Beachcombing in Scotland

[touchwood]

Hi All,

We're hoping to spend a couple of weeks in Scotland at the end of Sept. We have no hard and fast plans other than we are hoping to spend most of the time on the coast and away from it all. We're going with our 3 dogs in a converted welfare bus so we can be self sufficient for a day or so. We all love the beach and would especially welcome suggestions for places to visit for wildlife, beachcombing, fossils, minerals etc and possibly sleeping over.

Also if anyone can recommend nice places to occasionally eat, nothing to fancy but good local produce, it would be appreciated.

Hopefully with your help we can plan something more constructive than just heading north and hoping for the best.

[pammosley]

Hi touchwood, welcome to WAB. We returned from our tour of Scotland last week, I hope you are luckier with the weather than we were, it rained most of the time & the wildlife was hiding away We did make it up to Durness which is beautiful. There is a lovely coast walk from Kyle of Durness to Durness. The path isn`t way-marked but you can find your way ( we had a minor detour ) Stunning, deserted beaches. We stopped at Sango sands campsite, very, very windy, but the views are worth it The restaurant there is great too reasonable priced & good portions.
Enjoy your adventure

[pammosley]

I forgot the photos

[earthdragon64]

It really depends how far north you want to go and whether you are going to go east coast or west coast.

The coastline between Arbroath and Montrose on the east coast is good for Agates, there is also a sea-life centre somewhere in the Montrose area.

The Moray coastline is also nice and there are quite a few places to stay in that area. There is a Scottish Wildlife Trust and Cetecean Trust centre on the coast at Spey Bay and a good chance of seeing Dolphins from there.

The Cromarty firth area is good for Seals and there are a couple of RSPB reserves on the coast, one at Udale bay one at Nigg. There is a really good restaurant called Storehouse of Foulis on the A9 just north of the Cromarty bridge, you can see Seals in the firth from it's grounds. The restaurant does all day meals and snacks and uses local fresh foods.

I don't know the west coast too well, but a place I went to a couple of years ago was Gruinard Bay, heading round to Mellon Udrigle, they are north-west of Inverness. There are a few beaches on that route with different places to stop. There's a good chance of seeing Sea Eagles, although not on the day I was there. I walked further west on a track from the Mellon Udrigle beach car park and saw two Otters though. I believe that there's a campsite at Mellon Udrigle.

[Tringa]

Chanonry Point on the Black Isle is great for dolphin watching.

On the west coast, Ardmair camp site, a few miles north of Ullapool, is excellent and you are not far from some interesting geology. Ullapool Camping & Caravan park - Ardmair Point Holiday Centre
Good fish and chips close to the ferry terminal.

Gairloch further down the west coast has two campsites, one (Gairloch Caravan Park) - small and quiet - in the centre of the village, the other (Sands Caravan & Camping) about 4 miles away is a large dunes site.

Millcroft Hotel in Gairloch is good, but if you are in the area, the Badachro Inn, across the bay, is a must - Badachro Inn Web Site

Lots of places on the west coast run wildlife boat trips and most beaches are good for a bit of beachcombing.

End of September is probably still OK, but I suggest you check any campsite, etc first to check they are still open.

Although some councils in Scotland discourage folks from stopping overnight in laybys or by the roadside, it is not a problem in the most of the Highlands.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by earthdragon64

I don't know the west coast too well, but a place I went to a couple of years ago was Gruinard Bay, heading round to Mellon Udrigle, they are north-west of Inverness. There are a few beaches on that route with different places to stop. There's a good chance of seeing Sea Eagles, although not on the day I was there. I walked further west on a track from the Mellon Udrigle beach car park and saw two Otters though. I believe that there's a campsite at Mellon Udrigle.

Scenerywise, I find west the best. Like Earthdragon says, the area north of Gairloch, round Mellon Charles and Mellon Udrigle is simply stunning, with a real sense of wilderness. And yes, there is a campsite at Mellon Udrigle. You'll love it.

Regards, Chris

[Red Squirrel]

Hello touchwood. We think the north west coast of Scotland is the best. The higher you go the more beautiful the scenery.We have been going up there for the past 35 years so know it pretty well. We too have a motor home.
Suggest you take your time and explore. Ordnance Survey maps very useful for out of the way places. Lovely beaches.
You'll find that 2 weeks is not enough and will want to go back again.
Could recommend pubs but don't know where you are heading.
Try this web site for camp sites. ScottishCamping.com - Directory of all campsites and Caravan Parks in Scotland

[Jim Ford]

Some years ago I found agates on the coast between Carnoustie and Luna Bay.

Jim

[touchwood]

Thank you all your suggestions, they have certainly giving us something to think about and look forward to. Think we'll be having a little look for agates along the east coast then cutting across country and heading up around the north, north/west.

My photography leaves a lot to be desired but if I get any good pics I'll post them when I get back.

Thank again

[ChrisJB]

If you like fossils, Carsaig Bay on Mull is a good bet. The rocks are Jurassic in the vicinity of the bay so you get the usual good stuff from that period, like ammonites, belemnites, etc.

Regards, Chris