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Sandwood Bay Beach is on the northwest coast
of Scotland, 98 miles northwest of Inverness, 21
miles southwest of Durness.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
This is often claimed to be the top Beach on
the Scottish mainland. There is a 4 mile / 6 km
walk from the car park to the beach, taking
about 1 hour. Postcode: IV27 4RT
Click On Map for area Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is of the Car Park at
Blairmore, an area with only a few houses.
Blairmore is so small it is not on any of the
sign posts. Follow signs for Kinlochbervie,
then drive past that small Village for another
3 miles.
The Path out to the Beach is across the road
from the Car Park. You pass a few Lochans on
the Path out and probably a few Highland
Cattle.
About half way, you see the Path leading way
into the distance between Hills. The Beach is
just past those Hills.
After about an hour walking, you get a great
view down to Sandwood Bay Beach. It was about
27 / 80 degrees when I visited in May with a
Surfer on the north side of the Beach, and 3
people Swimming on the south side, probably the
perfect day to visit.
The larger waves were around 6 feet high, so
on a windy day they will no doubt be a fair bit
higher for Surfing.
Large Image of
the south side with a Swimmer and the Sea
Stack.
The walk back starts off with a bit of a
climb back up out of the Beach.
Sandwood Bay History
800s - Sandwood Bay is said to have been
used by Vikings as they populated the Northern
and Western Isles of Scotland, then began
raiding the Mainland.
Before Lighthouses, Sandwood Bay Beach was
littered with Wreckage form Ships, with the
Treasure from some Ships said to be lost in the
sand dunes.
1828 - Cape Wrath Lighthouse was built on
the most northwest point in Scotland, 6 miles
north of Sandwood Bay. Cape Wrath is best
visited by appointment, as it is often used by
Naval Ships for Target Practice.
The remains of Sandwood Cottage are by the
Beach. The Cottage is said to have the Ghost of
a Mariner from an Armada Galleon that was
washed up here with its Treasure in the
1580s.
1847 - Crofters were cleared from this area
to make way for large scale Sheep Farming,
known as the Highland Clearances.
1940 - the last of the Shepherd Huts in the
area were abandoned.
1941 - Sergeant Michael Kilburn crash landed
his Spitfire on the Beach, surviving without
injury. The Engine of the Plane can be seen
during certain tides.
1962 - James
MacRory-Smith, a Hermit known as Sandy,
originally from Dumbarton, set up home in a
Cottage 1 mile northeast of Sandwood Bay.
1979 - Sandy's Cottage was damaged during a
Storm, leading to the Mountain Bothies
Association repairing the Cottage to serve as a
Bothy, with Sandy allowed to continue living
there.
Over the following years, a number of
Walkers claimed Sandy chased them off with a
Hatchet in his hand.
1996 - ill health led to Sandy leaving the
Cottage, he died a few years later at
Kinlochbervie.
Sandy's Bothy is now claimed to be one of
the scariest places to stay in Scotland.
2009 - Keith Brown crash landed his
Microlight Plane on the Beach. He then had to
carry it in pieces 4 miles to the road.
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