Arisaig beaches are some of the best! Why? The beaches at Arisaig have the most beautiful white sand, a wonderful view of Rum and Eigg as well as Skye and you can see some of the most amazing sunsets there!
The question is often asked what is the best beach at Arisaig but with so many gorgeous beaches in Arisaig, it’s hard to say and everyone has their personal favourite. The question might first be which beaches at Arisaig are accessible to the public as many are shores in front of private farmland and campsites.
Arisaig Beaches
Going northwards along the coast, there are a couple of small beaches at Back of Keppoch, but only one small one is easily accessible to the public just now unless you’re staying at Tigh Na Mara camp site. If you’re not staying at Back of Keppoch or have a bike, you’re better going further on towards Morar.
Moving further along, the first easily accessible Arisaig beach is a small one just round the corner from Portnadoran Farm and Sunnyside Croft camp site but only on foot or bike as there is no parking area, so let’s keep going to Traigh Beach which is undoubtedly one of the loveliest beaches at Arisaig, definitely a firm favourite with us.
Traigh Beach is opposite the golf course and club and the car park there is only for members but there is another small car park further along. Be careful how you park so larger vehicles can pass. There have been incidents over the last couple of years where emergency vehicles were unable to pass due to vehicles blocking the road so do keep this in mind.
The beach itself has gorgeous white sand and crystal clear water with lovely tints of different shades of blue. Take a walk out on the rocky area and find different types of wildflowers growing around. Be careful if you arrive when the tide is out and you cross to the rocky ‘island’ in the centre of the beach. The tide comes in quickly and you’ll be stranded unless you wade through the water. This goes for several sandbars along this coast. At least two of the local campsites have sandbars too.
There is also another section of the beach further along which is sometimes quieter.
Traigh Beach has a new toilet which is for the public. There are also waste bins next to it so please make sure to put all your rubbish in it or take it with you if it’s full and leave the best beaches in Arisaig looking their best.
Be a responsible camper – read the Scottish Outdoor Access Code on Camping
Disclosure: When you make a booking or purchase through links on this site, I may earn commission from partners at no extra cost to you. This helps me to build the site and bring you more great posts!
What is the best beach at Arisaig?
The most popular answer to the question ‘What is the best beach at Arisaig?’ might well be Camusdarach. You could well go to Arisaig every year on holiday and drive every day to Morar or Mallaig and not even know it existed as it is well hidden away from the road but this gem of beach has become well known through films such as Local Hero and Highlander and has also became a favourite spot for beach weddings.
To get there can be tricky in peak months as there is only a small car park and it fills up pretty quickly so again, if you’ve got a bike or like a good walk, you’ll be at an advantage. The car park is just across from the tall wooden house with the big windows and no doubt an amazing view over Camusdarach.
From there, cross the bridge and turn right and follow the long path, through thick ferns if it’s summer, and eventually you’ll come out to bay with a beautiful pristine beach and tall white sand dunes at the back (which provide hours of fun for kids!). It’s a popular spot for kayaking and paddle boarding too.
There is a second bay smaller bay behind the rocks which is often quieter. It’s not uncommon to have it all to yourself! You can also walk around the bays and rocks all the way to Traigh Beach. The best time to do this at low tide and you could walk back by the road.
However you spend your day there, you’ll probably agree it’s one of the best beaches in Arisaig.
Follow Everything Arisaig on WordPress.comMore best beaches in Arisaig
You’ll need to be prepared to walk a couple of miles (or kayak) to get to the beach at Rhu or Port nam Murrach but it’s worth it! You may also need to share the beach with the local residents, a herd of Galloway Belties!
To reach this beach, follow the road on foot from the old pier at Rhu (at the end of the public road). Keep going and keep to the left at the first fork (right goes to the private house) and then later again left when you see the sign to Rhu beach. The track until then is dry but beyond that it can get a bit boggy.
Almost an Arisaig Beach!
The last sandy beach on our tour is actually at Morar, so not strictly speaking an Arisaig beach, but probably my favourite and one of the most famous. It’s well known as The Silver Sands of Morar.
The best time to visit is at low tide. If the tide is right up, you won’t get very far. When it’s out, you can walk way out into the bay. River Morar flows from the loch out to sea so you can’t walk from one side to the other. It’s another popular spot for paddle boarding though.
A word of warning. This beach shelves quite quickly so check it out before letting children go in the water, or even yourself if you can’t swim, especially at or near high tide.
In the summer months, you’ll hear the steam train coming along and can give it a wave as it passes in the distance.
There is a car park at the top of the hill just before you descend to the beach. There is also a public toilet there and several bins so no excuse to leave any rubbish behind on the beach. There are only a couple of proper parking places down at the shore. Due to recent problems, rangers do patrol sometimes to check on proper parking and disposal of rubbish, etc.
There are also hidden coves around that are only accessible by boat, kayak or hiking and I’ll leave those for the adventurous amongst you to discover as you’re probably already pretty good at that!
The other side of the beach is always much quieter. Again low tide is the best time to visit. You can access this side of the beach through the steps down from the main road which are next to the parking bay after you cross the bridge going towards Mallaig.
Pebble beaches at Arisaig
What if you don’t like sand? There are several pebble beaches around – the beach at Arisaig village, down the Rhu road are more and also along Loch Morar. They’re better for spotting wildlife and the jetty at Arisaig is a good spot for crab-hunting. If you don’t have a bucket or a fishing net, you can buy one at the local Spar.
Take your binoculars for some seal-spotting along the road to Rhu. They’re often basking on the rocky outcrops not too far from the shore. On the grass-covered rocky area closer to shore you’ll also see sheep now and again and they even get stranded there but munch away quite happily until the tide goes back out. If you’re very lucky, you might spot an otter and look out for deer up on the hills.
Whichever Arisaig beach you decide to visit, keep it clean, take your litter home or put it in the bin, leave no trace, leave only footprints.
Read about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
(I’ve focused on beaches which are easily accessible, however, there are many beaches along the way which are mostly accessible if you are staying at a particular campsite or other accommodation. There is, of course, the rule of public right of way, but not everyone wishes to have people passing through their land and, unfortunately, not all visitors in the last couple of years have taken care of the local environment and this has a knock-on effect. It can be a controversial topic and I’m not giving any opinion on it, but it’s always polite to ask if in doubt.)