Welcome to our unabridged guide to food on the NC500. We love food, but we’ve noticed a lack of good resources on where to find great meals, local ingredients, and independent producers along this route—especially in the more remote areas. So we’ve created this NC500 Food Guide as both a fun personal project and a helpful resource for anyone seeking a delicious journey through this beautiful part of Scotland.
Anything we’ve missed? Fill in this form to add your own establishments to our food guide.
✅ = Establishments we’ve visited personally, verified and reviewed.
NC500 Food Map
NC500 Food Stops by Region
- Inverness & Black Isle
- Easter Ross & Sutherland
- Caithness
- Northwest Highlands and Wester Ross
- Ross & Cromarty
Recent NC500 Food Reviews
NC500 Food Stops by Region
Inverness & Black Isle
Black Isle Berries – Black Isle ✅
Type: Farm shop + cafe.
Website: Black Isle Berries
Epic farm shop in a beautiful location, stocking homegrown fruit and veg plus a cornucopia of local delicacies: cheese, meat, preserves, honey, bread, coffee, and all the good stuff of a well-stocked deli. Their cafe is great, too – especially their focaccia and fresh pressed juices. In season, you can pick your own strawberries. Fun for the whole family!
Cheese & Tomatin – Inverness
Type: Restaurant / pizzeria.
Website: Cheese & Tomatin
Because one cannot live on haggis alone, it is great to have an option for classic Neopolitan pizza in far-flung scotland. Though if you disagree, you can order their famous haggis and black pudding pizza!
Bad Girl Bakery Café – Inverness
Type: Bakery + cafe.
Website: Bad Girl Bakery
We haven’t been yet but it’s high on our list for our next visit towards Inverness. This place has been winning accolades since 2017 for its indulgent cakes. They also do great coffee (according to Google reviews) and sandwiches. If you can’t make it to the bakery, you can make their recipes, all found in their Bad Girl Bakery cookbook published in 2021. They also have a cookery school in Muir of Ord where you can learn to master the cupcake, layer cakes, and other things.
Easter Ross & Sutherland
We’re still making our way up north to visit these places. In the meantime, here are a few recommendations from others. Please send us info about your favourite food stops in Easter Ross & Sutherland!
- Sutor Creek – Cromarty
A wood-fired pizza restaurant and café known for its fresh, local ingredients.
Website: Sutor Creek - Golspie Inn – Golspie
One of the oldest coaching inns in Scotland, offering traditional Scottish cuisine.
Website: Golspie Inn - The Altnaharra Hotel – Altnaharra
A remote hotel offering classic Highland hospitality and dining.
Website: Altnaharra Hotel - Greens Restaurant – Dornoch
A family-run restaurant focusing on fresh, local produce.
Website: Greens Restaurant - Cocoa Mountain – Dornoch
A chocolatier and café offering handmade chocolates and hot drinks.
Website: Cocoa Mountain Dornoch - Dornoch Castle Hotel – Whisky Bar & Dining – Dornoch
Historic hotel featuring a renowned whisky bar and fine dining options.
Website: Dornoch Castle Hotel - Platform 1864 – Tain
A restaurant and bar located in a converted railway station, offering a diverse menu.
Website: Platform 1864
Caithness
We’re on our way to Caithness soon but in the meantime, here are a few recommendations from others. Please send us info about your favourite food stops in Caithness!
- La Mirage Restaurant – Helmsdale
A quirky restaurant known for its generous portions and eclectic décor.
Website: La Mirage - The River Bothy – Berriedale
A charming café offering quality fresh food, drinks, and cakes in a relaxing setting.
Website: The River Bothy - The Printers Rest – Wick
Located in a former printing press, this eatery serves fresh Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
Website: The Printers Rest - Annie’s Bakery – Wick
A local bakery offering a variety of baked goods and pastries.
Website: Annie’s Bakery - Y Not Bar & Grill – Thurso
A contemporary bar and grill serving a range of dishes and cocktails.
Website: Y Not Bar & Grill - The Blue Door Coffee Shop & Diner – Thurso
A cozy spot for coffee, breakfast, and lunch options.
Website: The Blue Door - Capilla Tapas Restaurant – Thurso
A tapas restaurant offering a variety of Spanish-inspired small plates.
Website: Capilla Tapas - Coastline Coffee Shop – Thurso
A seaside café serving coffee, cakes, and light meals.
Website: Coastline Coffee Shop
Northwest Highlands & Wester Ross
Seafood Shack – Ullapool ✅
Type: Seafood / Food Truck
Website: Seafood Shack
It’s always a treat to visit the Seafood Shack in Ullapool, famous for their haddock fish wraps and other locally-sourced seafood delights.
Driftwood Café – Lochinver ✅
Type: Cafe
Website: Driftwood Café
A cozy café offering homemade soups, sandwiches, and baked goods. Friendly staff, reasonable prices, dog-friendly, and lots of vegan options.
Inbhir Brunches – Lochinver ✅
Type: Cafe
Website: Inbhir Brunches
Breakfast and lunch spot that seems to be open when everything else isn’t. I like their smoked salmon bagel and baked potato options. You’ll also find the expected counter display full of tempting cakes and pastries.
I
Lochinver Larder – Lochinver ✅
Type: Restaurant
Website: Lochinver Larder
Whenever I mention “Lochinver” to anyone who’s been here, they inevitably mention the famous pies from Lochinver Larder. They actually do a whole lot more than pies (their Cullen Skink is delicious).
Mackay’s Hardware and Chandlery – Lochinver ✅
Type: Producer
Website: Mackay’s Hardware and Chandlery
What is a hardware store doing in a food guide? Believe it or not, they smoke their own salmon (hot- and cold-smoked) and cheddar cheese. You can find it for sale at their main counter. Well worth trying for your next NC500 picnic!
Kylesku Hotel – Kylesku ✅
Type: Restaurant
Website: Kylesku Hotel
A boutique hotel with an upscale restaurant – the views over Loch Glendhu are phenomenal. The restaurant is on the pricy side, but the food is top quality and well-presented.
Flossie’s Beach Store – Clachtoll ✅
Type: Food hut / shop
Website: Flossie’s Beach Store
We frequent Flossie’s regularly, not only because it’s our nearest “shop”. This tiny beach shack is super useful for grabbing any basics that you may have forgotten on your last trip to a “real” grocery store. They also serve food, coffee, cake, etc. Believe it or not, they do a Chicago-style hot dog! Best thing about Flossie’s? The staff are ace.
Bo’s Bakery Barn – Clachtoll ✅
Type: Honesty Box
Website: Bo’s Bakery Barn
Possibly one of the most elaborate honesty boxes I’ve come across – it even has a refrigerated unit for cheesecakes!
The Quay House – Kinlochbervie ✅
Type: Cafe
Website: The Quay House
I happened upon this bright and airy cafe with one of my hiking clients who ordered the fish and chips which she generously let me try. The execution was superb! They also do breakfast, soup, sandwiches, and loads of cake, plus have a cute little gift shop that’s worth a browse.
S. Greenlees & Sons Butcher – Lochinver ✅
Type: Butcher
Website: Lochinver Butcher
If you’re going to eat meat, eat local, we say! This butcher is a great resource for local beef, lamb, and venison. Their pork sausages are “bangin'”!
Cocoa Mountain – Balnakeil ✅
Type: Cafe
Website: Cocoa Mountain
An odd addition to the quirky Durness Craft Village. It’s a bit touristy but their hot chocolate is very good and you can buy their chocolate in bulk for making at home (£42.50 per kilo which makes 20 drinks at home – so it better be good! Which it is.)
The Rock Stop Visitor Centre – Unapool ✅
Type: Cafe / Museum
Website: The Rock Stop
The cafe itself is fairly basic (though they seem to have upped the ante with their cakes on recent visits) but well worth visiting for the museum where you can learn all about the amazing geology of the Northwest Highland, a Unesco Geopark (learn more in our highlights from a northwest highlands geotour).
The Pier – Lairg
Type: Restaurant
Website: The Pier
Situated on the edge of Loch Shin, this restaurant offers brunch, lunch, and dinner with the finest local produce. We haven’t been yet but it gets amazing reviews and the pictures they post on Instagram are compelling.
Ross & Cromarty
Achiltibuie Stores – Achiltibuie ✅
Type: Shop
Website: Achiltibuie Stores
An incredibly well stocked shop for its size and location.
Add Your Favourite Food Stops to our NC500 Food Guide
If you run a food business or know of a great one that deserves a mention, please tell us about it by filling in the form below.