One of the most beautiful beaches in Britain (Balnakeil Bay)

Member Name: micksheff

Product:	Balnakeil Bay
Date:	22/02/09 (141 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tranquil, deserted.

Disadvantages: Its a long way from anywhere

Balnakiel Bay is one of the most northerly beaches in Britain but for me the remote location at one of the most northerly points of the British mainland only adds to its charm. It's true that its is a long drive to get there but when you do, providing that the weather is fine, then you will not be disappointed.

I've always considered the fine sandy beaches of north west Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands to be one of Britain's best kept secrets. These beaches rival those found in Cornwall, often dubbed "The English Riviera" but they have the added advantage of being virtually deserted even if you visit them on the hottest day of the year.

Mention these Scottish beaches and many people will tut, imagining bitter cold winds and rain. I wouldn't recommend these beaches in the middle of winter but during the summer the constant bad weather is a myth. I have visited the beach at Balnakiel Bay and others nearby several times and on each occasion I have been blessed with temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius, even if there has been a big black cloud above me on the BBC weather map. This place is a world away from anywhere else in Britain in many ways, including it often seems also with the weather. During the summer the sun barely sets and one of my early childhood memories is sitting on top of the rocks above Balnakiel watching the sun set over the bay at a quarter past midnight.

The beach itself can be approached by car from Durness via a narrow, twisty single track road that winds down to the sea. At the end of the road there is a car parking area and the ruins of an old church dating from 1619. From here the road extends about a further mile down a private road to a golf course.

From the car parking area its only about a 100 metre walk across the sand dunes before the huge arc of the sandy bay opens in front of you. Between Balnakiel and Faraid Head at the opposite end of the bay there is over 2 kilometres of fine white sand.

I was here most recently in August 2008 and we walked the full length of the beach and back and never saw another single person all day, although another car had joined us in the car park when we returned. It was a lovely sunny day and by the time we returned back to our dwellings we were both badly sunburnt despite applying gallons of lotion throughout the day.

Faraid Head is designated as an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). The sand dunes are the largest in Britain and there are many rare birds and plants. Much of the peninsula is out of bounds to the general public as it is owned by the Ministry of Defence but the caves below the head can be approached on foot at low tide. These caves are the haunt of Black Guillemots, a rare sea bird that nests on the ledges inside the cave and there were dozens of seals lazing around on the rocks when we visited.

One thing that is striking to any visitor that comes here for the first time is the colour of the sea, which is so free of pollution that it is a turquoise blue colour.

Overall I would say that Balnakiel Bay is one of the most magical places that I have found in Britain.

Summary: One of the most northerly beaches in the UK