The beach is considered to be one of the remote beaches in the UK (Image: Getty)
On the north-west coast of Scotland lies one of the UK’s most spectacular beaches with its pink coloured sands, large sand dunes and a spectacular sea stack. Reaching it, however, takes real effort. Sandwood Bay is a remote stretch of coastline in Sutherland, famous for its unusual pink-tinged sand, towering dunes and incredible views, but you can’t simply drive there.
The nearest road ends miles away and visitors must walk over four miles from the car park at Blairmore across open moorland to reach it. For those willing to make the journey, the reward is a beach many consider one of the most breathtaking in the UK.
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The beach is known for its 1.5-mile stretch of unique pink-tinted sand (Image: Getty)
Pink beaches are often associated with tropical destinations. Yet this Highland bay offers its own version of that rosy glow much closer to home.
That pink colour is due to the erosion of the surrounding Torridonian sandstone cliffs. These rocks contain high levels of iron oxide, which gives the sand a beautiful pink hue when washed onto the shore.
The beach itself stretches for nearly a mile and a half, backed by large rolling sand dunes and the freshwater Sandwood Loch just inland. Offshore stands the dramatic sea stack known as Am Buachaille, Gaelic for « the herdsman » or “the shepherd”, rising sharply from the Atlantic and adding to the striking, breathtaking yet also haunting landscape.
Sandwood Bay has also become surrounded by folklore and local legend. Stories tell of shipwrecks buried beneath the sand from centuries ago, when vessels navigating the wild Atlantic waters sometimes met disaster along this stretch of coastline.
One tale describes a ghostly sailor said to appear near the ruins of Sandwood Cottage during stormy nights, while another recounts a supposed sighting of a mermaid on the rocks near the bay in the early 1900s.
The route is fairly gentle but exposed to the elements, and sections of the path can be wet underfoot depending on the weather. For much of the walk, the sea remains hidden. This makes the arrival at the beach particularly unforgettable when the dunes come into view, and the sound of waves suddenly appears.
Am Buachaille sea stack can be seen from the beach (Image: Getty)
Undiscovered Scotland wrote about the beach: « Sandwood Bay is the most magnificent beach in the UK. It offers nearly a mile and a half of wide pinkish sand backed by huge sand dunes and a loch, and is flanked by cliffs and an impressive sea stack.
« It faces north-west, straight into the teeth of the worst the North Atlantic can throw at it. For sheer majesty and grandeur, there is simply nowhere that can beat Sandwood Bay. »
Someone else called it a « must-do experience » on TripAdvisor. They wrote: « Having had a fascination for Sandwood Bay for many years, I finally made the hike with pal John yesterday. Not being a walker and in my 70s, I obviously had reservations about the undertaking. However, I needn’t have worried, we completed the round trip in 3 and a half hours in blustery conditions. For the landscape to open up in front of you and reveal the bay itself was jaw-dropping and well worth the effort to get there.
« An experience I will never forget. Down on the beach itself, photos were taken, including of the ghostly stack. After taking in the aura of it all, we made our way back from what was a truly brilliant experience. »
Another TripAdvisor user added: « In my opinion, this is the finest beach in Britain. The walk out to it isn’t easy, but at the end of the walk you will agree it is simply the best with Cape Wrath lighthouse in the distant north and the sea stack Am Buchaille at the southern end of the beach. »
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