The Clockwise v. Anti-clockwise Debate

We always travel the North Coast 500 anti-clockwise, and if guests suggest going the other way, I will fight tooth and nail to persuade them otherwise. Starting up the east coast from Inverness gives the journey time to develop, with sweeping bays, farmland, harbours and clifftop castles introducing a landscape whose history provides plenty to explore before we reach the mountains farther west. It also gives anyone driving an unfamiliar vehicle, perhaps on an unfamiliar side of the road, the reassurance of generally wider roads and a white centre line while they settle in. You can enjoy what is around you without having to learn everything about Highland driving in the first afternoon.

Along the north coast, that changes gradually enough to give you some practice before the more demanding stretches arrive. Beyond Bettyhill, sections of single-track road interrupt the conventional two-way stretches, introducing passing places and the need to look ahead without committing you to narrow roads for the rest of the day. By Loch Eriboll, the driving and the landscape have begun to change together, with the road following an immense stretch of water beneath the surrounding mountains. Continuing through Durness and south into the North West Highlands Geopark, we encounter beaches, exposed rock and increasingly dramatic mountains, while the slower roads through Assynt call on skills that no longer feel entirely new. There may even be a well-earned pie waiting in Lochinver before we continue towards Ullapool, Gairloch and Torridon.

There is a practical benefit to going against the more familiar clockwise flow, too, particularly around the weekends when many holidays begin. Set off in the same direction as everyone around you and you can find yourself travelling with much the same company for days, following other visitors towards the same car parks, lunch stops and overnight destinations. Going anti-clockwise still means meeting those vehicles, but coming towards us rather than remaining ahead throughout the journey. It cannot guarantee an empty road or a room wherever you fancy stopping, although it can help us avoid moving within that same procession and may give us more flexibility over where we eat, stay and explore.

By the time we reach Applecross, the Bealach na Bà therefore feels like the final examination rather than an alarming introduction. Over several days, the scenery has grown more dramatic as the driving has become more demanding, giving you time to understand your vehicle and become comfortable with passing places, narrow bends and the judgement they require. The pass still deserves your full attention, but you approach it with experience of the roads behind you, leaving more room to appreciate the extraordinary setting instead of worrying about where the edge of the vehicle might be. Afterwards, the return towards Inverness provides a gentler conclusion to a journey that has built towards this crossing, which is why anti-clockwise remains much more than a preference for me. It lets the road prepare you for what comes next.

To learn more, book one of our North Coast Explorer private tours.