Growing up in the central belt, I had – shamefully – never been north of Aviemore, so I decided to do something about it and head for the North Coast 500 to see what all the fuss was about.
And I can tell you now that it is worth every bit of fuss that people make.
First stop on our road trip was Tongue, a small north-west coastal village that boasts breathtaking views over the Kyle of Tongue with a backdrop of Ben Loyal and Ben Hope – neither of which we attempted to climb on this trip.
As enthusiastic, but not avid, hikers, my partner and I opted for the walk to Varrich Viking Castle ruins that we spotted from our picture-perfect hotel window.
We were staying in The Tongue Hotel, a 19th Century former sporting lodge that has recently undergone a huge £800k refurbishment by new owners to turn it into a stylish yet classy hotel that has stayed true to its historic charm.
Our room was filled with antique furnishings, the restaurant had wood panelling accompanied by large wooden window shutters and the bar a cosy open fireplace.
The hotel’s Varrich Restaurant, named after the castle ruins, is open to guests, non-residents and locals, offering a fantastic selection of dishes inspired by surrounding landscapes and using as much local produce as possible.
As big eaters we settled into dinner after having a few drinks in the late afternoon sun, and decided before even looking at the menu that we would be opting for three courses – we were on holiday after all, and needed the fuel for our climb to the castle the following morning.
We chose a bottle of wine and ordered scallops and pheasant for starters, followed by pork belly and duck for mains, then cheesecake and a cheeseboard for dessert.
The food was wonderful, a perfectly cooked duck breast and moist cheesecake two particular highlights.
Breakfast the following morning comprised of two full Scottish breakfasts, however there were a few items left on each plate after our mammoth feed the night before.
Stop number two on our trip was to Attadale Gardens, just south of Strathcarron, known as one of the best hidden gems of the NC500 you might drive right past if you didn’t know it was there.
Luckily for us we did, and having arrived after four hours on the road eager to stretch our legs and get some well-deserved fresh air, we were welcomed to Attadale by one of the gardeners who showed us round the unique 20-acre plot.
Split into various individual gardens you can explore everything from a Japanese inspired garden to a rhododendron walk, while taking in 20+ quirky sculptures all surrounding the main attraction of Attadale House.
Our final stop was the coastal town of Plockton, with a picture-perfect main street overlooking the harbour filled with small fishing boats – one of which contained our evening meal that night.
The Plockton Inn belongs to the Highland Coast Hotels group, aiming to bring sustainable and community-led hospitality to the coastline of the north Highlands of Scotland, so with this in mind we chose to eat on recommendation from our waitress that evening.
The first recommendation was langoustines cooked in hot garlic butter. Now, like I mentioned before, we like our food, so we opted for a starter bowl of 10 between us, but as novice shellfish eaters we both looked desperately at each other for help in how to get into the shells with what looked like a nut cracker and a very small pitch fork.
The first attempt by my partner saw hot garlic butter shoot across the table and land straight on my blouse, much to his amusement as we tried to contain our laughter in the quiet dinning room.
But we finally got the knack of it by the time we got to the bottom of the bowl – just as well we ordered the large portion.
For mains we ordered oven baked hake and seared cod lion, both cooked perfectly and served with two large glasses of white wine, then two sticky toffee puddings and ice cream for dessert.
Calum’s Seal Trips was the perfect end to our holiday. We climbed aboard the Sula Bheag on a beautifully crisp spring morning ready for some seal spotting, having been reassured by our host Calum that there was a money-back guarantee if we saw no seals.
We took off from the harbour, glancing back at the tiny row of buildings that formed the main street, dwarfed by the surrounding hills and the water glistening with the early morning sun, and understood in that very moment why Plockton is known as the Jewel of the Highlands.
Our trip lasted an hour as we covered the whole of Loch Carron, taking in the stunning houses banked on the water and the countless number of seals too.
Calum and his crew supplied us with the highlight of our trip with their spectacular local knowledge, great commentary and what can only be described as a handful of dad jokes to keep all the passengers amused.
Overall my first trip to the Highlands was a success. The scenery from the car journeys alone was enough to write home about, but every time we stopped at a new destination, be that for a quick bite to eat, to stretch our legs or to lay our heads for the night, we were always taken aback by the beautiful landscapes before us, counting ourselves lucky we have all of this on our doorstep.
We just need to make the journey north again to see what else Scotland has to offer.
Information
Prices for Tongue Hotel start from £229 per night, based on two people sharing a standard king/twin room on a B&B basis. tonguehotel.co.uk
Prices for Plockton Inn start from £239 per night, based on two people sharing a standard king/twin room on a B&B basis. plocktoninn.co.uk
Entry to Attadale Gardens is £10 per adult. Free for children up to 15 years. attadalegardens.com
Tickets for Calum’s Seal Trips cost £15 per adult and £6 per child for a 1-hour boat trip. calums-sealtrips.com
