The Best Isle of Skye Beaches – Don’t Miss These Beaches on your Isle of Skye Itinerary
The Isle of Skye is known for it's rugged landscape and stunning mountain range, not so much for its beautiful beaches. The beaches on the Isle of Skye are so diverse, there are rocky beaches, black sand beaches and even golden sand beaches paired with the clearest blue water.
Alongside visiting all of the other incredible things to do on the Isle of Skye, we would recommend adding at least one of these incredible beaches to your itinerary.
The Isle of Skye is one of the most visited places in Scotland and it is not hard to see why once you arrive on this beautiful island. In this guide, we will discuss the best time to go to the Isle of Skye as well as the following beaches in more detail
Staffin Beach
Talisker Beach
Claigan Coral Beach
Glen Brittle Beach
Camas Daraich Beach
Camas Daraich Beach
Staffin Beach
Staffin Beach is a large strech of sand on the northern coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye. The beach is sheltered by rugged mountains, including the Quiraing Peak. There is a boat slip way further round the road and during the summer months, boat trips leave from here.
Look out for the small stretch of black sand beach just before the slipway. At low tide you can look out for fossilised dinosaur footprints which were discovered in 2002 and has given fame to this beach on the Isle of Skye.
Staffin Beach
Talisker Bay
Talisker Bay is a beautiful black sandy beach near the small village of Carbost on the Isle of Skye. It is well known for the towering sea stack on the left and the large powerful waterfall on the right.
There is a small parking area at the end of a long single track road for Talisker Bay. From there it is around a 20 minute walk along a flat path to reach the beach.
The best time to visit Talisker Beach for a swim is at low tide as this is when the beautiful black sand is revealed. At high tide water is incredibly clear in this bay, perfect for swimming if you can access the water over the rocks.
Talisker Bay
Claigan Coral Beach
On the northern coast of the Isle of Skye, a 10-minute drive from Dunvegan Castle is Coral Beach. This beach is made from crushed white coral-like seaweed so when the sun is shining this makes the water look a gorgeous shade of tropical blue, making it very tempting to get in for a swim.
There is a narrow one-way road leading to the small beach car park for 4.5 miles after Dunvegan. When you arrive, it is a further 1-mile walk along an uneven path to the beautiful white sandy beach. You are sharing the path with farm animals so prepare for it to be muddy during the winter months and remember to close the gates behind you.
Claigan Coral Beach
Glenbrittle Beach
Glenbrittle Beach is a black volcanic sandy beach at the foot of the Cuillin Mountains and at the head of Loch Brittle. There is a campsite along the shore with incredible views across the loch.
Glenbrittle Beach can be accessed at the end of a long single track road through the mountains. There is plenty of free parking is available for Glenbrittle Beach.
Glenbrittle Beach
Camas Daraich
Camas Daraich Beach is one of the most beautiful white sandy beaches on the Isle of Skye. This beach requires a a bit of a walk to get to as it is located at the end of the Sleat Peninsula. This makes it the perfect place to visit if you are wanting to escape the busy areas on the Isle of Skye as it is likely it will be much quieter. The beach is around an hours walk away from where you will park your car along a rough road and boggy terrain however it is well worth the walk.
Camas Daraich
So there you have it, your guide to the best beaches on the Isle of Skye. If you are visiting this incredible place and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! If you have already been, let us know how it was! Did you get a clear day to see the sights? Did you manage the trip without getting caught in the rain? Let us know in the comments below!
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