The North Coast 500 is an attractive hiking trail that covers five miles of stunning coastline, beginning and finishing in Inverness castle. It is the first major hike of its kind to be launched on the Scottish coastline and is the most popular hiking trail in Scotland. The trail is also referred to as the NC1000 and has been launched in May of this year, linking many sites in the northern Highlands of Scotland in just one hiking trail. This article discusses the history of this trail and offers some useful tips for hikers.
The North Coast 500 started life as a simple hiking trail in 2005 with a group of local hiker’s who wanted to start a hiking trip in the most remote part of the area. After a series of trials and errors the trail was established and has become a popular tourist attraction with several hundred hikers using it each week.
Despite its remote location, the North Coast hiking trail is open to hikers from all over the UK. Many of the hiking trails in Scotland were introduced as a means of attracting tourists into the area and creating a viable tourism industry. If you are looking to try hiking in Scotland but do not want to head to the remote wilderness, then the North Coast hiking trail could be the ideal option for you.
The popular part of the hiking trail is the Castle Rock. The trail starts off at the top of the rocks, which are situated about a mile from the town of Inverness. From there it follows a track of rocks until you reach a flat ground. At the end of the flat ground you will be able to walk along a footpath that leads to a set of steps that takes you right up to the top of the rocks.
While the trail itself does have its fair share of challenges, the most difficult areas can be tackled by hikers who are experienced hikers. The hardest parts of the hike can be reached after just a few short miles, after you have climbed up the flat ground to reach the first set of steps. As the trail continues, you will soon reach a point where you will need to climb over 300 steps in order to reach the top.
There is a steep climb right from the start that you should be able to tackle without too much trouble but if you find yourself having to climb to much more than you are comfortable with then you should contact a guide. or a member of your hiking team to help you.
