Coming up in this guide: dolphins, cafes, detours, drives, great wild swimming opportunities, some of my favorite under-the-radar places in Scotland, and the 13 best swimming spots on the NC500.
We’ve already brought you a big fat bumper guide to the North Coast 500…
(and we included some beaches in that guide)
… but this time, we’re back with loads more Scottish sands and shores—and all the route’s best beaches for swimming, splashing, and even snorkeling.
So which NC500 beaches are best for swimming? Which ones should you avoid? Which should you visit with kids? And are there any lochs for swimming?
Coming up, all that and more—we’re here with Scotland North Coast 500 beaches: the best swimming spots on the route!
Wait—Before we get started, can’t I just swim on any Scottish beach?
No, you can’t just swim on any Scottish beach.
Because: Scottish tides, winds and currents can be very strong, and some of the UK’s waters are way less safe than most people expect.
… and not every beach in Scotland is a safe swimming beach.
So: if a beach isn’t listed here and you do want to swim in it, double-check whether that would be safe. We’re your friends here at Travelness, and we don’t want you to be harmed.
1. Rosemarkie Beach
Where is it? Just north of Inverness.
Best for: Family-friendly fun, an easy day trip from Inverness, and seeing some dolphins.
Rosemarkie Beach, located off the NC500 route, is a very popular detour from the ride.
Sitting just a 20-minute drive from the route’s A9 road, it’s one of the most well-known wild swimming beaches on our list.
A long lovely sandy beach, it’s popular with families, it’s home to the super-welcoming Rosemarkie Beach Cafe (a lovely community cafe with tasty sandwiches and snacks), and it’s great for swimming and paddleboarding.
Recommended for everyone, and it’s very safe to swim here.
2. Ceannabeinne Beach
Where is it? North Coast, a 10-minute drive east of Durness.
Best for: Families, swimming with kids, and plenty of nearby fun.
Ceannabeinne Beach, surrounded by loads more family-friendly action and adventure, is one of the NC500’s best wild swimming spots for families.
With white-pink sand, clear-blue water, small lumpy cliffs, and decent surfing swells, it’s a typical northern-coast Scottish beach.
Nearby fun includes the Golden Eagle Zip Line, the iconic Smoo Cave, and the hot chocolates at Cocoa Mountain.
And for even more safe swimming, head to the very-nearby shores of both Durness Beach and Sangomore Beach.
3. Clachtoll Beach
Where is it? Just north of Lochinver.
Best for: A short walk, a quiet beach, and seeing Split Rock.
Known for being one of the best wild swimming spots on the NC500, you access this lovely sandy beach by a single-track road then a short walk. Most swimmers here are campers from the nearby campsite (where overnighters can get kayaks and paddleboards for free!).
I recommend tackling an excellent but easy 90-minute walk before swimming here: this simple hike gives you an Iron Age defense tower, and views of both Stac Pollaidh and Split Rock.
When you’re done, head to the nearby Flossies Beach Store bright-blue shack, for a sandwich and a coffee.
4. Portmahomack Beach
Where is it? Close to Inverness, on Scotland’s eastern coast.
Best for: Looking for giant marine life, and combining swimming with walking.
Lying a 1-hour drive north of Inverness, Portmahomack Beach isn’t as beautiful or impressive as some of the places we’ve brought you. But it’s safe and sandy, it’s popular with swimmers and paddle boarders, and it’s very easy to get here.
When you’re done with your swimming, wander into the village of Portmahomack, then stroll past the harbor to reach the place marked on Google Maps as ‘Portmahomack Dolphin Viewpoint.’ And for a longer wander, head all the way to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, the tallest on Scotland’s mainland.
5. Dornoch Beach
Where is it? 1-hour drive north of Inverness.
Best for: Families, walking dogs, and shallow swimming.
Pretty close to Portmahomack, and another of the best family-friendly wild swimming spots in Scotland.
It’s one of the biggest beaches on our list—here, you’ll find miles of golden sands, lots of shallow water, and plenty of paddlers, wanderers and dog-walkers.
Not the most dramatic or scenic place on our list, but very clean and accessible.
6. Golspie Beach
Where is it? 80-minute drive north of Inverness.
Best for: Families, and seeing some seals.
North of both Portmahomack and Dornoch beaches, and another of the east-coast’s best wild swimming opportunities.
Well-known among swimmers, Golspie Beach is also popular with dog-walkers, crab-searchers, and birdwatchers. Again, not particularly dramatic, but very clean and pretty.
When the tide goes out here, head to nearby Loch Fleet… and you might see some seals.
7. Melvich Beach
Where is it? In the center of the northern coast.
Best for: Lots of sand, and mixing swimming with sunbathing.
Although Scotland’s west-coast beaches normally get all the plaudits, the northern coast is home to some outrageously-attractive options too.
… and Melvich Beach is one of them. Among the most breathtaking wild swimming spots on the NC500, it’s long, clean, deep, and sandy.
If you’re looking for a very beachy beach, this is the one for you. Great for swimming, great for sunbathing, and well-known as one of the nation’s best surf spots.
8. Torrisdale Bay
Where is it? In the center of the northern coast.
Best for: Quiet swimming, and maybe seeing some animals.
One of the quietest spots on our list, Torrisdale Bay sits a 30-minute drive west of Melvich Beach.
One of the best wild swimming spots on the northern coast, it combines solitude and quiet with a hefty length (it measures in at 1 mile/1.6km).
It’s sandy, it’s duney, and dolphins and porpoises are often spotted here.
9. Redpoint Beach
Where is it? West coast, just south of Gairloch.
Best for: Isolation, quiet, and great wild swimming opportunities.
A sort-of-red-sand bay, this secluded arc of a beach is one of the prettiest shorelines in the UK.
You can expect rock pools, isolation, probably wandering through a herd of cows to get here, occasional visits from roving sheep, and lovely views of distant mountains.
This is genuine isolation—you won’t find a store or a cafe without driving more than 20 minutes. Great for couples and groups of friends; not so great for families or solo travelers.
10. Big Sand Beach
Where is it? 10-minute drive west of Gairloch.
Best for: A busy beach on the west coast.
One of the west coast’s best wild swimming spots (and best-known beaches overall!), Big Sand Beach is busier than most people expect…
… mainly cos it’s close to Sands Caravan & Camping (where I recommend overnighting—I’ve stayed here a couple of times and it’s super charming and homely). They have places for touring vans and touring tents, along with camping pods, and pitches right beside the sand.
Expect sand dunes, pretty mountain views, lots of families, and easy swimming.
11. Achmelvich Beach
Where is it? The northern part of the west coast.
Best for: Mixing swimming with more outdoor fun.
Not to be confused with Melvich Beach, Achmelvich Beach (also known as ‘Achmelvich Bay’) is a 2-hour drive north of Gairloch…
… and it’s known for being one of the most amazing wild swimming spots on the NC500:
- Partially because it’s so scenic (it’s a beautiful bay with many viewpoint-packed lumps)
- Partially because its little hills shelter it from wind
- … and partially because it’s rarely crowded.
If you head here in summer, you might find people fishing, kayaking, kite surfing, paddle boarding, or even snorkeling.
12. Polin Beach
Where is it? The northwestern corner of the NC500.
Best for: Seclusion and solitude.
One of the least-known options on our list, Polin Beach sits at the end of a long scenic single-track road (and the landscape here looks very similar to the landscapes you get in Skye).
It’s sandy, clean, and tidy, and it’s perfect for a quiet swim.
13. Oldshoremore Beach
Where is it? The northwestern corner of the NC500.
Best for: More(!) seclusion and solitude.
Right beside Polin Beach, and slightly more popular than its nearby neighbor.
(and, of course, most people combine a Polin visit with an Oldshoremore one).
In many ways, Oldshoremore Beach is pretty similar to Polin: expect blue waters, golden sands, lumpy dunes, occasional swimmers, and plenty of peace and quiet.
Are there any non-beach places to swim on the NC500?
Yep!
You’ll also find many swimmable lochs (surprisingly, Scotland is home to over 30,000 of the watery boys). And loads of them are excellent wild swimming spots.
Some of the best loch-swimming options along the NC500 are:
Top tips for swimming in Scotland
13 Best NC500 swimming spots: Final Thoughts
And we’re done!
To sum up, our top three picks for seaside swimming on the NC500 are:
For more Scottish sands, here are the 19 best beaches on the east coast of Scotland.
And don’t miss my selection of the most Instagrammable spots on the North Coast 500. These are the most beautiful places you can witness on the route.
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and thanks in advance for coming back again one day. Enjoy swimming around Scotland!
