Shhh! There Is A Secret Achmelvich Beach. Actually There’s 2!
As beaches go you couldn’t really wish for more from Achmelvich beach. If you’ve seen any of our photos, you’ll understand what we mean. Pure white sands, turquoise water and an easy 2 min walk from Achmelvich accommodation.
What if we told you then that there were another 2 beaches in Achmelvich? Beaches that are as beautiful as the main beach, but quieter most of the time. Too much to hope for? Well it’s true.
Vestey’s Beach
The larger of the 2 secret beaches is known colloquially as Vestey’s beach. If an official name exists we are not aware of it and Vestey’s is all we’ve ever known it as.
The beach takes its name from the Vestey family, who owned much of the land in Assynt. It’s safe to assume that this beach was also part of their empire. We can certainly remember when their large blue boat would sail into the bay to inspect the beach.
Seen from the sea (or on google maps – see below) Vestey’s beach is clear as day. It is only slightly smaller than Achmelvich beach, yet most will be oblivious to its presence. This is because Rocky cliffs hide Vestey’s beach from the main beach.
It is also harder to access unless you swim, sail or kayak around the rocks. You’ll need sturdy shoes and possibly a brave pill to access the beach by land. The footpath is narrow, hilly and ends with a scramble over some chunky rocks.
It is worth it though! It isn’t uncommon to have the whole beach to yourself and the cliffs add to the feeling of seclusion. At certain times the waves seem to attack the shoreline more violently than they do on Achmelvich beach. While this might not be enough to surf on, it makes for some good wave jumping.
There is also a little stream that discharges onto Vestey’s beach. Damming this steam is a tradition that many generations of children in Achmelvich attempt. To date the stream has prevailed over even the sturdiest sand dam. All to play for this year though kids!
Sinky Sands
The second secret beach is arguably part of the Achmelvich beach. However, once there it is immediately apparent that Sinky Sands is a bit different.
As the name suggests, the sand on this little beach really sinks as you walk over it. In places your foot may unexpectedly sink more than 10cm!
Sinky Sands can be accessed by walking around the rocks to the left of the main beach at low-tide. If the tide is in, access is from the rocky cliffs above. Similarly to Vestey’s beach, this includes a bit of rock scrambling before reaching the white sands.
If the access doesn’t faze you, Sinky Sands can be your own private beach for the day. This can be a welcome alternative to the main Achmelvich beach which can be chokka at times. It is at night time however, when this little beach really comes to life.
During summer months, bonfires in the evening are common on Sinky sands. The local fish processing plant generously (sometime obliviously) donates broken wood pallets. These are retrieved and burned responsibly by friends who love to share a few drinks, tales and songs.
If you decide to have your own bonfire here, please make sure you do so in accordance with the Scottish code. For more details on this please see our recent blog containing links to the code. We’d also hope that any bottles & tops, nails, cans or other debris are taken away, there & then or at least the next morning. This ensures that the beach is unspoiled, so that the next visitors enjoy the beach just as much.
Directions
Vestey’s Beach
From Our pods, follow the road towards Achmelvich Beach public car park. Next, follow the road to the north out of the car park. There is a left & right turns in quick succession shortly after. Continue until the road next turns right, where you can choose one of two routes.
The quicker but trickier route (shown in orange below) leaves the road to follow a sandy path. It’s then a case of following the narrow path over the stream and rocks down to the beach.
The more gentle but longer route sticks to the road until the road forks (green line below). At this point head left towards Vestey’s Beach over the grass. Follow the slope & stream down to Achmelvich’s secret beach.
Sinky Sands
From Our pods, follow the road towards Achmelvich Beach. Instead of turning right into the public car park, follow the road to the left. You will arrive at the caravan site, where it is time to turn right. Achmelvich beach will be visible on your right as you climb up towards Sinky Sands. Cross the stile over the fence and carefully make your way down the hill towards Sinky Sands. There are steps cut into the grass bank, but you’re on your own for the final rocky section to the beach. Take care and enjoy the secret beach!
