Visiting the North Coast 500 in Summer

Visiting the North Coast 500 during June, July or August gives you an almost absurd amount of usable daylight, but it does not guarantee good weather. If the jet stream moves south, the North Highlands can experience surprisingly cool, wet and windy conditions even in midsummer. Around the longest day, the sun rises shortly after four in the morning and sets after half past ten, while the long twilight means that darkness never properly arrives. Orkney even celebrates this phenomenon with midnight golf, and on a clear night you can comfortably sit outside and read a book long after conventional daylight hours should have ended.

Summer is the busiest and most expensive season, with more visitors, campervans and competition for accommodation, campsites, restaurants and other limited facilities. Progress can be slower, supermarkets may be busy and poorly stocked by evening, and arriving at a popular restaurant without a reservation is optimistic. The solution is to use the daylight intelligently. Most visitors begin moving around between half past eight and nine, before ending their day at approximately five. Start earlier, continue later and spend the busiest part of the afternoon rooted somewhere pleasant. The roads, paths and viewpoints can feel remarkably different once the conventional touring day has finished.

The outdoors brings its own considerations. Midges are at their most troublesome during calm, damp summer conditions, particularly on the west coast, although wind, sunshine and the correct insect repellent will help. Rain remains entirely possible, proper clothing and footwear are still essential, and sunscreen matters even when the air feels cool because the summer sun sits high above the horizon. Pollen levels across northern Scotland can be lower than those experienced farther south, although this varies with weather and plant species. Beaches remain one of summer’s pleasures and are frequently quieter than expected, while the sea has reached its warmest annual temperatures, even if swimming still requires a degree of bravery.

Wildlife and access provide the strongest reasons for choosing summer. Seabird cliffs are busy with guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and puffins, although most puffins depart during late July or early August. Boat excursions are more likely to operate, giving visitors opportunities to see seals, seabirds and marine life from the water, while later summer can bring dolphins closer to the west coast as feeding conditions change. Summer asks you to accept crowds, higher prices, midges and uncertain weather, but it gives you the fullest range of places to stay, things to do and wildlife to encounter. Above all, it gives you time. Use those extraordinary hours properly and the busiest season need not feel busy at all.

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