9 Best Places to See Dolphins, Whales, and Porpoises on the North Coast 500

Coming up in this guide: boat trips, marine animals, a long and fascinating coastline, surprising appearances from surprising animals, lots of chances to spot wildlife, and the best dolphins, whales, and porpoises watching spots on the North Coast 500.

Here at Travelness, we’ve already brought you many juicy details on the North Coast 500.

One of the best road trips on the planet (and the best road trip I’ve ever been on!), it’s an iconic Scottish adventure.

It serves up beaches, mountains, easy hikes, multi-day detours, weird attractions, tiny villages, friendly locals, world-class campsites, tucked-away fragments of coastline, beautiful beaches, hidden bays, and (as you probably already knew since you Googled this guide) lots of chances to spot marine animals.

But what exactly can you see? Where can you see them? And what’s the best time to get your big curious eyes around all these creatures and critters?

Coming up, all that and more!

Note: There’s no guarantee you’ll see ANY of these animals in Scotland. You can maximize your chances by following the recommendations we’ve given you, but it might not necessarily work out. Cos, you know, we’re talking about real outside wildlife, not a zoo—although there are plenty of zoos in Scotland too.

Anyway, let’s go meet some amazing marine life. On we go!

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What type of marine animals can I see on the North Coast 500?

At the places we’ve listed below, you might see:

• White-beaked dolphins
• Bottlenose dolphins
• Common dolphins
• Risso’s dolphins
• Harbor porpoises
• Minke whales
• Killer whales

And as we mentioned in our big guide to the 25 best wild animals you can see in Scotland, the nation also offers chances to see seals, otters, and basking sharks…

… but in this guide, we’ve mainly focused on whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cos that’s what you’re here for!

Fun Fact: Some parts of Scotland are among the top locations in Europe for wildlife spotting. And some of these locations are on the North Coast 500!

Here are the best dolphin, whale, and porpoises watching spots on the North Coast 500 in Scotland:

1. Lochinver

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Best for: riding around on a boat, and spotting a variety of wildlife

Sitting on the northern part of Scotland’s west coast, it’s unlikely you’ll see any animals from the shores of Lochinver (although it does happen from time to time).

… but that’s alright, cos it gives you an opportunity to take a trip with North Coast Sea Tours,* who offer a top-class wildlife boating experience.

(*these guys aren’t called ‘North Cost Sea Tours,’ as some blogs incorrectly call them).

They offer a bunch of different trips. But on their ‘wildlife cruises,’ you ride around for an hour, with a chance of spotting seals, porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks, and whales. Other onboard sights and scenes include sea eagles (possibly) and dramatic mountains (definitely).

The boat captain is very experienced and knows where to look (and what to look for).

The cruises depart 4 times per day, every day, from April until October—but the best time for wildlife spotting is between May and August.

2. Clachtoll Beach

Best for: combining big animals with a little beach, and some passive animal spotting for people who aren’t too bothered

Clachtoll Beach lies a 20-minute drive north of Lochinver.

A beautiful quiet sandy beach with clear-blue water, it’s one of the most underrated beaches along the North Coast 500.

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(it’s also one of the most beautiful west coast beaches in Scotland, and one of the best wild swimming spots on the North Coast 500).

Anyway, if you come here in summer, there’s a small chance you might see some sea life—in previous years, dolphins, whales, porpoises, and other animals have all been spotted off the shores of Clachtoll Beach. Make sure you bring binoculars!

3. John O’Groats

Best for: more boat rides, possibly seeing a killer whale, and meeting lots of birds

Seeing killer whales from the shores of mainland Scotland is unsurprisingly pretty tricky.

… but take a Family Wildlife Cruise from John O’Groats, and there’s a chance you might.

And even if you don’t: you’ll definitely see lots of birds (the massive cliffs here are home to guillemots, puffins, razorbills, and more), and you’ll probably see some seals.

Between May and September is the best period to see killer whales, with July being peak month. I’ve also heard sightings are sometimes possible between October and January.

Fun Fact: Killer whales (also known as ‘orcas’) aren’t actually whales at all. Instead, they’re the world’s largest species of dolphin.

Fun Fact #2: The very best place to see orcas in Scotland is in and around the Shetland Islands—they sit a 12-hour boat ride from the north shores of mainland Scotland. The Orkney Islands (which sit between Shetland and the mainland) are also a pretty good choice for spotting orcas… and they’re only a 40-minute boat ride from John O’Groats.

4. Gairloch

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Best for: an affordable boat trip, lots of options, learning from a professional, and a relatively high chance of seeing whales, dolphins, and porpoises

Sitting a 2-hour drive south of Lochinver, Gairloch is another small coastal village (population around 600 people).

Just south of the village, next to Gairloch Harbour, you’ll find the little and charming Gairloch Marine Life Centre (featuring exhibits on local marine life, bones, and live lobsters).

But when most people visit Gairloch Marine Life Centre, they do it for boat trips (which you book by text message—that’s how quaint, old-school and small-scale the operation is here). They offer both 2-hour cruises and 4-hour cruises—and no matter which you choose, you’re joined by a real-life qualified marine biologist.

You’ll definitely see many birds (sometimes hundreds of thousands of them; highlights include puffins, kittiwakes, and occasional eagles)… and you might see dolphins, whales, and porpoises.

On-board commentary is available in Spanish, Italian, French, Dutch and German.

The boat tours run from the end of March until the end of October. But (as we keep saying) to maximize your chances of seeing wildlife, take a trip between May and August.

BONUS OPTION: Hebridean Whale Cruises also operate out of Gairloch. They offer general tours, along with an experience specifically focused on spotting Orcas (and if you do spot one, seeing a massive wild orca is the ultimate wildlife-watching adventure!).

5. The Moray Firth

Best for: some of the best dolphin spotting in Europe, and maybe seeing some minke whales

A ‘firth’ is essentially the same as a ‘fjord.’

(… and in case you don’t know: both ‘firths’ and ‘fjords’ are basically just big sea inlets).

Anyway, the Moray Firth is the biggest of its kind in Scotland. Although its most well-known part is the narrow area close to Inverness, the massive triangular Moray Firth actually runs all the way from John O’Groats (a 3-hour drive north of Inverness) to Fraserburgh (over a 2-hour drive east of Inverness).

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And the Moray Firth offers visitors LOADS of places to see dolphins (and if you’re very very lucky, you might also see some minke whales here). We’ve unpacked some of the best spots in detail soon, but in summary, the most well-known locations are:

• Chanonry Point
• Inverness’ Kessock Bridge
• Fort George Fortress
• Burghead town
• Hopeman village
• Spey Bay

Note: Those last three, though close to the North Coast 500, aren’t actually on the North Coast 500. But they’re all worth the detour.

Because around 200 bottlenose dolphins live here year-round, any time is a good time to see dolphins in the Moray Firth (and any of the above locations are good choices).

6. Inverness

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Best for: spotting dolphins from an easy base, and hitting an accessible and family-friendly boat trip

The only city in the Scottish Highlands, Inverness is a super-convenient place to go wildlife spotting (because it’s where most people start and end their North Coast 500 adventure).

You can easily spend a few days here, relaxing before or after your trip—and during one of those days, you can see some dolphins. Top locations include Merkinch Local Nature Reserve and Carnarc Point, and the best time is between May and September.

But to give yourself the best chance of seeing dolphins, head out on a(nother!) boat trip… with Dolphin Spirit Inverness, or the nearby Avoch Dolphin Trips. Both are very popular with families.

7. Chanonry Point

Best for: getting as close to dolphins as you can, and visiting the UK’s most well-known dolphin viewing spot

Sitting inside the Moray Firth (and close to Inverness), Chanonry Point is one of the best dolphin-watching spots in Europe.

A narrow outcrop jutting into the firth, it’s home to a famous lighthouse—and because the waterway here is so narrow, you’ll be very close to any dolphins you see.

To maximize your chances of spotting them, come around an hour after low tide when the dolphins feed on fish by chasing them into the area. Any time of year is good.

8. Cromarty Firth

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Best for: easy watching on a narrow stretch of water

Actually a tiny section of the Moray Firth, the Cromarty Firth offers popular wildlife spotting boat tours, at the two towns of Invergordon and Cromarty. Cromarty’s EcoVentures have a particularly good reputation, and the boat captain has been running trips for 20+ years.

If you don’t want to take a boat trip, Cromarty Beach is your best option for spotting dolphins. Here, there’s a narrow stretch of water—and if any dolphins get to Cromarty Firth from the Moray Firth, they need to pass through this area.

Again, you can potentially spot dolphins here any time of year.

9. Spey Bay

Best for: taking a detour, learning about the animals you’re looking at, and visiting the Scottish Dolphin Centre

Note: Spey Bay isn’t actually on the North Coast 500. Sorry for being a big horrible liar.

But it’s not too far of a detour, it’s one of the best dolphin-watching spots in Scotland, and it lies only 50 miles (80 km) east of Inverness.

… and most importantly, it’s home to the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, where you can spot dolphins, learn about dolphins, watch movies and webcams, and see some whale and dolphin bones. It’s completely free to enter, and it has a small car park.

And as a nice bonus, the stretch of sea between here and Fraserburgh is also known for occasional orca sightings.

Again, the best time to come here is between May and September. Because the opening times for the WDC Center change pretty regularly, check before you go.

Before You Go

Okay, that’s us done… and they’re some of the best locations for exploring Scotland’s natural world.

(and they offer some of the most amazing marine environments you’ve probably ever seen).

To sum up, our top NC500 locations for spotting porpoise, whale, and dolphin activity are:

For more Scottish animals, here are the nation’s 21 best places for seeing Highland cows.

And don’t miss my selection of the most Instagrammable spots on the North Coast 500. These are the most beautiful places you can witness on the route.

Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and we’ll hopefully see you again soon. Enjoy all those whales, dolphins, and porpoises!