Must love curves
Bealach na Ba, or the Applecross peninsula
Driving Scotland’s NC 500
Isle of Skye
The narrow, two-lane road suddenly merged into one lane. Except it was still a dual carriageway, with a large white campervan heading straight towards our car. Just before a head-on collision became imminent, the left side of the road broadened a little to allow both vehicles to inch past each other. The campervan driver raised his hand to express his gratitude.
We hurtled along the narrow road, which started to rise steeply. It was impossible to see what was coming over the top. Once we crested the ridge, the view was spectacular enough to elicit gasps from all the occupants of the car.
In front of us, the narrow road cut through a grassy field that steeply sloped down to a dark blue sea, where waves crashed against striated cliffs. The first instinct was to stop the car and just drink in the view. But it was impossible. The road was too narrow and there was no place to pull over. In the distance, another vehicle was heading towards us. The next slow, careful passing was coming up.
Later in the day, as we headed away from the coast towards the highlands, the road started to wind. On one side, a mountain face. On the other, a sheer drop into a gully. After what seemed like dozens of hair-pin bends, the car rounded a corner and a view of a lush valley with a string of picture-perfect lakes unfurled. Another awe-inspiring vista.
It was July, 2022 and we were traversing the NC 500, a 500-plus mile (830 km) scenic route through the Scottish Highlands that began and ended in Inverness. It took us past grand castles, pretty cottages, Heelund Coo (Highland Cow) farms, quaint fishing villages, waterfalls, flower gardens and mysterious mounds where fairy folk lived. We saw Puffins in the wild, watched a falconry show, spotted salmon leaping upstream, crept behind herds of wandering cattle and waited in vain for orcas to appear in a bay.
In between, we stayed at stately manor hotels, ramshackle inns with no lifts and a sprawling Air BnB house set in a wild flower garden colonised by bunnies. We ate at ancient pubs, picnicked outdoors in blustery weather on pies and fish and chips and even stumbled upon a Michelin Guide-featured restaurant (the Applecross Inn) in the middle of nowhere, at the start of Bealach na Ba. For non-Gaelic speakers, Bealach na Ba is celebrated as one of the world’s most scenic drives.
Indeed, it is a spectacular journey between Applecross and Tornapress but it’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s steep, bristling with crazy sharp bends and blind corners. But, hey, if the guys from the petrolhead TV programme Top Gear say that it’s a must-do, then you must do it.
You’re probably wondering what our driving experience is to allow us to confidently attempt something as challenging as the NC 500. Uh, actually, apart from a few trips to Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, not that much!
Our group of 11 consisted entirely of city slickers from Singapore and Brisbane. Our only qualifications for undertaking a driving holiday through the wilds of Scotland – guts and a can-also-lah attitude!
Planning the trip was quite easy. You can bone up on a wealth of written information on the internet or browse YouTube videos. Pick your accommodation via Booking.com or Air BnB. Collect and drop off rental cars at Inverness airport. The only important tip I can offer here is to do all your planning and bookings early. We started booking in April/May for our trip in July and already hotels on the Isle of Skye had no vacancies.
The Singapore Swashbucklers
David Chua
Sandra Chua
Jacqueline Chua
Samantha Chua
Kimberly Chua
Sarah Goh
The Australian Adventurers
Jason Harley
Monica Harley
Roger Harley
Zac Harley
Luke Harley
