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.

Brora

Season: winter

Brora has a beautiful beach, with extensive dunes and a golf course as a backdrop. Enjoying fine views across the Moray Firth, it is popular with walkers and an excellent place for wildlife watching. You can see otters, seals, arctic terns, dolphins and perhaps even a minke whale. The stretch north of the River Brora is most popular with families, as this is where the beach is most sandy. Kitesurfing is a favourite pastime at Brora and there’s fine walking at the southern, rockier end of this long beach.

Friends together by the beach at Brora.

A winter palette at Brora.

Golspie

Season: winter

Golspie has a long sandy town beach, often divided into north and south, backed by grassy dunes. The fishing town was expanded in the 19th Century to house those dispossessed in the Highland Clearances, a sad legacy. Now it is bustling, as it sits between Brora and Loch Fleet on the main road north. Nearby Dunrobin Castle is a fine sight, with its formal gardens a particular feature. There’s a railway station and plenty of shops and facilities for visitors, so Golspie is well worth a visit.

What this beach means to Bert.

Elspeth and Neil, waiting for a bus in Golspie.

Winter light in the morning at the beach.

Helmsdale

Season: winter

Helmsdale was built in the early 19th Century to re-settle those dispossessed by the notorious Duke of Sutherland during the Highland Clearances. This sad period of history is marked by the Emigrants Statue, which stands imposingly above the south side of the town. Further back in history, there are Viking associations, due to the sheltered geography and the access inland via the River Helmsdale. Nowadays, leisure craft have largely replaced the inshore fishing boats and there’s a lively arts scene, including an Arts Centre and the Timespan Museum. Helmsdale is well worth a visit.

What the beach means to Billy.

Jacquie, at the Timespan Museum in Helmsdale.

The harbour at Helmsdale.