With its white sands, shallow turquoise sea and natural shelter from westerly winds this beautiful beach is an ideal place for all the family. But what makes it really special are the views across the sea to Assynt, Coigach and the Summer Isles. The sheltered bay attracts foraging waders, gulls, grey heron and red throated diver. There’s a lovely way-marked coastal walk to the top of the peninsula, Rubha Beag and the estuary at Opinan (Na h-Òbaidhnean meaning ‘the place of little bays’) which is alongside the route is a great place to find wading birds in winter. The 2.5 mile / 4 km route is circular, starting and finishing from the beach car park.

This narrow inlet is a wonderful place to spend a day at the beach and a great place for birdwatching, with seabirds and waders regularly seen. At low tide an extensive tidal estuary of sand flats and salt marsh is exposed, fringed by dunes, and past that, machair. These habitats support a diversity of liverworts, mosses and the rare petalwort. Lapwings nest in the wetter sections of dune grasslands, while the lime-rich machair provides excellent grazing for sheep. Ringed plover and common sandpiper also nest around the bay. Two coastal walks, one to the north of the car park and one to the east offer good views, interesting geology and wildlife spotting opportunities. The bay is one of the locations on the North West Highlands Snorkel Trail, which includes a rich and diverse array of marine habitats and species and has been put together by the Scottish Wildlife Trust

The fine white sandy beach and turquoise water of the bay are a stark contract to the rugged beauty of the surrounding Assynt area. Sand castle builders, swimmers, kayakers, fishing enthusiasts and snorkelers alike are a common sight in and around this beautiful bay. Achmelvich is a good place to see black-throated and red-throated divers throughout the year and sometimes great northern divers in winter. Minke whales and porpoises can sometimes be seen from the shore. From the camp site, there is a beautiful coastal walk – rich with orchids in summer – to the ruined meal mill at Altanabradhan.

An outstanding beach with superb dunes, Torrisdale Bay is reached by a rewarding walk from Invernaver. This beautiful beach, just to the west of the historic village of Bettyhill, is situated on a headland between the mouths of two well-known salmon rivers – the Naver and the Borgie. It’s a popular place with surfers who enjoy the challenging conditions. The headland is an important area for wildlife and, due to the exposure of the site, rare plants that would normally be found on mountain sides can be found here at sea level. The raised beach above the River Naver contains a number of archaeological sites including the remains of ancient hut circles, enclosures and cists. There is a superb 5 mile / 8km walk which takes in this spectacular beach, dunes, riverside and moorland, as well as an iron-age broch with stunning views. Fishing permits can be obtained for salmon fishing on the lower association beat of the river

Claigan Coral Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Isle of Skye, with stunning views over Camas Ban. Known locally as a ‘wee gem’, Claigan Coral is a fantastic place to spend a day. Despite its name, the beach is not actually made of coral but of fossilised and sun-bleached algae. At low tide, explore the tidal island of Lampay, which is just a short walk across the bay. It is 4 miles of single track road from Dunvegan Castle to the small carpark. From the carpark, it is a short 1 mile walk to the beach. A truly magical place, perfect for a family picnic and maybe a swim.

The beach is a 10 minute drive from Dunvegan Castle, combining the walk to Coral Beach and a visit to the castle could make a great day out. The walk down to the beach is easy going along a farm track and takes about 25 mins to get to the beach. The return is that same route back to the carpark giving a walk total of 3.6km and 45 minutes (with no stops).