NC500 or NE250?

One factor would be timing. I'm driving along the NE250 route (well, part of it - I will focus on the coastal route). I had thought about the NC500 but I just did not have enough time for that. This will be my first trip to Scotland and I wanted to go to other places as well. Therefore, the last 4 days of my journey will be devoted to the northeast and eastern coast.

If you have enough time for both, then I guess it comes down to which area you want to see more now. :)

There was another thread only a few days which gave the websites, and thus a lot of information for both. (if someone can find it and link it through).
Different routes, different scenery, different type of roads.
No direct comparison, except that both are in Scotland.
For some reason the majority of people seem to do the NC500 clockwise. NC500 likely to be busier although in May it's still fairly early season.
The previous thread also discusses how "creatively marketed" they really are.

And (although not in your area) I'll throw the South West Coastal 300 into the mix as well. Anyone interested can research that- it's to and from Dumfries.
Also the K66- the Kintyre 66.

We were in Scotland for 6 weeks last May & June. It was our 3rd visit to Scotland. One of the highlights of this trip was doing a large part of the NC500. We loved the isolated areas, hidden beaches, walks, hikes, castles & castle ruins & more. We found the single track roads to be very doable with most drivers being very courteous in sharing the road & using the turnouts.

Our route: We came from 4 nights on the Outer Hebrides arriving in Ullapool. Then drove south to Shieldaig for 3 nights. We retraced some of the same roads, but diverting to more obscure roads as we found them. Next stop was Kylesku, but only for a single night. From there we next arrived in Tongue for 3 nights & then onto Thurso for 3 nights. We left the NC500 for 3 nights by ferrying out to the Orkneys. After returning we drove down to Cromarty for yet another 3 nights. All along the way we found delightful beaches, wonderful walks and continuous breathtaking scenery. Highly recommend advance reservations for lodging.

A website we found very helpful ....... https://watchmesee.com/ We engaged Kathi in a Voom call to help us fine tune our plans. She is wonderful.

Our Accommodations (each one special in it's own unique way):
Shieldaig - www.shieldaiglodge.com/
Kylesku - www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk/
Tongue - www.tonguehotel.co.uk/
Thurso - www.forsshousehotel.co.uk/
Orkney - www.graemeshall-house.co.uk/
Cromarty - www.thefactorshouse.com/

We are heading back this September for a month in Wales, Lake District & more areas of Scotland we've yet to explore.

isn31c, here's a link to the post you were talking about, although the OP contributed to this so I'm assuming he knows about it.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/scotland/aberdeen-nc-500

Thanks, Mardee- ):

I knew about the early part of the thread, but no one ever gave a comparison or preference. Too bad the forum doesn't offer polls.