The North Coast 500 in Spring

If you want the best of all worlds, travel the North Coast 500 during March, April or May. My personal choice would be the end of March, when daylight is increasing rapidly, the roads remain wonderfully quiet and many hotels are still charging something close to their winter rates. The compromise is that numerous visitor attractions remain closed, independent bed and breakfasts may not yet be accepting guests, and cafés and restaurants can have restricted opening hours. It requires careful planning, but it rewards you with a version of the North Highlands that relatively few visitors experience.

By the middle of April, the region begins to reopen. Attractions return to their normal operating seasons, accommodation becomes easier to find, and most experiences associated with summer are available without summer’s volume of traffic. The weather remains gloriously unpredictable, so layers are essential. One moment it may be blowing a hoolie and feeling bitterly cold, while shortly afterwards the wind drops, the sky becomes shockingly blue and warm sunshine fills the landscape. Better still, the Highland midges have generally not emerged. March and April are normally free from them, although the first generation can begin appearing later in May if warm and damp conditions encourage an early start.

Spring also brings the North Highlands back to life, although this awakening happens later than it does farther south. Deciduous trees and hedgerows slowly acquire their first fresh leaves, early flowers appear beside the road, and migratory birds begin returning from March onwards. Wheatears are among the early arrivals, followed by swallows, willow warblers and cuckoos as April progresses. The transformation is gradual rather than dramatic, but every week introduces more colour, movement and birdsong, giving the landscape a growing sense of energy and renewal.

This is also an excellent season for walking because the days are lengthening, temperatures remain comfortable, midges are absent or scarce, and the bracken has not yet risen to obstruct less-used paths. Longer routes, including the remote path along the northern shore of Loch Maree, become considerably more enjoyable before summer vegetation begins swallowing the track and concealing the ground. Other travellers value spring for the same combination of quieter roads, easier bookings, cooler walking conditions and long evenings. By May the route is noticeably busier, but it still offers a balance that midsummer frequently cannot. If I were planning my own North Coast 500 holiday, spring is when I would come.

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