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.

Sandwood Bay

Season: winter

This beach is a regular candidate in the “Best beaches…” polls, a point you’ll have plenty of time to consider during your four mile walk to get there. The path is maintained by The John Muir Trust. The walk is scenic and an enjoyable part of any visit to Sandwood Bay. You approach the beach from above, allowing you to savour the outstanding beauty from a distance. In the bay stands the sea stack Am Buachaille (the shepherd). The sand is powder fine and the sea is invariably azure blue. The area holds protected status, as part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This is a beach that resonates in your mind long after you’ve returned from your visit.

What the beach means to Arun.

The beach, seen from the high dunes.

By the water at Sandwood Bay.

Oldshoremore

Season: winter

Powdery white sand greets you as you descend through the dunes to Oldshoremore beach in Sutherland. The west-facing beach leads north and beyond its limit is a further smaller beach, below Oldshorebeg and known as Polin Beach, which is equally exquisite. The setting is unspoilt, indeed quite isolated, with few facilities, but there is reasonable access and adjacent parking. Shops and restaurants are at nearby Kinlochbervie. The elemental beauty at Oldshoremore beach is intoxicating, with a reassuring sense of permanence. This is one of the most beautiful places in these islands.

Don’s testimony to the beach from an environmental perspective.

A view from above the beach.

By the water at Oldshoremore.

Scourie Beach

Season: winter

The beach at Scourie enjoys an exquisite setting beside Scourie Bay, sandy and shaped in a pleasing arc for a strand line walk. Handa Island, located to the north, is a haven for birds and features waterfalls that are four times higher than Niagra Falls. This pristine environment is protected by the Scourie Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Handa Special Protection Area. As a result, the area is largely undeveloped, but access is good. Dogs are welcome, parking is not a problem and the North Coast 500 route passes nearby. This is a location to savour, invigorating and highly recommended.

What the beach means to Charlotte.

By the beach at Scourie Bay.