The Ultimate 7 Day North Coast Scotland Road Trip

A 7 day Scotland road trip is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the rugged landscapes, picturesque beaches, and history of this incredible country. We decided not to add exact timescales to this route because how long you spend at each stop is entirely up to you. Maybe you’ll spend an entire day at a beach, skip a castle visit, or decide to tackle a hike up Ben Hope, it’s all about what you enjoy most!

Step inside one of one of Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited houses: Dunrobin Castle 🏰

This road trip begins at the fairytale Dunrobin Castle. For £15.50 per adult, you can explore the castle's interiors and stunning gardens. While the grounds are expansive, you can only access a small part of the gardens if you want to visit for free. If you’re not bothered about seeing inside, you could probably miss out on this stop. Still, it’s a lovely place to start your Scotland road trip.

Follow the footsteps of fishers at Whaligoe steps

Next, take a stop at Whaligoe Steps, an awesome harbour location with a history tied to herring fishing. 🎣 The steps were originally built to help fishermen bring in their catch, and women used to haul baskets of fish up these steps every day. It’s a really cool place to see when passing by and well worth the stop to stretch your legs. You can also park pretty close by. 

The most Northerly point of the UK: John O’Groats and Dunnets Head

No trip to the northern tip of Scotland would be complete without visiting John O'Groats. While it’s often marketed as the most northerly point of the UK with the famous signposted located here, the real northernmost point is actually just a couple of miles further at Dunnet Head!

Both are worth visiting on your 7-day Scotland road trip and you can easily visit both on the same day. John O'Groats is a charming fishing village, while Dunnet Head offers some of the most incredible coastal views.

Just a short walk from Dunnet Head, you'll find the dramatic scenery of Duncansby Stacks. These towering sea stacks rise 60 meters from the sea and are an iconic feature of the coastline. 

Get off the beaten track at Puffin cove

Puffin cove is one of the lesser known stops on the North Coast 500 and you could easily miss it if you didn’t know about it. It’s home to the largest colony of puffins in the UK! Although, sadly we didn’t see a single one when we visited. Despite this, it was still a highlight of our NC500 road trip due to the unique scenery and we love an off the beaten track location. 

Like we said, if you didn’t know about Puffin Cove, you could drive right by as there are no sign posts. The car park is pretty small with space for about 5 cars. To get to Puffin Cove, leave the car park and walk towards the coast for around half a mile. You will need suitable shoes as it can be muddy and there is a bit of a descent to get down to the cove.

Walk the golden sands of Melvich beach

Melvich beach was one of our favourites on our Scotland road trip. A huge stretch of golden sandy beach waits for you beyond the sand dunes. This is a perfect beach for a leisurely stroll, surfing, or even an evening bonfire. It’s a peaceful spot to unwind after a day of exploring.

Hike the most northerly munro: Ben Hope ⛰️

As the most northerly Munro in Scotland, Ben Hope is a must-do for any hiker or mountain lover. The hike offers breathtaking views of the Highlands, but be warned, there are several false summits, and the scree at the top can be challenging. This was one of our first proper hikes and I’m not going to lie, we found it a struggle. Still, the reward of the soaking in the panoramic views is worth the effort. We also truly rewarded ourselves with a refreshing dip in one of the nearby stream pools at the base of the hike. 

You can find the hike on Alltrails, and the directions will guide you straight to the car park to begin your adventure. Ben Hope Hike on Alltrails.

We love AllTrails for finding great walking routes on our road trips. If you're after more useful apps for road trips, check out our blog below. 

👉 8 essential apps for roadtrippers

Award winning Sango Sands and Smoo Cave

Sango Sands, an award winning beach surrounded by rugged cliffs. There are several car parks and its easily accessible from each as well as a campsite just above the beach if you’re looking to stay close by - Sango Sands campsite - . Beaches like this make you wonder why it’s taken you so long to go and explore Scotland, with crystal clear water and golden sand, if you catch it on a sunny day, you won’t feel like you’re in the UK.

While at Sango Sands, we had been recommended to visit Cocoa Mountain for luxurious hot chocolates, but sadly they had not water when we visited, typical! But, maybe you will get more lucky and get to try one. 

Smoo Cave is an active cave being fed by the Allt Smoo stream.You can access some of it free of charge as you are still able to access the walkway into a cave with a waterfall. You can also continue the walk round the coastline. If you want to venture much further you will need to pay for a tour.

Drive the beautifully designed Kyelesku bridge 

The Kyelesku bridge replaced a car ferry that previously took people across the  Caolas Cumhann. The unique curved shape makes it a pretty aesthetic bridge with some even going as far as to say it’s the most beautiful bridge in the world! There are car parks on either side of the bridge so that you can truly marvel at it and it’s also possible to stay overnight there. 

Marvel at Wailing Widow Falls 

Not far from Kyelesku bridge is Allt Chranaidh Waterfall, also known as Wailing Widow Falls. Legend has it that this waterfall got its name as a hunter died at the waterfall and his mother wept for her loss there. 

This is an insane waterfall that drops 50 foot down from Loch Gainmhich into a rocky pool at the bottom. You can walk both along the stream to the base of the waterfall and access the top of the falls around the Loch. I’ve got to say that the base of the waterfall was one of the worst places we experienced midges in September so perhaps prepare for this!

A Scottish White Sand beach: Achmelvich beach

The last spot on this Scotland road trip is Achmelvich beach, a true beauty on the West Coast. This seriously rivals some of the beaches we’ve been to across Europe, with white sand and turquoise water, it almost resembles somewhere tropical, if the sky wasn’t filled with grey clouds!

It’s a popular spot for water activities and we personally decided to get our paddle boards out here, which was a great choice as the water was so clear. You will probably want some wetsuits if you’re getting in the sea though as it is not as tropical as it looks. 

The final stop of this Scotland Road trip: Ullapool 

If you have time for one last stop, Ullapool is a charming town to explore. This quaint harbor town offers stunning mountain backdrops, making it the ideal spot to end your road trip. We enjoyed a delicious fish and chips by the harbor, the perfect way to wrap up our Scotland adventure. 

That concludes this 7 day Scotland road trip. We think this is a perfect route to give you a taste of the incredible beaches and nature, while also ticking off some of the classic tourist spots like John O’Groats. Whether you’re a hiker, beach lover, or a bit of everything this itinerary offers something for everyone.

If you want to make this part of a UK road trip, read our blogs below about roadtripping North and South Wales.

👉 Stunning 2 week North Wales Coastal road trip and Discover South Wales