I am a mother of 4 small boys aged 11, 8 and 5 years old twins. We live in the most Northerly part of Scotland, and have been known to travel great distances to go on holiday. This year, however, we decided to stay a bit closer to home and drive the new coastal road, the NC500. In a bid to see what the route has to offer for families. My boys were duly packed into our old van and off we went.
The difference in the landscape is the first thing to strike you, from the flat lands of Caithness in the East, where the sky dominates, to the spectacular mountain ranges in the West. Having spent our first night camping at the wonderful beach in Durness, we made our way along the precarious track to Drumbeg. Our efforts were rewarded with stunning views and we stumbled across a little hidden gem, ‘The Little Soap & Candle Company’ shop and café. It was a gloomy wet day, and the tearoom resembled a rainforest eatery enhanced by mellow music, no Wifi or phone signal, and the sound of raindrops falling. As the day turned even gloomier we were delighted to arrive at our next stopover…Inchnadamph Lodge, Hostel and B&B.
Built in 1821, it was turned from a family estate into its current incarnation in 2006. We were given a warm, informative welcome by Julia, who showed us to our bright, spacious dorm room (originally the Lady of the Manors’ room). My boys were extremely excited to see a stag out of the window, a regular occurrence, we were told by Chris (the owner). The facilities in the hostel are perfect for walkers, cyclists and large groups exploring the surrounding Assynt hills. There is a fantastic drying room, two large well equipped kitchens, and there is a discount for children. A continental breakfast is included in the price and the large dining room, with views out over the mountains and loch, made an excellent makeshift art area!
The next day, with dried boots and jackets, and improved weather, we decided to check out the ruins of Ardveck Castle. Hilarity ensued as all my boys ended up in the dungeons and then tried to squeeze themselves out of tiny window openings. As grimaced faces slowly appeared round corners, a scene from ‘The Shining’ sprang to mind! Although we haven’t managed too many large hikes as a family, we did enjoy a 4km walk to the bone caves about a mile and a half south of Inchnadamph. The caves feature in The Northwest Highland rock route and tell the incredible story about the surrounding glen and how it formed during the last glaciation.
The Mountain ranges in this region are awesome and we will return for a family hike when our legs are longer! As for the NC500, we’ve enjoyed taking our time, going with the flow and finding some of the most glorious scenery this great part of the world has to offer.