Travel: Mark Beaumont's top five moments of his North Coast 500 epic through the Scottish Highlands

Fresh from setting a new world record for the fastest time cycling through Africa from Cairo to Cape Town in May, Beaumont said his motivation for tackling the North Coast 500 was to showcase this corner of Scotland in a memorable way that had never been done before.

The 32-year-old from Perthshire cycled the entire distance non-stop – completing it in 37 hours, 56 minutes and 44 seconds.

Beaumont covered an elevation gain of almost 35,000ft (10,462m) and burned a colossal 17,848 calories. He sustained four punctures along the way and kept himself fuelled with a succession of peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

His ultra-endurance endeavour, alongside the breathtaking backdrop and kaleidoscopic weather, was documented for a short film released earlier this month.

"My motivation was to put together a film that got people thinking and talking about Scotland – seeing it in a different way as opposed to some cliched picture postcard video," he says.

Here Beaumont shares five of his top highlights from that epic trip.

1) Inverness

"Starting the North Coast 500 at Inverness Castle is pretty iconic," he says. "You are up on the hill, it is incredibly beautiful and you have views over the city.

I have done a number of events in Inverness over the years and it is a fast changing place. In terms of starting and finishing the route there it is wonderful because Inverness is a real hive of activity with lots going on."

2) Applecross Peninsula

"As you go west, you encounter the first of the sea lochs and then, bang, are onto the Applecross Peninsula which includes the famed Bealach na Ba," says Beaumont.

"Bealach na Ba has been rated best cycling climb in the UK time and again. It is staggering the fact you rise from sea level up to those dizzy heights of 2,053ft (626m) and then smash back down again.

"While many people know that one big climb, what they underestimate is the rest of the Applecross Peninsula and that coast around it up to Shieldaig and Torridon. That in my book is far tougher. It is a beautiful little road but it is constantly undulating.

"Rather than choosing a gear and sitting there for an hour, there is lots of sharp ups and downs. It is a real cyclists' challenge. It is beautiful and worth it – but it is tough."

3) Ullapool and the Assynt Peninsula

"The stretch heading north from Ullapool is absolutely staggering," he says. "A lot of interesting things are happening in terms of looking after the habitat and wildlife. The local people are trying to protect the coastal waters. There is still a thriving traditional fishing and scallop diving community.

"There are some big moves afoot for the crofters working together to re-forest areas with native hardwoods. There has even been talk about reintroducing some native species such as lynx. There is an interesting conversation happening in that part of Scotland.

"In terms of exploring the area, it is one of the most remote parts of the route. It is contradictory to what I did on this cycle, but these are places I would definitely stop and explore more."

4) Lochinver to Durness

"This is probably the toughest stretch for cycling with very steep terrain. I did this section between 4am-6am which was not seeing it at its best," recalls Beaumont.

"There are very few people – I think the stat is two people per square kilometre in Sutherland which is akin to Mongolia – and it is mostly deer and sheep. Even on that night shift I was aware that the road kept coming close to the shore and I could hear the crashing waves.

"You come out at Durness on the top left corner of Scotland. I filmed a programme a couple of years ago for BBC Scotland called Midsummer Live where we cycled across the north coast and got to tell some interesting stories about people who used the long summer days for specific reasons.

"The one we filmed in Durness was about artists who used the very different light in the north of Scotland to capture landscapes and create incredible artwork. We also met fishermen who went out at midnight and 1am during midsummer.

"That top left corner is probably the most remote stretch. It does feel like the end of the world. There is that sense of truly being alone."

5) Thurso and beyond

"The stretch past Thurso is where you start to get views across to the Orkney Isles. There is lots of wonderful history up here," he says. "As you head along to John O'Groats you can see the Old Man of Hoy, that needle of rock sticking out of the Atlantic Ocean, and two or three of the Orkney Isles in clear view.

"It is a beautiful road and things start to flatten out meaning it is also far easier terrain. There was a wonderful sense of community on the road. I had a lot of support along there with other cyclists who came out to join me.

"Bearing in mind I had just come off the night shift and it had been heavy rain, to go past Thurso and start to see these incredible views, coupled with the terrain becoming a bit easier, was fantastic.

"Those who perhaps aren't up for the great challenges of the west coast by bike will prefer Caithness to Sutherland because it is slightly more comfortable cycling.

"John O'Groats is probably the most iconic part of the route in terms of name, but in my view the lighthouse at Duncansby Head is well worth a visit as is Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the mainland, where you get the best views over to the Orkney Isles."

Thanks to Mark Beaumont (markbeaumontonline.com). For more information on the North Coast 500, visit northcoast500.com