Campsites on the North Coast 500 are small, seasonal and spread a long way apart, so where you pitch shapes each day more than it would on most road trips. The good news for dog owners is that nearly all of them take dogs, most without charging, and a surprising number sit right behind a beach. The catch is the same almost everywhere: leads on while you are on the site.
This list runs anticlockwise from Inverness, the way most people drive the route. We checked each site's dog policy in September 2026, from the site's own rules where it publishes them. Season dates are for 2026 and worth confirming before you travel.
New to the route? Start with our overview of the NC500 with a dog, then come back here to plan your nights.
What to expect from NC500 campsites with a dog
- Leads on site are the norm. Almost every site asks for dogs on a lead around the pitches. Several ask you to exercise dogs off the site altogether.
- Dogs usually stay free. Where there is a charge it is small, and it tends to apply to huts and chalets, not pitches.
- Book July and August early. The best known sites fill weeks ahead in the school holidays. Some keep pitches for arrivals on the day.
- Most close for winter. October is the usual cut-off. A handful stay open all year.
The east coast and the Black Isle
- Fortrose Bay Campsite, Fortrose. A seaside site within walking distance of Chanonry Point, so you can walk to the dolphins and leave the van where it is. Well behaved dogs stay free and poo bags are provided. Open April to October.
- Cromarty Camping, Cromarty. Eight serviced motorhome pitches, open all year, a short walk from the beach and the pubs. Up to two dogs per vehicle, on a lead on site, so the beach is where they get their run.
- Dornoch Firth Caravan Park, near Tain. Beside the Dornoch Firth bridge and handy for Tain's supermarkets. A maximum of two dogs, which stay free, with a dog exercise area just off the park.
- Dornoch Caravan and Camping Park, Dornoch. Right beside Dornoch's long sandy beach and a short walk into town. Dogs are welcome and kept strictly on leads on the park.
- Brora Club Campsite, Brora. About 300 yards from a sandy beach, with a dog area on site and a dog walk from the gate. Non-members are welcome and dogs stay free.
Caithness and the north coast
- John o' Groats Caravan and Camping Site. On the shore at the end of the road, looking across to Orkney, with Duncansby Head a short drive away. Dogs on a lead on site. Open March to the end of October.
- Dunnet Bay Club Campsite, Dunnet. Behind the dunes of Dunnet Bay, with direct access to miles of sand and a dog walk from the site. It is exposed, so peg down well.
- The Halladale Inn and North Coast Touring Park, Melvich. Pitches, pods and food on site, with Melvich Beach close by. Dogs are kept on a lead on the campsite and exercised off it.
- Craigdhu, Bettyhill. A simple, friendly site above Torrisdale Bay, open all year, with The Store, the hotel bar and several beaches in walking distance. Dogs on a lead on site.
- Kyle of Tongue Hostel and Campsite, Tongue. On the shore of the Kyle with views to Castle Varrich and Ben Loyal, and a shop and café on site. It sits beside the A838, so keep the lead on.
- Sango Sands Oasis, Durness. Every pitch looks over Sango Bay from the clifftop and the beach is a short walk from the van door. Pets under control are welcome free of charge. Keep dogs on a lead near the cliff edge.
The north-west and Assynt
- Scourie Caravan and Camping Site, Scourie. Sheltered, beside the bay, with the beach a few steps away. The site asks you to use the beach for toilet breaks, not the site grass.
- Clachtoll Beach Campsite, Clachtoll. The most dog minded site on the route, with a dog wash, water bowls and treats in the office, and the sand on the doorstep. Dogs stay free, on a lead around the site. Book early for summer.
- Port a Bhaigh Campsite, Altandhu. On the shore looking out to the Summer Isles, with no charge for pets and direct access to the beach. It is almost ten miles of single-track road from the A835.
- Ardmair Point Holiday Park, near Ullapool. A pebble shore site four miles north of Ullapool with an easy approach for large vans. Dogs stay free on the campsite, on a lead.
Wester Ross and Applecross
- Gruinard Bay Caravan Park, Laide. A small beachfront park with direct access to the sand. Dogs are welcome across the site, including in the rental caravans, on leads. Seals live nearby, so keep dogs under control by the river.
- Inverewe Gardens Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Poolewe. A loch side Club site a short walk from the village and from Inverewe Garden, where dogs on short leads can walk the paths.
- Sands Caravan and Camping, Gairloch. In the dunes behind Big Sand Beach, with a shop, café, dog walking area and outdoor dog wash. Dogs on a lead at all times on site.
- Beinn Eighe overnight parking, Kinlochewe. NatureScot lets self contained campervans stay overnight at two reserve car parks, eight spaces in all, with a suggested donation. No water, waste or electricity, and vans up to six metres only.
- Torridon Campsite. A free council site for tents only, under Liathach at the entrance to the village. Basic, with toilets and showers. Be ready to put the lead on around sheep on the Torridon estate.
- Applecross Campsite, Applecross. The only campsite on the peninsula, a five minute walk from the inn. Dogs on a lead at all times and walked off site. Large vans should come round by the coast road, not over the Bealach na Bà.
Prefer a bed? Where to stay on the NC500 with a dog covers cottages and hotel rooms that take dogs.
Still choosing a van? See dog friendly campervan hire for the NC500.
Overnight parking and wild camping
Scotland's access rights cover people on foot, not vehicles, so they do not give you a right to sleep in a campervan wherever you like. Book campsites or recognised stopovers, respect parking restrictions and use proper facilities for waste. Goodwill towards visitors on this route depends on it.
If you are carrying a tent and walking in, our guide to wild camping with a dog covers how to do it well.
Final thoughts
The NC500 suits campers who like a beach at the end of the pitch and do not mind keeping a lead handy. Clachtoll, Sands and Dunnet Bay are the ones to build a trip around if your dog lives for sand. Sango Sands has the view. Cromarty, Bettyhill and Scourie are the quiet ones, and useful outside the summer season because they stay open.
Whichever you choose, plan the nights before you plan the days. The gaps between sites in the north-west are long, and the best pitches go early.
More on the NC500 with a dog
- The dog friendly NC500: an overview: Van setup, the main stops and a 10-day outline.
- NC500 7-day itinerary with a dog: The classic week, day by day, built around beaches and walks.
- Dog friendly beaches on the NC500: Twelve beaches worth stopping for, east coast to west.
- Dog friendly Inverness: Where to eat, drink, walk and sleep at the start of the route.
- How many days do you need for the NC500 with a dog?: Five, seven, ten or fourteen days compared.
- Where to stay on the NC500 with a dog: Cottages, hotel rooms that take dogs, and campsites.
- Dog friendly Ullapool: Bars, cafés, walks and boat trips in the west coast's main town.
- The best time to do the NC500 with a dog: Midges, ticks, lambing and nesting season, month by month.
- Dog friendly campervan hire for the NC500: Hire firms that take dogs, and what to check before you book.