Five of the best family-friendly Scottish beaches
Six miles south of Montrose, off the A92, this great sweep of sheltered sandy beach is backed by a ruined castle and harbour, the perfect spot for a dip or an afternoon of gentle sandcastle-building. There's a car park and seasonal café and, for further adventuring, a lime kiln, arch and adjacent coves at ruined Boddin Harbour, two miles north. Do a bit of exploring and you'll also find wonderful caves and rock pools.
Also known as Kingsbarns Beach, Cambo Sands is a quiet family beach that stretches for about two miles. Set below Cambo Gardens, a Georgian walled garden with naturalistic coastal planting and areas of woodland (there's also a homely vegetarian café on site), the beach is backed by extensive sand dunes and can be great for rockpooling. From the beachside car park walk a mile north to enjoy the most secluded sands at Airbow Point.
• The Bothy at Cambo review — a blissful forest escape
The coral beaches of Skye are at its north end, just beyond Dunvegan where the castle displays the Macleod 'faerie flag'. This is no tropical coral, of course, but Scottish coral composed of fragments of billions of bleached skeletons of the red algae that grows at the bottom of the ocean nearby. It's a mile or so's walk to the beach from the car park, but it's worth it to stroll on this spectacular swirl of white sand. Behind the hill at the north end of the beach you'll find beautiful basalt columns forming steps down into the sea. If you want to swim, time your visit for high tide.
There are far less well-known beaches on Mull to explore once you've got your bearings, but Calgary Bay makes an excellent jumping-off point on the island for visiting beach-loving families. A long sweep of white sand about five miles west of Dervaig, it's backed by wildflower-rich machair and a woodland sculpture trail (with a tea room) while an ice cream kiosk hewn partly from an old boat opens just above the beach every afternoon in summer 'when sunny'.
• I hated camping, but a posh clifftop tent in Fife changed my mind
This stunning beach is one of the most popular in the area, but you can easily escape the handful of summer tourists by walking to a 'secret' second cove: bear right from the car park and walk 500m to find this wedge of peely-wally sand. Set between igneous outcrops that form a turquoise swimming pool and suntrap, it's an otherwordly spot with wonderful swimming. The main beach is also great with small children in tow. Pick up some picnic supplies in nearby Lochinver and make a day of it.
Taken from Hidden Beaches by Daniel Start (£16.99, wildthingspublishing.com). Buy from timesbookshop.co.uk. Discount for Times+ members. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Love Island's Laura Anderson reveals she loves being a WAG as she gushes over her 'very sexy' footballer boyfriend Clark Robertson
has revealed she loves being a WAG as she gushed that she finds watching her footballer boyfriend 'very sexy'. The former Love Islander star, 36, admitted she used to 'hate' watching the sport before finding love with Dundee defender Clark Robertson, 31. Laura, who found fame on the ITV2 dating show in 2018, previously dated Another Level's Dane Bowers, 45, and Hollyoaks actor Gary Lucy - with whom she shares daughter Bonnie with - before meeting Clark. The TV personality revealed she is now learning the rules of football so she can enjoy watching him, fully embracing her duties as a WAG. She told The Sun: 'I guess I'm a WAG now, I actually really like football, I didn't really like it before. 'To be honest, it just reminded me of my dad hogging the remote when we were young and I never got to watch what I wanted to watch. 'But now I like going to the games - I think he looks very sexy actually because he's quite bossy on the pitch and he's not like that day-to-day, he's such a relaxed, chilled out guy, so on the pitch he's always pointing and I'm like ''what the hell what's going on?'' Single mother Laura, who split from Gary during her pregnancy, also opened up about her daughter Bonnie's first day at nursery as she admitted she 'cried her eyes out' after dropping her off. Laura, who quit her radio presenting gig on Capital Scotland's Breakfast Show in February after less than a year, added that she has 'no regrets' choosing her daughter over work opportunities as she suffered burnout juggling the early mornings. Laura recently hit back at trolls after suffering backlash for holidaying in the Maldives without her 21-month-old daughter. The reality star jetted off with her boyfriend Clark and shared a series of sun-soaked snaps from her romantic getaway. While many gushed over the stunning snaps, one follower accused the reality star of abandoning her toddler. They wrote: 'Poor Bonnie ditched again… I just wouldn't choose to leave my child over and over again thousands of miles away. A wee night away though absolutely!' But Laura wasted no time to hit back and replied: 'Over and over please explain,' with many of her fans rushing to defend her. They branded the critic a 'mum-shamer' as they praised Laura for taking some well deserved time for herself. Firing back once more, Laura commented: 'No one shames the dads.' However, the original commenter doubled down, saying: 'I will if it's a dad doing it. 'Shame on Bonnie's dad, shame on my dad, shame on any dad that treats their kids the way some do. Shame on any sex. 'And I didn't say shame on you. Just said you'd ditched the wee babe again. 'I ain't ringing the bells like a town crier, just saying bairns been left to someone else to look after while you jet off again!' Laura later clarified to fans that she had only been away for just four days and had many video calls with her daughter. The reality star went Instagram official with boyfriend Clark in October last year, sharing an array of loved-up snaps together. Laura hit back in the comments after being accused of 'ditching' her daughter for the holiday Laura later clarified to fans that she had only been away for just four days and had many video calls with her daughter Laura previously detailed the challenges she's faced raising Bonnie as a single parent after she and Gary split before she was born. The pair met during Celebs Go Dating in 2022, however, they split shortly before she announced her pregnancy in February 2023. She told The Mirror: 'I think it was hard to get my head around initially, it wasn't what I expected. But that's the cards I was dealt in the end. Of course, I'm going to make it work for my child, even more so. I feel like I'm a really good mum, to be honest.' Offering advice to other parents facing the same challenges, she added: 'Prioritise what you need to do, it's just me. I have to make it work. I am tired but of course, I'm going to be tired. I'm bringing up a human soul, that's what I signed up for. '[Bonnie's] great, your social life does take a little bit of a backseat but most people, your good friends understand that.'
Times
7 hours ago
- Times
Five of the best family-friendly Scottish beaches
Sun's out, fun's in (we hope). Ditch the screens and grab your buckets and spades as the author of Hidden Beaches, Daniel Start, reveals five of his favourite family-friendly Scottish beaches. Six miles south of Montrose, off the A92, this great sweep of sheltered sandy beach is backed by a ruined castle and harbour, the perfect spot for a dip or an afternoon of gentle sandcastle-building. There's a car park and seasonal café and, for further adventuring, a lime kiln, arch and adjacent coves at ruined Boddin Harbour, two miles north. Do a bit of exploring and you'll also find wonderful caves and rock pools. Also known as Kingsbarns Beach, Cambo Sands is a quiet family beach that stretches for about two miles. Set below Cambo Gardens, a Georgian walled garden with naturalistic coastal planting and areas of woodland (there's also a homely vegetarian café on site), the beach is backed by extensive sand dunes and can be great for rockpooling. From the beachside car park walk a mile north to enjoy the most secluded sands at Airbow Point. • The Bothy at Cambo review — a blissful forest escape The coral beaches of Skye are at its north end, just beyond Dunvegan where the castle displays the Macleod 'faerie flag'. This is no tropical coral, of course, but Scottish coral composed of fragments of billions of bleached skeletons of the red algae that grows at the bottom of the ocean nearby. It's a mile or so's walk to the beach from the car park, but it's worth it to stroll on this spectacular swirl of white sand. Behind the hill at the north end of the beach you'll find beautiful basalt columns forming steps down into the sea. If you want to swim, time your visit for high tide. There are far less well-known beaches on Mull to explore once you've got your bearings, but Calgary Bay makes an excellent jumping-off point on the island for visiting beach-loving families. A long sweep of white sand about five miles west of Dervaig, it's backed by wildflower-rich machair and a woodland sculpture trail (with a tea room) while an ice cream kiosk hewn partly from an old boat opens just above the beach every afternoon in summer 'when sunny'. • I hated camping, but a posh clifftop tent in Fife changed my mind This stunning beach is one of the most popular in the area, but you can easily escape the handful of summer tourists by walking to a 'secret' second cove: bear right from the car park and walk 500m to find this wedge of peely-wally sand. Set between igneous outcrops that form a turquoise swimming pool and suntrap, it's an otherwordly spot with wonderful swimming. The main beach is also great with small children in tow. Pick up some picnic supplies in nearby Lochinver and make a day of it. Taken from Hidden Beaches by Daniel Start (£16.99, Buy from Discount for Times+ members. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Visitors 'significant' factor in rising Skye parking fines
Traffic wardens brought in to tackle problem parking at Skye's tourist hot-spots issued fines worth more than £400,000 last year, according to Highland to the island made up a "significant proportion" of those people served with the £50 penalty charge notices (PCNs), the local authority confirmed.A total of 7,011 parking penalties were issued in 2024 - more than double the 2,784 served to motorists in 2020, according to another set of council parking has been a long-standing problem on Skye, with cars and other vehicles often abandoned at the roadside or parked illegally in passing places near attractions such as the Fairly Pools and the Quiraing. Public money has been invested in car parks, but rule-breaking has left Highland Council chasing up on thousands of were 2,797 penalties issued in 2021, 3,545 in 2022 and 5,563 in 2023. Already this year more than 2,670 have been issued up to May. Fines totalling £430,000 were issued in the most recent financial year - April 2024 to March this year - according to figures reported the council's Skye and Raasay hotspots had some of the highest a car park at The Storr 948 PCNs totalling £56,350 were issued, while 184 notices with a total value of £10,250 for roadside parking were given out at the Fairy Council told BBC Scotland News several factors were behind the rise over the last five included there being more regulated parking areas and no waiting restrictions, as well as an increase in enforcement a spokesperson added: "A number of areas that generate high PCN numbers are around key visitor locations, and it is likely that a significant proportion of the PCNs issued on Skye are visitors at these locations."Parking rule-breaking is a concern and the seriousness of this can depend on the area and frequency. "In many areas, it can cause safety issues, block traffic, and create challenging situations for pedestrians and drivers."The council said the public could report parking issues on its website. How much are the fines? PCNs can be issued for a number of reasons, such as an unpaid parking charge or parking in a disabled space without having a valid Blue cost £50 but can rise to £150, plus a sheriff officer's charge, if not paid after 70 have the right to challenge a PCN.A report to the local authority's Isle of Skye and Raasay committee said on average 70% of parking debts were some cases it could be years before a fine is latest figures show the worst offending last year was at Portree's Bayfield (West) car park where there were 1,346 PCNs issued totalling £81, at the site range from £2 for three hours and £4 for up to 12 hours. A separate set of Highland Council figures, show the local authority issued about £1.3m-worth of PCNs for the whole Highland region last was the highest figure since the council started recording the data in far, £877,556 of those fines have been collected and £221,552 cancelled or written PCNs were issued in Inverness, followed by Skye and then Tourism Alliance chief executive, Marc Crothall, said tourists made a "significant contribution" to island said total tourism spend in Scotland last year was £10.5bn and this helped to support local shops, pubs, restaurants, and 245,000 jobs across the Crothall said: "Many of those who visit and stay in rural destinations also donate to good causes too."He added: "Sustainable and responsible tourism is one of the pillars of the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030."We would encourage all visitors to be considerate when visiting our destinations, avoiding causing unnecessary pressure on our roads and the areas around our beauty spots and to be considerate of those who live in the local communities."
