Scotlands best beaches?

The beaches on Harris are stunning, much nicer than Uists in my opinion.

Achmelvich is pretty amazing too.

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Ah - Harris - I forgot them as when I rode harris I rode the golden road

Achmelvich is nice but much smaller scalebut does sit nicely en route from Arisaig to Durness

Seems to be a lot more in aberdeenshire than I realised as well

I rode much of the ayrshire coast last year

I really liked the Harris beaches.
Islay had a lovely one at Machir Bay.
Traigh an t-Suidh on north of Iona is lovely.
We enjoyed Ardalanish and Uisken on Mull.
Calgary bay on Skye.

The beaches on Harris are stunning, much nicer than Uists in my opinion.

You're just wrong though.

Achmelvich has become too much of a tourist trap now but Achnahaird isn't too far away and is often overlooked.

Uig Sands, Valtos and Reif in Lewis. Off the Hebridean Way, so bypassed by many.

Redpoint to Little Gruinard has a selection of lovely little beaches - plus the larger one at Big Sand.

Kyle of Tongue, Bettyhill, Strathy and Melvich along the North coast.

Dornoch and Tain.

Machrihanish.

Kentra (but you've been there).

Sanna.

I find the "best" beaches are those that have some rocky character to them too.

Stay in Kearvaig bothy and do loops on the beach. Balnakiel is good. Oldshoremore. Lots in the NW mainland. Ormacleit for length on the islands.

Sanna Bay in Ardnamurchan is a stunner.
Calgary Bay on Mull. The singing sands round from Kentra is lovely too. The Arising beaches are also grand and you can walk to them all in an afternoon.

Chuck in a tour of Tiree, some beauties facing all directions.

I'm heading to Coll and Tiree this Summer. Please don't send TJ there 😉

St Ninian’s Tombolo on Shetland

And Shatners Bassoon

Hmmmmmm

Good excuse to go to a few of the islands I have not been to

Achmelvich become a tourist trap?  Its 35 years since I have been there.  Had a great holiday in Valtos but thats 45 years ago and I remember the beach

I'm thinking this route is going to be even more daft than last years.  Maybe need to keep it to the west coast and the islands

Ta folks.  The idea is not to ride to the beaches but ride along them hence the fatbike

As @Waderider says, there's a huge long beach on South Uist. I was camping at Kilbride, headed North and would have kept going all day if I hadn't needed to go back for my dinner 🙂

You could basically lap Berneray on a fatbike.

If you are riding along the Gruinard beaches, we could give you a bed for the night. Make sure you pick a properly low tide though!

I have ridden a good few miles on the beach on uist.  Hard going on the tandem with trailer on 2" tyres tho

Im going to have to get very familiar with tide tables

I use a UK Tide Tables app on my phone.

For "linear" beach riding you've also got Whiteness to Buckie. I assume you've done some/all of that?

Along the coast Findhorn area?  Yes.

Loch Avon?

Wouldn't recommend Arisaig beach, it's shit, honestly nothing to see there 😉

Ettrick Bay on Bute is lush as well.

Edit: Another vote for Findhorn.

Tràigh Mheilein next to Huisnish looks like it would be great at low tide

I find the “best” beaches are those that have some rocky character to them too.

Well, in that case Largs is obviously a top contender!

What's your plan to stop the bike rusting?!?! 😄😄

to ride on the beach not the sea?  good point tho.  I guess do what I used to do with my motorcycles when I used to ride all winter.  Paint all exposed metal with a mix of grease and solvent.  Once the solvent dries off the metal is protected.  Might swap the hydro discs out for cable one. so I don't destroy a nice set of hopes. chain will be fine as its putolined.Maybe put the rigid fork back on it.

I can add Laig beach on Eigg and Kilmory beach on Rum to the above list.....
We did a swim a day tour last spring and while Sandwood was fabulous, those two were as good..

No ones mentioned Knockvologan on Mull, plus when the tides out you can cross to Erraid, basis for RL Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Great place for a swim or paddle board as there are little islets you can go around, see shoals of fish, seals and other wildlife.

Sanna on Ardnamurchan is nice with lots of rocky inlets, plus you can ride/push/carry a bike around to Portnaruirk and then across to the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point with a wee cafe.

We definitely need more pictures.

Uist

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Loch Avon?

There's some great inland beaches - Tombreck on Loch Tay, the southern end of Ericht, west shore of Loch Stack, the lighthouse on Ness's northern tip, then of course the over busy Morlich and Lochan Uaine(sp)...

What bits have I missed?

Orkney

Lochan na herba ( which I can never spell)

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Laig Beach

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Kilmory

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Tropical paradise by the sea..
By the way..
Ya Bullet.

😉

I’m glad the ones around Dumfries are not mentioned. We want to keep them quiet. Especially Sandyhills and Rockcliffe.

In the vacinity of Arisaig - Singing Sands with its weird acoustic sand - it 'sings' in certain wind conditions but also has a strange sound if you sort of scuff your feet as you walk on it.  Typically very quiet as you can't get near it by car but theres nice routes to approach  by MTB

The biggest inland beach at Loch Laggan.

Uig Sands on Lewis would give a lot of real estate to ride on at low tide with a stay and very convivial breakfast at Bal na Cille

Not a huge beach but some of the prettiest sand I've ever seen is at Melon Udrigle - as the tide is going out and its still wet it looks amazing. The cliftiops path to the south are absolutely thronging with solitary bees.

Traigh Iar on North Uist best beach I’ve ever seen.

Vatersay.

Lunan bay on the east coast not been mentioned

I have had very enjoyable fat bike tours taking in Sanday, Coll, Tiree (The circumnavigation is a very fine tour). The Moray coast from west of Nairn to Spey Bay is very good with the forests backing the beaches and the remoteness of the Culbin bars. Fraserburgh to Peterhead and Newburgh to Aberdeen give a good feel of remoteness and are very long. Good sci fi vibe when passing St Fergus, and climb the dunes at Meanie for a taste of Tr*mps dystopia.

Some East coast balance:
I don't know the area around the Ythan estuary at all well, along to Aberdeen but then-
Montrose and Lunan southwards to Fife, you'll take in several miles around the outside of Tentsmuir & St Andrews, then the Fife Coastal gets you along a whole heap of quiet and not so quiet beaches all the way to the Forth bridge. Elie beach for the cricket in front of the pub, anyone..?

If you like skimming stones (and who doesn't) Ardmair beach is brilliant. Also Easdale island.

Or the latest attraction at Elie beach, a converted horse box sauna - https://www.elieseasidesauna.com/# A glass side on it so everybody can see you sweating in your swimming costume...

My favorite beach in Fife is Cambo sands, grilled cheese toastie shack a must.

I've walked the entire east coast from the border to Dundee so no need to do that again.  Fab beaches tho

I thik I shall ignore the inland ones as well for simplicity.

Ta tho folks.

Cycling on Tiree is great.  30mph in one direction, 5mph and pedalling squares the other!

Yes, Culbin Forest from Nairn to Findhorn and the Moray Coast Trail from Findhorn to Cullen plus there’s lots of nice tracks through the forest if you get bored with the beach.

Achnahaird beach near Achiltibuie