I’ve been planning to go wild camping at Sandwood Bay for about 18 months and it’s never worked out. This year I was determined to get there. I picked, possibly, the best weekend of the year to finally get to Sandwood. The weather was stunning.
I broke the trip into two stages, firstly an overnight stop at Oldshoremore Beach and then two nights at Sandwood Bay.
Walking to Sandwood Bay
Sandwood Bay is over 4 miles from the nearest road, the only way to get there is to walk. The path was relatively flat and nice to walk, there are a few burns to cross on the way but it wasn’t a challenging walk. It took just under 2 hours, carrying kit.
Camping at Sandwood Bay
I spent two nights camping at Sandwood, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. There are no facilities at all, so bring all you need. There is a fresh water Loch which runs into the ocean at the south end of the Bay. I collected drinking water from the small river.
I spent my time just relaxing, doing a spot of metal detecting and I was lucky enough to have great weather for capturing some amazing drone footage of Sandwood Bay. I also had a walk up to the Am Buachaille sea stack, which is an impressive sight.
It was really quiet at night and a lovely place to be. I can see why it is regarded as Scotland’s most remote mainland beach, it does feel extremely remote. Obviously, there is no mobile signal here at all. Be careful not to damage an ankle on the sand dunes, you will have to walk back!
I look forward to returning next year, maybe fitting in a couple of nights at the two nearby bothies.
How to get to Sandwood Bay
The only way to get to Sandwood Bay is to park at the John Muir Trust car park in Blairmore and walk the 4.5 miles to the beach. It is well sign-posted and once walking, you cannot get lost.
Car parking is free but you can make a donation to the John Muir Trust, you have responsibility for looking after this amazing part of Scotland.
