STOATER

Wild Camping at Sandwood Bay

After months of Covid restrictions being imposed on Scotland, I managed to escape Glasgow and head up North for a night of wild camping on Sandwood Bay.

Sandwood Bay had been on my radar for a while and a few of us had settled that it would be the next spot for a few nights camping. Unfortunately, throwing the Scottish winter and Covid-19 into the mix it took us over a year to actually get there.

Sandwood Bay is a natural bay in Sutherland, on the far north-west coast of mainland Scotland. It looks like something you'd see in California or Australia with its 1-mile-long beach, natural sand dunes and its very own sea stack.

On the road up, you drive through some of the most remote areas of the Scottish Highlands. The road cuts through moorlands and mountains passing Loch after Loch.

Ben Stack and Loch More
Loch More
Jay
Loch Stack with Tatha nam Beann in the background
It's single track roads for miles and miles. Lots of passing places though.
This magnificent beauty is Arkle, one for the bucket list
What a view! This is a wee place called Badcall

After the 3 hour drive from Avimore, where we camped the previous night, it's a ~4 mile walk to the beach.

The path is great though and when you arrive at the beach it feels like you deserve it.

Jay and Grant on route to the beach
My first glimpse of Sandwood Bay
Pitching a tent in the sand is a challenge but it's worth it to open the tent to that view
Our home for the night
Blue sea, white sand. Scotland? Aye!
This random skull was washed up, could be a whale?
Half cut
I found this in my pocket, it's my sons. I must've taken it off him at some point...

The following morning I got up around 8am and went a wander.

This fast flowing river had gourged itself a channel through the sand. It was a couple of foot deep.
I'll be back!
and then the exciting 6 hour journey home...