North Coast 500: A photographic road trip around Scotland

What better way to try out a new mirrorless camera and drone than on a road trip?  Even better, a photographic road trip through one of the world’s most picturesque locations. So I packed my gear and headed off to Scotland, in search of mountains, lochs, and castles.

Imagining a photographic road trip

Having been born and lived in a little village in central China for almost 20 years, with hardly anyone around me who had actually left the province, I was always curious about the outside world. I could only try to imagine what it was like. To the extent possible, I learned about it through reading books, watching movies, and following the news. With lots of luck, and something of a ‘rebellious’ attitude, I am now able to satisfy my curiosity by seeing and experiencing places in person. 

I have found that a road trip offers the best connection with the landscape and local culture, as well as an element of thrill due to the possibility for spontaneity it brings. As one of the most scenic road trips in the world, North Coast 500, or NC500, covers approximately 500 miles (800 km) of stunning coastline in and around the Scottish Highlands. It offers breathtaking views of the beautiful landscapes, historic castles, and charming old towns of Scotland.

I was especially excited because this was the first road trip with my new mirrorless camera: a Sony A7 M3, with Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lenses. I would also be taking my first drone, a DJI Mavic Mini (1^st Gen).

My Mavic drone  

DJI offers a semi-professional-grade Mavic Pro range that partners with Hasselblad. The Mavic Mini range was initially designed more as a toy rather than a flying camera for photography enthusiasts. This model represents a compromise between size and capability, as well as price points. The DJI Mavic Mini 1 is equipped with a 12 MP 1 / 2.3’’ CMOS sensor: a somewhat limited specification. I did not expect sharp images or crispy details from a modest camera looking down from a height of 100+ meters. 

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), drones under 250g do not require annual registration. They can be flown in residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial areas, provided the area is within an allowed airspace and there are no local by-laws prohibiting use of drones. The DJI Mini is ‘cleverly’ designed to weigh only 249g, thus bypassing the stricter rules that heavier drones have to abide by.

Despite my enthusiasm for drone flying, there are two rules I always follow. First, I comply with UK CAA regulations. In addition, I never fly close to people or residential buildings. The DJI App incorporates CAA regulations by highlighting areas that are allowed or prohibited from flying.

Our photographic road trip begins

We picked up the car in Edinburgh, soon discovering that drivers all over Scotland, particularly those in lorries, liked to drive close to the back of our car. To make things worse, the car was small, underpowered, and seemingly lacking a lower gear. Nevertheless, we set off in an anti-clockwise direction, driving north to Inverness. This is where the NC500 officially starts, and so we stayed over for a night. 

The first stop was Dunrobin Castle, a magnificent 19th-century stately home tracing its origins back to the early 1300s. It served as a stronghold for the Earls and, later, Dukes of Sutherland.

We saw magnificent rooms, furnished with antiques, and whose walls were hung with tapestries. We also visited the private museum displaying the family’s collections of ethnographic items from around the world.

Outside, in beautiful gardens leading down to the sea, with the Castle as a backdrop, we watched a falconry display.

The castle is close to the coast, thus providing a wider safe zone for the drone. Since the DJI App indicated the area was safe to fly, I took the drone out for its first flight. Unfortunately, as soon as the drone took off, the bright Scottish sky turned dark. Soon after, it rained. Luckily, I managed to take a few quick shots before it got too wet.

Further North we go

We continued our drive north, hugging the coastline. Instead of a castle, we saw mountains on the other side. On the lower slopes, sheep grazed, their white coats standing out against the green of the grass.

Just before sunset, we reached John o’Groats, renowned as the northernmost point of the UK mainland. Stepping from the car, a smell of fish and chips, emanating from a nearby van, reminded us of our hunger. But, as we approached, we realised that unfortunately the owner had just shut down for the day. However, acknowledging our long journey, the owner, a Scotsman, offered us a big box of chips — for free!

After staying at John O’Groats for a night, we set off, heading in the direction of Ullapool. Although we could not see the sun, visibility was good, revealing mountains and a river as we drove along. We paused our photographic road trip at multiple spots along the way. We saw breathtaking landscapes that I found difficult to capture through normal angles. These were just the situations where the drone could save the day.

Surrounded by rugged mountains and serene lochs, the charm of Ullapool, our next stop, lies in the untouched natural beauty that frames the settlement. The harbour, replete with fishing boats, was a reminder of the village’s long-standing connection with the sea.

Isle of Skye

Then on to the Isle of Skye and Portree, the beating heart of the island. Its picturesque harbour, lined with brightly painted houses, stands against a backdrop of rolling hills. The clear waters of the Sound of Raasay could easily define the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Portree serves as a cultural hub. Its lively pubs, local seafood restaurants, and artisan shops bring together Scottish tradition and contemporary life.

As a nature enthusiast, the hike to the Old Man of Storr was an exhilarating journey through one of Scotland’s most majestic landscapes. As we ascended, the terrain unfolded. Each step revealed new views of the surrounding rugged terrain and endless seascape beyond. 

Glenfinnan Viaduct: the Harry Potter bridge

This iconic railway bridge, made famous by the Harry Potter films, is an essential stop for a Harry Potter fan like me. Nestled in the picturesque landscape near Loch Shiel, the viaduct’s surroundings are steeped in history and culture, from the Jacobite risings to traditional Gaelic heritage. This place has a clear sign saying that no drone flying is allowed. Accordingly, my drone remained inside the car. However, I could see that someone else was obviously flying a DJI Mavic. Frankly, I was quite jealous that they probably caught a much better view.

As we rolled back into Inverness, completing our loop of the NC500, it felt less like the end of a photographic road trip and more like crossing the finishing line of an adventure marathon. Except, it involved no training, just plenty of enthusiasm. Scotland had thrown everything at us: rain that could soak you to the bone in seconds, wind that had us leaning at a comical angle just to stay on our feet, and landscapes so stunning they made my most boastful Instagram posts seem humble.

A tragic loss

Just a side note, this is also the last full trip of my drone. A few months later, when flying it on the Isle of White, I suddenly lost control of it. Midway through its return flight, it stopped moving. I then saw a Royal Navy ship cruising nearby. The drone was within my eyesight, so I excluded the possibility of a range issue. I was left wondering if it was the Royal Navy Ship that ‘shot’ it by sending interference signals.

The drone kept hovering at the same spot for another ten minutes or so, before it ran out of battery and eventually dropped into the sea. A newspaper headline — ‘Chinese Drone (flown by a Chinese Man) Shot Down by British Royal Navy’ — flashed into my mind for a few seconds. In my defence, the DJI app did not mark this area as a non-flying zone. Furthermore, I had not been aware of the Royal Navy ship.

It would therefore be fair to say that the NC500 journey was undoubtedly the highlight of the drone’s short life, tragically cut short by this dramatic event.

Have you visited this part of Scotland before? Do you have any experience of drone photography? Have you had any run-ins with The Royal Navy? Please let me know in the comment section below.

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