeling truly pampered. Mackay’s Lazy Crofter Bunkhouse in Durness, along the north west coast, is another great option.
Photos: The Highland Haven (Image 1&2), Mackays Durness, Black Rock Caravan Park
A rustic retreat
The rustic cattle byre steading at ACE Adventures & Hideaways is perfectly located at the beginning – or the end– of your North Coast 500 travels! Featuring a small kiosk to collect hardwood for camp fires and a large banqueting table, this is the perfect camping experience for families.
For smaller groups or back-to-basics campers, why not try staying in a traditional no-frills bothy among the deer at Ben Damph Estate? The new ‘sitooterie’ is cosy, with spectacular views over Loch Torridon and a wood-burning stove.
Alternately, sample the luxurious Ardoch Bothy, with beautiful views across to the Applecross hills and over the sea to Skye.
Photos: ACE Adventures & Hideaways, Ben Damph Estate (Image 1&2) and Ardoch Bothy
