Bugger we are off to Portugal this year . oh well sanna next year .

I mistakenly referred to Rua Reidh when the beach is actually Camas Mor. Still brilliant, still a git to get to, and still near the Rua Reidh lighthouse.

Saltcoats – known for its picturesque harbour and golden, sandy beaches set around Irvine Bay.

Lunan bay near Montrose. Just to provide an alternative to all those to the north and west.

We’re just back from Arisaig. The beach in dracs pic is easy to access and not busy. Losds more nearby. Standing in the water in dracs pic, I had 6 different species of fish swim around my knees. Kids spent hours climbing up the dune front and jumping off.

It’s not Dracs beach, it’s Bens beach 😉

If you go to the Moray Firth, Rosemarkie beach on the north cost line, Chanonry Point. You can watch the dolphins jumping out of the water from the shore. Maybe only 10 metre away. The whole pod come to the point every day at high tides to fish. Hardest part will be getting parked. Small car park and very popular this time of year.

Sandwood Bay for me plus the black sands at Talisker bBay on Skye takes some beating.

Oh – Loch Morlich alternative.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/he63KD]Loch Morlich Beach[/url] by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

Probably the best inshore beach in the UK?

Probably the best inshore beach in the UK?

Between that and Laggan, hard to say.

Hmm. I think the view of the Gorms shades it though 🙂

Cape wrath

West sands st Andrews

Castle Point ain’t bad

Surf hunt back in 2010, Strathy on the north coast.[/url]dig surf trip strathy 4

Get the ferry & go to Islay!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/f5zauK]Islay 2013 027[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

Or Uist!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/o2P95f]Uist[/url] by jimmyg352, on Flickr

I love Arisaig & Sanna though.

Melvich (not Achmelvich) is a nice beach. The sand is very red which stands out over most beaches in Scotland and it’s got a nice break. The small beach at Morar is scenic and the kind of place you would want to laze around on but don’t expect waves like you would find on the north coast.. It’ll be flat calm. Worth a visit though as the sand is very light in colour and it’s not too far from Mallaig. Both beaches are visually nice but Durness on a blue sky day, Balnakeil (walk out to the point) and Sangobeg are toppers.

Aye – jump on the ferry and go to Harris

[url=https://flic.kr/p/oteagr]DSC_0066[/url] by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

I love Loch Morlich, just for the crazy clashes of environment you get, walking through snowy trees suddenly onto a beach. But you can’t really build a sandcastle there.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/okBun1]Mail0030[/url] [/img]

Ice castles? Wow,this pic is poor! (scanned print from years ago)[url=https://flic.kr/p/oBQFER]Mail0031[/url]

I do love these threads. It makes me very grateful to live where I do and to be able to appreciate all the fine things that it offers.

I’m also grateful (for completely selfish reasons!) that most of the “best” places are a PITA to get to from the central belt or England 🙂

ok, if we are doing Islands, here’s Colonsay

and one up West Loch Tarbert, Jura

Sadly, thanks to Bertha, the only beaches we visited were Findhorn (could see the Seals), Spey Bay (no dolphins) Loch Garten (red squirrels, voles and Ospreys eating trout) and Loch Morlich ( wet campers and reindeer)

Ah well, we’ll have to go back. Thanks for all your tips

Ok probably not in the league of the west coast but I’ve never been out there… But we go up to st abbs just over the boarders each year (here at the moment) and go to Coldingham bay which we love. Good surf at times and great rock pools and just under an hour to Edinburgh. Can get busy mind, especially on a nice day.