5 Best Beaches on the NC500
Ceannabeinne Beach at sunrise
The most beautiful beaches in the world can be found along the North Coast 500 road trip. The thing about beaches on the NC500, is that if you ever find one a little too busy, all you need to do is move on to the next one.
The north coast of Scotland offers beaches that are comparible to the Carribean at a glance, however the icy cold temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean will soon remind you that you are in fact in Scotland.
Achmelvich Beach
Achmelvich Bay, with white soft sand and the clearest blue water, is a stunning beach that attracts thousands of visitors every single year. Located in one of the most remote regions on the northwest coast of Scotland, Achmelvich Beach has some of the most incredible scenery you will come across in the country.
Surrounded by sand dunes and cliff faces the white sandy beaches are met with the clearest blue water, it is easy to see why this beach is an award-winning beach in Scotland.
Achmelvich Bay from above
Dunnet Bay
Dunnet Bay is the most northern beach on mainland Scotland and stretches for over 2 miles. This crescent bay is popular for surfing and swimming as the water is a couple of degrees warmer than the bays nearby. Dunnet Bay is dog friendly all year round making it a common place for dog walking as well as for those who want to relax on the beach on a sunny day with their dog.
If you are a lover of the sea and want to try your hands at surfing in the waters of Dunnet Bay, North Coast Watersports is the way to do that. This surf school offers private and group lessons as well as surf retreats and equipment hire.
Dunnet Bay
Coldbackie Beach
Coldbackie is one of the more hidden beaches on the NC500, located beneath some sand dunes near Tongue on the north coast.
Hidden from the roadside, this isolated, remote, and difficult to access stretch of sandy beach is the purest definition of paradise we could ever imagine. Hugely popular with surfers and local swimmers, this beach is usually a quiet and peaceful retreat for those willing to make the climb down the hillside to reach its hidden shores.
Follow the path down to the beach and enjoy the white sandy beach overlooking the Kyle of Tongue all to yourself.
Oldshoremore Beach
Oldshoremore Beach is located near Kinlochbervie at the end of a very narrow steep road. There is a small car park at the bottom with toilet facilities. The beautiful white stretch of sand is only a 5 minute walk away from the car park but is a bit of a detour off the main NC500 route, meaning you might be lucky enough to get this beautiful spot to yourself.
Oldshoremore Beach
Sandwood Bay
Sitting slighly further out than Oldshoremore, Sandwood Bay is another beach that you won’t drive past on the main NC500 route. It is situated 11 miles from Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain and is one of the most remote beaches in Scotland.
Sandwood Bay is not an easily accessible beach as it requires walking 4 miles from the car park across the moorland to get there. The best place to park is at Blairmore where you will cross through a gate and follow the path to the coast.
There are no amenities at this beach and it will never be overly busy due to the effort required to get there. However, if you can, we would highly recommend the walk out to this stunning beach.
Sandwood Bay