Top ten UK beaches
Britain and Ireland has some of the most spectacular coastal scenery anywhere in Europe. Here, we select our favourites.
Posted by Elderjuice
on June 8, 2012. Filed under Outdoors,Travel.
Posted with the tags:day trips, travel, UKYou can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Achmelvich beach in the Scottish Highlands courtesy of Liam Mason
A collection of stunning beaches in the far north west of Scotland, the name Achmelvich comes from the Gaelic for ‘sandy dunes’. And indeed there is an expanse of fine white sand, two campsites and very little else. The mountains rise behind you as you look out to sea, this is blissful, beautiful isolation. As you might expect, it’s a long drive to find it.
A south facing bay tucked into the east side of the Kintyre peninsula, Carradale is a sheltered sweep of pale sand with stunning views of Arran. Reached by 20 miles of single track road from the ferry port at Kennacraig, Carradale village is a small, working fishing port. There are lovely walks through nearby ancient woodland or, at low tide, clamber over the rocks and explore Torrisdale Bay.
This beach is the largest sand tombolo in the UK, and it joins St Ninian’s Isle onto the south mainland of Shetland. The island is a site of archaeological interest with Pictish treasure among the finds here, but if you’re just after the view it’s a grand place for a picnic.
Sea fishing off Huttoft Beach courtesy of Richard Croft geograph.org.uk
England
Croyde Bay, Braunton, Devon
This gorgeous sandy beach is backed by dunes and a cosy North Devon village. There are surf schools, space for sunbathers and great walks along the beautifully named Baggy Point headland.
Fistral Bay, Newquay, Cornwall
Fistral is one of Cornwall’s classic surf spots, and when the waves are high the water gets busy. But on a beach this big there’s still plenty space to stretch out and watch. Craggy cliffs surround the expanse of sand, making it a truly spectacular spot.
Moggs Eye Beach, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
Also known as Huttoft Beach, this is a vast stretch of sand, quiet and unspoilt, surrounded by countryside. Nine miles north of good old Skegness, you’ll need to bring your own sandwiches as there’s not much here beyond the car park and toilets. But it’s a great space to walk, or plonk yourself down in the soft sand to contemplate the sea.
Sheringham, North Norfolk
The locals describe Sheringham as ‘twixt pine and sea’. At high tide, there’s not much beach to mention – at low tide an expanse of sand appears beyond the pebbles, leaving lots of wildlife to find in rock pools. The town has a boutique feel with a variety of local shops, restaurants and pubs, nestled in rolling countryside.
Barafundle Bay courtesy of monty geograph.org.uk
Wales
Abersoch, Gwynedd
On the south side of the Llŷn Peninsula, Abersoch main beach is sheltered and sandy. There’s a wealth of sailing activity around the bay, but a motor boat exclusion zone and gentle currents make it an ideal swimming spot. Wildlife hunters can take boat trips from here to St Tudwal and Bardsey Islands.
Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire
This beautiful bay is National Trust-owned and accessible on foot, just a half hour walk over cliff tops from Stackpole Quay tea room. It’s just out-of-the-way enough to stop the yellow sand and stunning blue water, more Greek island than Welsh coast, ever getting too busy.
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower Peninsula, Glamorgan
From up on the cliffs, this stunning beach is one of the most photographed views in Wales. The paths aren’t easy, but there’s great hiking along this bit of coast – Pennard Castle and Mitchen Hole sea caves are amongst the sites. But parts of the beach do get cut off, so keep an eye on the tide!
Ballygally town and beach courtesy of Anne Burgess geograph.org.uk
Northern Ireland
Ballygally, County Antrim
There’s a sandy beach in the middle of a stony bay, with the postcard town of Ballygally stretched around it. The Antrim coast is dotted with beautiful spots and fascinating geology, so if you’re exploring it all this is the ideal spot to relax and enjoy an ice cream – now possible since the village got lottery funding to reopen their only shop.
Magilligan Strand, Benone
Seven miles of sandy beach wind round this spectacular section of Northern Ireland’s coast. It has one of the largest dune systems in the UK making it a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are platforms on which you can walk into the protected dunes, swimming, sailing, outdoor paddling pools – it’s seven miles long, it’s got everything you could possibly want to do on a beach.
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2 Responses to Top ten UK beaches
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kinglear
June 8, 2012 at 8:13 pm
I’ve been to one or two of these but I know Carradale really well – it’s truly divine.
John Archibald
June 10, 2012 at 12:17 pm
I have been going to Achmelvich Bay near Lochinver since I was a school kid. My daughter and I went camping there last year. We saw a sea otter playing on the rocks, Truly magical.