Best Beaches in Skye & Lochalsh
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches in Skye & Lochalsh are Camusdarach Beach, Arisaig Beach, Elgol Beach, Coral Beach, Rubha Shleite and Talisker Bay Beach.
The coast of Skye and Lochalsh is one of the most striking in Scotland, a long tangle of sea lochs, silver-sand bays and rocky headlands looking out to the islands of the Small Isles and the wider Hebrides. This is a shore of contrasts, where soft, shell-white sands lie only a few miles from beaches of pebble and rock framed by mountains.
On the mainland near Arisaig, pale crescents like Camusdarach and Arisaig Beach run out to clear turquoise shallows, with views west to Rum and Eigg. Over on Skye itself, the choice runs from the tropical-looking white of Coral Beach and the black-and-white sands of Talisker Bay to the pebbly shore at Elgol, celebrated for its view of the Black Cuillin.
Some of the finest, like Rubha Shleite at the tip of Sleat, are reached only on foot, wild and without a single facility. Whether you want an easy stroll from the road or a long walk to somewhere lonely, the region rewards the effort.
Here are six of the best beaches to seek out in Skye & Lochalsh.
Camusdarach Beach
Photo: Peter Moore via Geograph.org.uk
Camusdarach Beach sits near Arisaig on the west coast, a pale crescent of shell-white sand tucked among low rocky headlands and backed by tall dunes. The sand runs soft and light out to clear turquoise shallows, with a little burn winding across it to the sea.
From the dune tops the view opens west to the islands of Rum and Eigg, with the peaks of Skye beyond on a clear day. Much of the 1983 film Local Hero was shot here, standing in for its fictional village shore.
A short walk over a footbridge and through the dunes leads down from the coast road. Seek out this much-loved beach on a glorious stretch of coast.
Arisaig Beach
Photo: Lynn M Reid via Geograph.org.uk
Arisaig Beach is one of the pale, silvery bays scattered along the coast just north of Arisaig village, on the road toward Morar. The soft, light sand runs out to shallow water that turns clear turquoise, with low rocky reefs and skerries breaking the surface offshore.
Grass-topped dunes and machair back the beach, and a neighbouring bay, Traigh, lies only a couple of hundred metres along the shore. The real prize is the view west, out across the water to Rum, Eigg and Muck, with the hills of Skye beyond on a clear day.
A short walk from the coast road reaches it, and at low tide the firm sand opens out. Seek it out for a quiet stroll.
Elgol Beach
Photo: Carol Walker via Geograph.org.uk
Elgol Beach sits at the end of a long, steep road across the Strathaird peninsula on Skye, its shore made of large pebbles and rock rather than sand. The real draw is the view across Loch Scavaig to the jagged wall of the Black Cuillin, one of the finest mountain views in Scotland.
Boat trips run from the jetty across the loch to the hidden inland waters of Loch Coruisk, while fishing boats and a scatter of houses cluster on the hillside above. Seek it out for the mountains rather than the swimming.
Coral Beach
Photo: John Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Coral Beach lies at Claigan, north of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, its bright white shore giving it the look of a tropical bay. The white is not true coral but maerl, the bleached, broken remains of a hard red seaweed that washes up and dries pale in the sun.
Against that pale shore the shallow water turns a clear turquoise on a bright day, and the contrast draws the eye. A mostly level walk of a couple of miles from the Claigan car park leads out to it.
Seek it out on a sunny day for the fullest effect.
Rubha Shleite
Photo: John Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Rubha Shleite is the point at the southern tip of the Sleat peninsula, in the far south of the Isle of Skye, its Gaelic name meaning the point of Sleat. A white-sand beach lies beside it, and the headland carries a small automatic lighthouse looking out to the Small Isles of Rum, Eigg and Canna.
It is reached only on foot, a walk of several miles from the road end at Aird of Sleat along a rough track and grassy path, passing the sandy cove of Camas Daraich on the way. There are no facilities out here.
Seek it out for a remote, quiet spot at the end of the peninsula.
Talisker Bay Beach
Photo: Hilmar Ilgenfritz via Geograph.org.uk
Talisker Bay Beach is a remote west-facing bay on the Isle of Skye, near the village of Talisker, reached on a walk of about a mile along a track from the road end. Its sand is an unusual mix of black and white grains, often swirled into patterns by the burns that cross the beach, with more sand showing at low tide and stones higher up.
A tall sea stack stands off the southern end, and a high cliff on the north side carries a waterfall that spills toward the shore. There is no car park, only limited verge parking, and the bay stays wild and quiet.
Seek it out for that wildness rather than easy access.
FAQs
Which is the best beach in Skye and Lochalsh for silver sand?
The mainland bays near Arisaig, such as Camusdarach and Arisaig Beach, are the pick for soft, pale sand and clear turquoise shallows. On Skye itself, Coral Beach stands out for its bright white maerl shore. Both look best on a sunny day when the colours come alive.
Are the beaches in Skye and Lochalsh good for swimming?
Some, like the sheltered sands near Arisaig, invite a paddle, but many are wild and unstaffed with no facilities, so take care and judge conditions yourself. Elgol is a pebble and rock shore better known for its mountain view than for bathing.
How do you reach the more remote beaches?
Several of the finest are found only on foot. Rubha Shleite lies a walk of several miles from the road end at Aird of Sleat, while Talisker Bay is about a mile along a track, with only limited verge parking nearby.
Conclusion
From the silver crescents of the mainland to the wild, walked-to bays of Skye, this is a coast that rewards those willing to explore. Some of these beaches sit a short stroll from the road, easy to reach on a bright afternoon, while others ask for a long walk over rough ground with no facilities at the end.
A few are made for a paddle in turquoise shallows, others for the view alone, whether that is the Black Cuillin from Elgol or the Small Isles from Sleat. Go prepared, check the tides, and take your rubbish home, since much of this shore is left wild and unstaffed.
Pick a clear day if you can, when the colours of sand and sea show at their best. From easy sands to remote points, these are the best beaches to seek out in Skye & Lochalsh.
