NC500 Super Unleaded Fuel : (Accurate as of September 2023)
“Where can you get Super Unleaded Fuel on the Scotland’s North Coast 500 Route?”
This is one of the most asked questions about the NC500 route, alongside, where can you get fuel on the NC500?
Thankfully the answer to the latter question is easy – there are loads of petrol stations along the route and as long as the range of the vehicle you are travelling in or on has is comfortably around 80 miles you don’t need to worry at all.
However if it is Super Unleaded, or E5 fuel, that you need for your vehicle, whether due to age, performance or personal choice then things become a little more difficult – although certainly not impossible.
Starting Point : Inverness :
Most people will start the NC500 from Inverness and then more off either clockwise or anticlockwise around the route. Which direction to go is another huge question, both options have their plus points and to be honest there are no real negatives – after all you will be going into the Scottish Highlands to take on an epic road trip, left or right is really of minimal consequence!
The good news is, there is no issue in getting Super Unleaded or E5 fuel in Inverness.
Disclaimer : Having completed the Wild Atlantic Way in under a week I thought a reasonable time period to complete the North Coast 500 would be two days. However you will notice that this ride report actually covers four days – so what’s that about? Well it’s simply about travel. One day to get to the start and one day takes me home. So really it’s a four day trip to Scotland, during which I completed the NC500 in two.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 (NC500) – In 2 Days (Day 1/4) :
Disclaimer : Having completed the Wild Atlantic Way in under a week I thought a reasonable time period to complete the North Coast 500 would be two days. However you will notice that this ride report actually covers four days – so what’s that about? Well it’s simply about travel. One day to get to the start and one day takes me home. So really it’s a four day trip to Scotland, during which I completed the NC500 in two.
Day 4 : 01/08/2016 : Inverness – Cairnryan : Day 4 of the trip and yesterday saw the completion of the North Coast 500 (NC500). This final day is simply the dash home from Inverness to Cairnryan Port. It is almost 5 hours down the motorway towards Glasgow then to Cairnryan. No scenic route, no epic country roads like on Day 1 – with the timing of the ferry it really was just a dash to the port.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 : NC500 : The Route Back
Only one thing needed sorted and that was my brakes. So I knew thanks to my internet buddies where I needed to go and who could help me, I was faced with one further dilemma, it was a bank holiday Monday so businesses were opening a little later than usual or simply not at all.
Disclaimer : Having completed the Wild Atlantic Way in under a week I thought a reasonable time period to complete the North Coast 500 would be two days. However you will notice that this ride report actually covers four days – so what’s that about? Well it’s simply about travel. One day to get to the start and one day takes me home. So really it’s a four day trip to Scotland, during which I completed the NC500 in two.
Day 3 : 31/07/2016 : Scourie – Inverness : Day 3 of the trip and therefore Day 2 of the NC500 route. This section takes us from Scourie back to Inverness, finishing off the West Coast then taking in the North and East Coasts back to Inverness. The route for the day looks very roughly like :
Disclaimer : Having completed the Wild Atlantic Way in under a week I thought a reasonable time period to complete the North Coast 500 would be two days. However you will notice that this ride report actually covers four days – so what’s that about? Well it’s simply about travel. One day to get to the start and one day takes me home. So really it’s a four day trip to Scotland, during which I completed the NC500 in two.
Day 2 : 30/07/2016 : Inverness – Scourie : Day 2 of the trip is actually Day 1 of the NC500 route and after the glorious day we had travelling over to Scotland I was so very hopeful for more of the same for the start of the actual NC500. However it was not to be. As any resident, or visitor, with experience of the United Kingdom, Ireland, British Isles, outlying islands will be all to aware – the weather is changeable – and it had changed. What was blue skies, fluffy white clouds and sunshine had been replaced by grey – and to make things that little bit worse all that grey was now wet – wet and grey.
We started off with the easy choice for breakfast – a nearby Morrison’s Supermarket for a fry. The grub was decent, but the tea was horrible. I blame the UHT milk, for goodness sake – surely a supermarket should be able to stretch to proper fresh milk for the tea? It took ages for the food as well which meant we weren’t getting on the road until just after 10:00 am. This late start would bite us later, so if you are planning on following a similar timescale get moving earlier. This is a pretty long day.
Disclaimer : Having completed the Wild Atlantic Way in under a week I thought a reasonable time period to complete the North Coast 500 would be two days. However you will notice that this ride report actually covers four days – so what’s that about? Well it’s simply about travel. One day to get to the start and one day takes me home. So really it’s a four day trip to Scotland, during which I completed the NC500 in two.
Day 1 : 29/07/2016 : Two of us set off on this journey, myself on my 2014 BMW F800GS Adventure, my mate on his Kawasaki ZX10R. Yep an adventure bike and a sports bike are heading to the Highlands.
The day starts of at Belfast heading to Cairnryan on the 07:30 am ferry. At 07:30 am the most important thing is breakfast and at £10.00 for a fry I am expecting a great breakfast. Nope – not great at all. It tasted alright but the portions were beyond miserable. The beans consisted of 3 lonely individuals drowning in a sea of watered down tomato sauce. One good point is that if you buy a cup of tea / coffee your refills are free. Maybe the £10 fries subsidise the hot drinks bill?
Here are a few tips for this ferry :
1. Get a McD’s breakfast on the way to the boat.
2. Sit in the bar – not the restaurant. FIFA on an xBox was in the bar.
3. Find someone a bit secluded on the boat – the bodies (by the time you move off) will be strewn about everywhere, the noises are like when zombies fall asleep with a sinsus infection. People really need to try sleeping the night before their journey!
On a plus note through the weather was glorious! My fingers were crossed it stays this way!
Scotland’s North Coast 500 GPX Route File – NC500 GPX:
UPDATE : I have again completed this route in 2019 and have uploaded some videos recorded on the Hyperlapse (time-lapse) setting of the GoPro Hero 7 Black Edition.
These videos will hopefully give you a little taste of what to expect or something to wet your appetite with so you can start planning your NC500 adventure…
A link to the Ride Report is also included further down this page along with the direct link to the GPX file of the NC500 route.
UPDATE #2 : I have completed the NC500 again, this time in 2023, and this time in a car. If you are curious about fuel on the route, specifically E5 / Super Unleaded 97 Ron, then this is the post for you : https://tbni.blog/2023/09/16/nc500-super-unleaded-fuel/
Day 1 : Inverness to Ullapool :
Day 2 : Ullapool to John O’Groats :
Day 3 : John O’Groats to Inverness :
I have now uploaded my galleries and Ride Report of my 2016 trip around the Scotland’s North Coast 500 (NC500). You can find them all here :
One thing I did notice (for example in comparison to the Irish Wild Atlantic Way) was the lack of signage. Unless you knew you were actually on the NC500 you probably wouldn’t know you were on it.
UPDATE : As of 2023, having completed this route again I can now confirm that the signage situation is now infinitely better. You will now see frequent signage and directions that include the NC500 markers. It is not quite as frequent as the WAW however there are far less deviations from the loop.
The GPX file is available from the official North Coast 500 site, along with a printable map however my Sat Nav (a Tom Tom Rider V) found it far too complex, there are thousands of way points on it, and the sat nav just just refused to load it. The printable map is nice, but let’s be honest an A4 map covering 500 miles isn’t an ideal solution either.
Thankfully there is a good solution. This GPX file is sat nav friendly and guides you perfectly around the route.
(This GPX file will not take into account local diversions, road closures etc etc. Use it for guidance, but ensure to follow all local laws and rules of the road. TBNI.Blog is not responsible for the accuracy of this GPX file, it has not been updated since 2016 and should be used as a tool to assist your navigation and no warranty or guarantee is made or implied by its use. The use of this GPX is entirely are your own risk.)
Last year for my #WAWIn1Week challenge I offered slots on my panniers to Companies to advertise their products / brand whilst I travelled along the length of the World’s Longest Dedicated Coastal Route in a record breaking 6 days* The uptake was great as was the feedback!
I have decided to do the same again this year and offer out my panniers for you guys to patch your brand onto the side of my bike as it travels round the coast line of Scotland in another time limited (and in my eyes record breaking)challenge of 2 days!
So what’s the catch? There isn’t one, however I do have to want to support your brand. It is my decision on what I put on my boxes. It is also free!
All you have to do is contact me, telling me a little about your brand (a website reference will do) and if I like what your are doing / about I will contact you back. Then you just have to get the sticker made up and sent to me. I will add it to my panniers and boom, there you have it, free advertising for you (whilst on the trip and in the subsequent photos and videos across FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube) and awesome looking panniers for me!
Charities are also welcome.
*I don’t know if it was actually record breaking but as I haven’t heard any difference let’s just pretend it was!
2016 #NC500In2Days Pannier Message Space Availability
More details to follow soon, but here is the crux of it – 516 in 2 days. A complete lap of the Scottish Coast Line. Should be awesome!
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