Conquer the Virtual Scottish North Coast Loop: A 500-Mile Highland Circuit

Loop the wild northern coast of Scotland, virtually. The Scottish North Coast Loop is an 811 km (roughly 504 mile) circuit out of Inverness, around the far north Highlands and back down the east coast, inspired by the famous North Coast 500 road trip. Route Rally turns every synced ride, run or walk into progress around the loop, so you can take on one of Scotland's great journeys from wherever you train and finish back where you started.

  • Route: Scottish North Coast Loop
  • Distance: 811.1 km
  • Elevation gain: 9300 m
  • Epic Highland loop with strong completion appeal
  • Best for: Cyclists and runners wanting a longer route, and multi-month rallies of your own

Planning your challenge

A cyclist averaging 150 km/week finishes in about six weeks; runners at 40 km/week treat it as a longer project of several months.

Long by Route Rally distance bands, so it suits riders and runners who want a substantial, scenic loop with a satisfying return to the start.

Works well when you want a famous Highland route with strong completion psychology, returning to Inverness where you began.

Create your own rally for your own Highland loop target, solo or with a group sharing one leaderboard.

Why this route

  • The Scottish North Coast Loop is a circuit of the far north Highlands from Inverness, inspired by the famous North Coast 500 (NC500) road trip.
  • The Route Rally route runs about 811 km (504 miles) out along the rugged west coast, across the wild north and back down the east coast to Inverness.
  • Because it is a loop, it carries strong completion psychology: you finish exactly where you started, having circled one of Britain's emptiest and most beautiful corners.
  • As a virtual challenge you cover the distance in your own time, so local rides and runs all count towards closing the loop.
  • The scale and the well-known NC500 association make it a strong cyclist-retention route and a memorable shared goal for clubs and teams.

Highlights

  • Start and finish in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands
  • Ride out along the dramatic west coast through Torridon and Ullapool
  • Cross the wild far north past Durness and Thurso
  • Return down the east coast to close the loop back at Inverness

Common questions

How does my activity actually count?

Connect your activity tracker to Route Rally and every kilometre you log adds up automatically. Your marker moves around the loop as new activities sync, with nothing to upload and nothing to enter by hand.

Do I have to live near the route?

Not at all. Ride, run or walk wherever you usually train. The route is a virtual target, so your local roads, indoor miles and weekend rides all push you around the loop.

Is this the NC500?

It is a virtual loop inspired by the North Coast 500, covering the same wild stretch of the Scottish Highlands from Inverness. We use the descriptive name Scottish North Coast Loop, and the route is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NC500 brand.

How long is the virtual loop?

The Route Rally route covers about 811 km, or roughly 504 miles, looping out of Inverness around the north Highland coast and back, in keeping with the famous 500-mile circuit.

How long does it take to complete?

At a steady 150 km a week on the bike it works out at around six weeks. Push to 250 km a week and you could finish in under a month, while runners often treat it as a multi-month project. You set the end date when you create the rally.

Can a club or team take it on together?

Definitely. Set up a rally for your club, workplace or group of friends and everyone's synced rides and runs move around the same Highland loop towards the finish back at Inverness.