Best in May, June and September
Scotland rewards precise timing more than almost anywhere. Get the month right and you have the finest roads in Britain to yourself. Get it wrong and you queue behind motorhomes in a cloud of midges.
May and September are the two months that Scottish drivers quietly protect. Long days, low midge counts, open passes and far fewer motorhomes on the single track sections.
June is excellent for daylight, with usable light until well past ten in the north, but the midges arrive properly by the end of the month. July and August bring the heaviest NC500 traffic of the year.
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 5 March 2026
The roads
United Kingdom · Applecross, Scottish Highlands
Britain's highest road climbs via hairpins to a wild moonscape pass above Applecross.
18.5 km · 11.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.9 / 10
Frequently closed by snow and ice from November to March
United Kingdom · Wester Ross, Scotland
A lochside single track with views straight across to Skye and the Cuillins.
25 km · 15.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
Occasional storm closures but lower and gentler than Bealach na Ba
United Kingdom · Sutherland, Scotland
A remote NC500 highlight of sea lochs, switchbacks and empty moorland roads.
45 km · 28 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
Exposed to high winds and occasional snow
United Kingdom · Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands
A sweeping run through Rannoch Moor beneath the brooding Buachaille Etive Mor.
30 km · 18.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
Snow and wind can close Rannoch Moor sections in winter
United Kingdom · Kintail, Scottish Highlands
A fast sweeping glen road beneath the jagged Five Sisters of Kintail ridge.
38 km · 23.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.2 / 10
Snow and wind common in the glen during winter
United Kingdom · Isle of Skye, Scotland
A high single track skirting the surreal landslipped pinnacles of the Trotternish ridge.
13 km · 8.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
High winds and fog frequently affect the summit
Practicalities
On single track roads you pull into a passing place on your left, or stop opposite one on your right. Never use them as parking. It is the single biggest source of friction on the NC500.
In Sutherland and Wester Ross, filling stations are sparse and many close early or on Sundays. Fill up at half a tank rather than a quarter.
The schools are back, the midges have faded, the light turns golden and the passes are still open. It is the strongest single month of the year.
Common questions
September, closely followed by May. Both give long enough days, open roads and far lighter traffic than the July and August peak.
Often, but not reliably. Snow and ice close it regularly between November and March, and the Applecross coast road is the lower alternative.