Highlights of Cape Wrath and North West Sutherland
This route forms part of the North Coast 500. Begin this journey on the West Coast of Scotland, at Ullapool. This trip would make a great extension to a trip to Skye. If starting from Edinburgh, allow at least five hours to drive from Edinburgh to Ullapool.

Highlights
This region of Scotland is sparsely populated and is an area of outstanding natural beauty and geological interest. Boggy moorland, rugged cliffs braced against the wild Atlantic, white sandy bays dotted with small crofting communities, friendly villages and numerous places to stop and camp.
Total time: 3/4 days from Ullapool, 5/6 from Edinburgh
Day One

Head north on the A835 from Ullapool towards North West Sutherland. At Ledmore continue on the A837 and then, at Newton, the A894.
Take the A894 to Scourie and make a stop at the Scourie Beach for swimming and sun bathing. Three miles along the road at Tarbet you can catch the ferry to Handa Island. This is a nature reserve with 120m cliffs and many thousands of seabirds. The island is now unpopulated, but it was until 1841 when the inhabitants were driven to the mainland to escape potato famine.

There are numerous wide sandy beaches along this stretch. As you drive north and leave the A894, turning left onto the B801, you will come to Oldshoremore and Phollain. Head to Phollain (sign says Polin), the quieter of the two beaches which is a wonderful place to swim. This area is famous for its more than 200 species of flowering plants in the machair.
Places to camp
Scourie campsite is family run and has an on-site bar and cafe.
Day Two
From the Phollain you can walk 3 miles to Sandwood Bay along a well signposted track across the moorland.
Sandwood Bay is one of Scotland’s most iconic wild beaches. A long stretch of pale pink sand secured by cliffs, the sea stack of Am Buachaille and sand dunes. You may spot the remains of a Spitfire engine, all that is left of a crash landing in 1941.

Useful to know
Be careful swimming in Sandwood Bay as rip currents frequently develop.
Day Three
Cape Wrath Point and Lighthouse are situated at the most north-westerly point of the mainland. They are also pretty inaccessible! To get there you must do a proper hike across country or take a passenger ferry from Keoldale Pier – the crossing takes around 10 minutes. Once on Cape Wrath Point, you can enjoy the surroundings, the Lighthouse and a coffee or more in the Ozone Cafe which is open 24/7 every day of the year.
Staying on the A838 to Durness there are small roads off to the left that will take you towards the cliff edges and sandy bays of this wonderful coastline, including Faraid Head where you will find some of the highest sand dunes in Scotland and Balnakeil Bay, sheltered and perfect for swimming. Balnakeil itself is home to the famous Cocoa Mountain, makers of delicious luxury chocolate and the most remote chocolatier in Europe.

Useful to know
Stop overnight at Sango Sands where you can camp by the steep cliffs overlooking the north coast beaches and enjoy the sea views. There is also a nearby cafe and bar.
Day Four
As you carry on along the A838 between Sangomore and Sangobeg you will see signs to Smoo Cave. This huge, mixed sea and freshwater limestone sea cavern is the largest sea cavern entrance in Britain. The cavern can be explored to an extent on foot and in the summer boat tours take explorers further in.

Continue on towards Kyle of Tongue, a deep sea loch with Ben Hope and Ben Loyal bearing down. Tongue Bay is home to three small islands which are enjoyed by kayakers and divers as well as being great spots to enjoy a wander and picnic.
Now you have a choice. Either turn south on the A836 and meander back to Edinburgh enjoying the scenery (6+ hours). Or stay north hugging the coast and enjoy the dramatic cliffs and sea views of Caithness and East Sutherland.

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Reviews

Highlight of our trip for sure!!
We spent a week traveling around Scotland, and the camper was easy to set up at our overnight stops. Its size was ideal for navigating some of the tighter roads, and driving it was a breeze—especially since we opted for the automatic transmission. One tip: remember to bring a USBC cable for the CarPlay satnav! We forgot ours, but George kindly loaned us one.
Dropping off the camper was just as easy as picking it up, and the location of Big Sky Campers is very accessible. The staff were incredibly helpful and friendly throughout our rental experience. We’re already looking forward to hiring from Big Sky Campers again in the future!
The stay was fantastic! The van was ideal for this road trip in Scotland, it is super well equipped, you don't have to plan anything. Big Sky Camper remains available quickly if you have the slightest problem with the van.
We recommend with your eyes closed!
A super first impression.
The communications leading up to the hire day were very good and detailed.
On the day we picked up the van we got a full demo of how the van operated etc I’m aware of other companies who just send you a video. We thought this was very important. The van was immaculate when we picked it up.
The van itself had everything you needed for a trip. Cooking facilities, fridge, charging points, bedding, towels.
The van is easy to drive and can be parked in a standard parking space.
We asked a few questions prior to picking the van and always got a prompt response. I got the impression that Rob would try and do whatever he could to ensure his clients had everything they needed to have the best time on their travels,
This was also quite key for us they love dogs and had vans for hire catering for dogs.
All in we had a superb 5 nights and would highly recommend Big Sky Campers,
Paul, Susan and Frankie.
From time to time I encounter exceptional companies. And this is one of them. This is how you do the business. Rob goes beyond and tries to provide great holiday experience for his customers. We didn't need to be afraid of being ripped off or charged extra because of made up damages, strange insurance, extra equipment etc. Which is a common case in rental companies. Instead there is very human approach. The desire is provide a great experience for the customer. Money is not the strongest and the only motivation here. And that we really appreciate.
We wish all the best in the upcoming years! Keep it up :)
Thanks to Rob & Alex for being so helpful during the whole process! Highly recommend :)
Absolutely would rent there again! Warm recommendation for everyone who is looking for van for the holidays.
Great value(almost half price compared to big renting companies!), and they won't scam you out of your deposit!
Despite my first time driving a van, it was super easy. Thank you again to George, who sent us from and to the station, saving us precious time and money. Definitely recommend Big Sky Campers!
The cars are in very good condition.
Thoroughly enjoyed our time away. Thank you.
Quality vans, very good advice for the trip. Quick and efficient exchanges even during the rental and transfers from Inverkeithing or ferrytoll to go to the airport.
Thanks Rob and Alex!!
Everyone at Big Sky Campers was really, really helpful, friendly and professional with excellent customer service and as a plus, their website gives you some great tips for places to visit and how to make the most of your holiday.
Highly recommended, I am already looking to book my next break with Big Sky Campers and if you are looking to book a campervan break, you will not be disappointed!
They picked us up from the train station to the warehouse and vice versa when we returned the van.
Speaking of the van, it was delivered in excellent quality, with everything we needed, as promised.
It made our journey in the Higlands so pleasant.
Thank you so much for your excellent service. I definitely recommend Big Sky Campers for van rental.
Peterhead- Kinloss - Rothiemurchus,Braemar
Thank you
She was absolutely amazing and handled a few of the dodgy roads with absolute ease.
The van was in amazing condition, was comfortable and really was just great fun!
The team also were so helpful and nice to us when we picked the van, a pleasure to deal with.
An all round excellent experience!
Pick-up, hand-over and return of the hire was well arranged and super professional. Thanks to Rob and the team, we always felt in good hands!
Best, Martin and familiy
I can only recommend booking Wallace or one of the other camper vans with Big Sky Campers to explore Scotland! I especially liked the personal and individual style of the cars and service compared to the other car rentals!
Rob is very helpful and you notice right away that he loves what he is doing :)
Can only recommend - 5 stars :)
Car was perfect and we enjoyed it. VW T2 gave us retro celebrity feeling 😀
I can’t thank Big Sky Campers enough for making the whole experience so wonderful. They did a fantastic job in helping us plan our route and we got to see so many incredible sights as a result.
Alex and Rob were extremely accommodating, they answered any questions we had and gave us a thorough tour of the van before setting off. They were also super reassuring as I hadn’t driven a vintage van before and this extra level of care made the journey that much more rewarding ????
Thank you both for such an incredible experience, I will be recommending you to all of my family & friends!!
Right from the start we could not fault the service in any way, from the initial communications sent, the subsequent follow up's, through to the pick up (having never driven a campervan - Rob explained / demonstrated very thoroughly how everything worked), and finally the hand back....there was not a single hitch along the way.
Magnus was brand new and a dream to drive - totally immaculate throughout and very comfortable to sleep in.
Rob and Alex could not have been more helpful and just generally absolutely lovely people - and I really appreciated that they have a secure facility to keep your own car in while you are away.
I wouldn't think twice about recommending Big Sky Campers to anyone thinking about a roadtrip, we'll definitely be back and already planning our next trip away.
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