Sandwood Bay
Edit SpotAbout
It is very remote so bring in all you need for your trip. And please take out all your rubbish.
There is no firewood around so bring in fuel if you want to cook anything or boil water etc.
When the weather is kind to you this will be a surf spot you will look back on for everever. When it is
foul you will curse the bastard who ever suggested the trip.
You takes your choice!
Atmosphere:
Beautiful beach, blocked at either end by 500 foot cliffs. A large fresh water lake, in the
centre of the valley, backed up behind the sand dunes. You'll see the occassional walker here, but thats
about it. Water is crystal clear, and cold. You will need a full suit. It is the kind of spot you probably
dreamed up as a kid on some kind of fantasy island. Only this is for real.
Additional Info:
This is about as remote as you can get on the UK mainland. I've visited twice for a total of 7 days, and never seen another surfer. Never seen another person
in the water. It's a long sandy beach, with a couple of central rock outcrops which break up the swell lines and make for interesting waves, and also offer a
bit of shelter on paddle outs in some conditions. Hard to call the waves, (not being a regular!)but a combination of sand bars, the rock outcrops, and also
a hint of a point break at the southern end on the rising tide all means there is stacks to work with. Exposed beach, it will pick up any
swell going (usually a couple of feet more than Oldshoremore - which you can see just off the road on the way there) it also gets hideously blown out.
Location
Loading...Access
Drive about as far NW in Scotland as you can go, then dump the car and walk the last 3 or 4 miles over the coastal hills to this beach.
Suggest you take a good map, as there is no one around to ask directions! There is a track that goes the first mile or two over the
hills, but access is not guaranteed (gates), and not passable when wet. The walk is a challenge - especially if packing in all your camping gear
and surf boards! Nearest village is Kinlochbervie, where there is a shop and down by the jetty, a fishermans' club, where you can get hot food and
a drink, and they post up weather forecast maps.
Walk | Long walk (>30 min) |
---|---|
Public access | Yes |
4x4 required | Unknown |
Boat required | Unknown |
Wave Characteristics
Type | Beach break |
---|---|
Direction | Right and left |
Bottom | Sandy |
Power | Fast, Fun |
Frequency | Don't know |
Normal length | Short (<50m) |
Good day length | Normal (50 to 150m) |
Ideal Conditions
Wind direction | South, SouthEast, East, NorthEast |
---|---|
Swell direction | North, NorthWest, West |
Swell size | Less than 3ft - Don't know |
Tide | Low and mid tide |
Tide movement | Rising and falling tides |
Crowd
Week | Empty |
---|---|
Weekend | Empty |
Dangers
Rips / undertow
Videos
None
Nearby spots
11.77 miles away
Direction: | Right and left |
Bottom: | Sandy |
Frequency: | Regular (100 days/year) |