Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Glen Brittle beach

Season: summer

The beach at Glen Brittle is in an isolated spot at the end of a long, winding lane on the west side of Skye. The beach is wide, but it has prominent headlands at both sides. Take a craggy walk out from behind the campsite shop and you’ll be rewarded with wonderful views back to the beach and valley. Kayaks are often seen here, as the flat surface is ideal for arrival and departure out to sea. It’s a midge haven, so pack your Avon Skin So Soft.

Lizzie’s appreciation of the beach.

What the beach means to James.

A fine day at Glen Brittle.

Season: summer

This is one of the most attractive beaches in Skye, sitting at the head of Loch Brittle. Served by an excellent camp site with car parking right by the beach, it has spectacular waterfalls on its headland, tumbling down from the foothills of the nearby Cuillin Hills. There’s a shop for basic items and the beach is large enough to allow a private stroll, despite its popularity. Glen Brittle is favoured by kitesurfers, due to its expansive proportions.

Angela’s reflections on the beach.

The scene by the beach as a weather front moves in.

Newton Ferrers

Season: summer

This is one of the most popular day sailing locations in the South West, attracting yachts from Cornwall and further afield, as well as Salcombe and other Devon marinas. Tucked away on a creek next to the River Yealm, there is a surprising range of facilities and leisure activities here. Access is also relatively good from Plymouth for those preferring an approach by land.

John, with a tale of the tide, by the water at Newton Ferrers.

A tranquil scene on an ebb tide.

Bay at the back of the Ocean

Season: summer

Known in Gaelic as Camus Cuil an t-Saimh, the bay’s name derives from the clear run west over the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. The beach is one of several on Iona, a small island to the west of Mull, connected by a ferry. The island has an iconic abbey, the burial place of the politician John Smith and reputedly where St Columba landed from Ireland on his Christian mission. As you approach the beach over the hill, the machair ends and a bank of shingle fringes the white beach sand. It’s a magical vista that draws you down to this beautiful place. Columba’s success in spreading Christianity onto the Scottish mainland made Iona a culturally significant place within the Celtic kingdom of Dal Riada, which dominated Northern Ireland, South West Scotland and the Western Highlands.

Marcel’s testimony to the beach from an ecological perspective. He refers to the Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance.

A secondary vignette, highlighting the scale of the beach.

What the beach means to Hans and Marian from the Netherlands.

A stunning vista at the Bay at the back of the Ocean on Iona.