Mysterious Scottish beach with tales of ghosts, mermaids and centuries-old shipwrecks

Daily Record

21-05-2025

Sandwood Bay, one of Scotland's most remote beaches, is a four-mile walk through the Highlands and is known for its pink sands
On the wild northwest coast of the Scottish Highlands lies Sandwood Bay, one of the most remote and intriguing beaches in the country. Reached only by a four-mile walk from the nearest road, the journey may be long, but it rewards visitors with striking scenery, rich history and some of Scotland's spookiest legends.
Sandwood Bay in Sutherland is not just known for its sweeping pink sands, dramatic sea cliffs and crashing waves. It is also the site of centuries-old shipwrecks, eerie ghost sightings and one of the country's most curious mermaid encounters.
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Situated just south of the notoriously treacherous Cape Wrath, the bay has claimed many lives over the years, according to Hidden Scotland.
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Before the lighthouse at Cape Wrath was built in 1828, the area was a graveyard for passing ships, from Spanish Armada galleons to Viking longboats and merchant vessels, many were lost to the brutal tides and storms. Their remains now lie buried beneath the sand and sea.
This long history of tragedy has given rise to a number of chilling ghost stories. One of the most famous is that of a phantom sailor who is said to walk the beach at night.
Dressed in a coat with brass buttons, heavy boots and a peaked cap, the sailor has been spotted pacing around a ruined stone bothy near the beach.
Visitors have reported hearing footsteps crunching outside, knocking at windows, and even glimpsing a bearded face peering through the glass, only to find nothing there when they step outside.
According to website JA Hernandez, in the 1920s, Scottish author Seton Gordon noted several submerged wrecks visible beneath the surface during his walks along the bay. Some believe one of these may have been a Spanish ship rumoured to be carrying gold.
According to local lore, the ghostly image of a galleon can sometimes be seen glowing in the distance, never quite reaching the shore.
But it's not just ghostly sailors said to haunt the area. In 1900, a local crofter named Sandy Gunn was walking with his dog along the beach when the animal suddenly became terrified.
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Looking around, Gunn spotted what he first thought was a large seal. On closer inspection, he described a seven-foot-long creature with golden hair and piercing green-blue eyes, a mermaid.
Despite widespread scepticism, Gunn never once changed his story over the following 40 years.
Adding to its mystery, the name Sandwood comes from the Norse word 'Sandvatn' meaning sandy loch, hinting at Viking connections. Historians believe Norse longboats were once dragged across the bay into Sandwood Loch.
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The surrounding area is rich in history, with traces of Pictish settlements and evidence of life before the Highland Clearances in the 1800s, when local communities were forced off the land to make way for sheep farming.
Today, Sandwood Bay is managed by the John Muir Trust, a conservation charity working to protect its fragile habitats. The bay's surroundings are home to rare species including otters, mountain hares, peregrine falcons and even sea eagles.
In summer, the dunes and machair, a flower-rich grassland found only in parts of Scotland and Ireland, come alive with over 220 wildflower species and eight kinds of bumblebee, including the rare great yellow, according to the North Coast 500 website.
Despite its eerie past, Sandwood Bay continues to draw visitors with its untouched beauty, wildlife and stories passed down through generations.