Morning MTREAD.......NC500 is good , but there is loads more to explore in scotland , imo john o groats is s bit touristy for me and the scenery is s bit bland , got to do it for thr piccie though , if I do go that way this year , up to wick and cut off the top right corner and head for thurso , the route west along the north coast is good , stop at tounge is well worth it for the views alone , then onto the west coast , the best bit , and down to ullapool , ive done evanton to wick , fuel up , and then all the way round to ullapool comfortably in a day before , on the mighty thou with just the one fill up.......weather is the key for a good trip.......that scottist rain is something else not like the stuff we get down here...........have a good trip