With white shell sands, turquoise waters and incredible views of the Small Isles and The Isle of Skye out on the horizon, the five miles of coast between Arisaig and Morar is my favourite stretch of beaches in Scotland.
This complete guide covers everything you need to visit the Arisaig and Morar beaches – where to park, when to visit and the quiet bays you can walk to when the car parks inevitably fill up.
Here’s how to visit the beaches of Arisaig and Morar.
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The best beaches between Arisaig and Morar
- Camusdarach Beach – one of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland. A clean curve of white shell sand with the Cuillin of Skye, Rum and Eigg out to sea in front of you.
- Traigh Beach – my pick of the best beaches near Arisaig for families. Traigh is not one beach but a cluster of little sandy bays around a rocky headland and machair. The best place for swimming and paddleboarding on the Arisaig coast.
- The Silver Sands of Morar – the most famous beach near Mallaig. The Silver Sands of Morar are huge flats of pale rippled sand at the mouth of the River Morar. The beach changes dramatically with the tide.
- Bourblach Beach – the least visited beach on the Arisaig coast, reached on foot from Morar across some properly boggy ground. Wear boots.
- Back of Keppoch – a scattering of small bays at the Arisaig end, some only accessible through campsites.
- Port nam Murrach – drive out along the single-track Rhu road beyond Arisaig and then hike out to this remote beach on foot.
The need to know before you visit the Morar and Arisaig Beaches
- Location: along the B8008 coast road between Arisaig and Morar, Lochaber, west Highlands. Morar and Arisaig are located between Glenfinnan and Mallaig.
- Nearest train stations: Arisaig and Morar, both on the West Highland Line.
- Getting there: along the A830 from Fort William (about 1hr 10), then turn onto the B8008 at either end beside Arisaig or Morar.
- Parking: small car parks located along the coast only – roadside parking is mostly now prohibited due to over tourism.
- Facilities: public toilets at Traigh and the Silver Sands. Public toilets, shop and pub in Arisaig.
- Dogs: welcome, please keep dogs on leads April to July on the machair for ground-nesting birds.
- Best for: beach walkers, wild swimmers, paddleboarders, sunset watchers.
- How long you need: a day or two, longer to explore the full Road to the Isles.
A note on Machair
The beaches at Arisaig and Morar are backed by Machair, a rare coastal grassland habitat found only in north-west Scotland and western Ireland. Machair is pronounced something like “MAH-kher,” with the ch as in loch.
In summer, the machair is full of flowers – red clover, buttercup, eyebright, harebell, and even orchids. The Machair is highly sensitive as the grassland forms such a thin layer over the sands below, and can be easily damaged by wild camping or excess visitors.
Camp on sand below the high tide line, never on the machair, and note that sleeping in a vehicle is not covered by access rights.
learn more about responsible tourism in Scotland
The best beaches near Arisaig
The Silver Sands of Morar
One of the most famous beaches in Scotland, a stretch of silver sands at the mouth of the River Morar as it leaves Loch Morar.
The beaches here are affected by the tides. At low tide you get enormous flats of firm rippled sand and you can walk a long way out towards where the river meets the sea. At high tide, the water comes up almost to the coastline. The beaches lie on both sides of the river, and the southern side is the one you will see in the photographs.
The Silver Sands are the busiest of the three main Arisaig Beaches in July and August. Lots of Scotland locals also camp on Silver Sands beach, so parking areas can be very busy when the weather is good.
Did you know? Loch Morar, hidden behind the village of Morar is the deepest freshwater loch in Britain at over 300 metres. That’s deeper than Loch Ness, and it has its own monster, Morag, who has never quite achieved her cousin’s fame.
Parking for Silver Sands of Morar
- There are small areas of free car parking beside the road with beach access straight across, plus a separate paid Morar Beach Car Park with toilets, taking cash, card or phone.
- There are also spaces as soon as you turn off the B8008 at the Morar end.
- You can also park a layby on the main road, just after the B8008 turning, where there is a gate and steps access down to the north side beach. This access is only suitable at low tide, as the beach is covered here at high tide, there is no access to the south side of the beach.
Traigh Beach
Rather than one long stretch of sand, Traigh Beach is a cluster of small sandy bays wrapped around a low rocky headland, backed by beautiful machair.
The water is shallow and sheltered, so Traigh is the best beach for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding – and the easiest place to carry a board to, because you park right beside it. The tides at Traigh Beach matter, at high tide, the wee bays shrink to nothing. Check the tide times and go between low and high tides.
Facilities and Parking for Traigh Beach
- The Traigh Beaches car park is small, but free and there are some short-stay bays along the coast. Watch out after rain as the main car park can fill with water, it’s not deep, but can cause access issues.
- The car park at the golf club is for members only. Don’t be tempted to park here.
- There are public toilets beside the car park.
Above the beach, Traigh Golf Course is nine holes on the machair and has one of the best views in Scottish golf. You spend most of the round looking at Eigg, Rum and Skye rather than at the ball, which does nothing for your score.
Camusdarach Beach
One of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland, Camusdarach Beach is a huge arc of white shell sand, backed by machair and dunes and the Cuillin of Skye, the peaks of Rum and the great wedge of Eigg across the water in front of you.
The beach scenes in the 1983 film Local Hero were shot at Camusdarach, including the rock pools where Mac loses his watch. Locals still call it Ben’s beach after the hermit who wouldn’t sell it in the film. The village in the film isn’t here at all – that’s Pennan, 175 miles away on the Moray coast.
You can’t see Camusdarach Beach from the road, from the car park you cross a wooden footbridge signed “To the Beaches”, follow the path beside the burn, and walk through the high marram grass before the beach opens out in front of you.
Swimming is possible at Camusdarach, but the beach can get proper waves.
Facilities and Parking for Camusdarach Beach
- The car park for Camusdarach Beach is at Glenancross, signed off the B8008, postcode PH40 4PD. The turn is abrupt and easy to miss.
- The car park is small with space for around 15 cars and it fills early on a sunny day. There is no overnight parking. The car park is pay-and-display with the first hour free.
- There are no toilet facilities at Camusdarach, the closest are at Silver Sands and Traigh.
Back of Keppoch and the Arisaig end
Between Arisaig village and Traigh, the coast around Back of Keppoch is scattered with small bays, several of them attached to campsites. If you’re staying at one you have a beach on your doorstep, which is a lovely way to do this trip.
If you’re not staying, be aware that some of the little beaches along here have no parking at all and are realistically only reachable on foot or by bike from Arisaig or via the campsites.
More Arisaig Beaches
These take a bit of effort to reach, which makes them a good option if the car parks are full.
- Bourblach and Sgeir Mhòr are the least visited beaches on the coast, reached on foot from Morar across rough, wet, boggy ground. Wear boots and accept that you’ll get muddy.
- Port nam Murrach and the Rhu peninsula – head out the single-track Rhu road beyond Arisaig, where is a small area of parking, then continue on foot to a scattering of coves near the point.
Tides: what you need to know
Worth two minutes of planning, because it changes the day:
- Silver Sands of Morar – Low tide for the vast sand flats and the photographs, high tide for swimming.
- Traigh – the tide decides how big the little bays are. Low to mid is best.
- Camusdarach – matters least. Go whenever.
- The Traigh to Camusdarach walk – low tide, so you can get round the headlands.
Swimming and paddleboarding at Arisaig
The water is clear, shallow over the sand, and colder than it looks. This is the Atlantic – even in August you’ll want a wetsuit for anything longer than a dip.
- Best for swimming: Traigh, Silver Sands at high tide
- Best for paddleboarding and kayaking: Traigh, both for the sheltered bays and because you can park beside it
- Most exposed: Camusdarach, which can get real waves
There are rip currents and fast tidal flows around the river mouth at Morar and around the headlands, so know your exit, don’t swim alone, and if something goes wrong the number is 999, asking for the coastguard.
How to get to the Arisaig beaches
By car
Take the A830 Road to the Isles from Fort William – about 1hr 10 – and turn onto the B8008 at either Arisaig or Morar. It’s a single-track road in places with passing places, so remember that people live and work here.
Parking on the B8008 Arisaig coast road
Parking is the one thing to plan on this coast. The car parks are small, they’re the only option, and they fill from mid-morning on fine summer days.
There is no roadside parking – The Highland Council has painted several kilometres of double yellow lines along the B8008, including at Traigh, Camusdarach and the Silver Sands. That means no waiting at any time along the beach stretch of the coast road, so a lot of older guides suggesting you pull onto the verge are out of date.
Please park responsibly and use the car parks”
- Traigh Beaches car park – free, with toilets, short-stay bays and disabled parking.
- Camusdarach, at Glenancross, paid car park, free for first hour (PH40 4PD) – signed off the B8008, space for around 15 cars, no toilets, no overnight parking. Five-minute walk through the dunes to the beach. The turn-off is abrupt, so have it on your map.
- Silver Sands of Morar, free area – beside the road, with beach access straight across.
- Silver Sands of Morar, paid car park – toilets, takes cash, card or phone, and a couple of spaces where motorhomes can stay overnight.
- Silver Sands of Morar, layby on main road – access to the northside of the beach at low tide only.
- Traigh golf club – members only. Not an option for beach visitors.
If the car parks are full, you have better options here than turning round:
- Walk between beaches. The two-mile route from Traigh to Camusdarach passes about eight beaches, most of which have no car park of their own. Do it at low tide if you can. You can then also get around the rocky promontory at the far end of Camusdarach towards the Rubha da Chuain peninsula, and a few more bays beyond that.
- Walk in from Morar to Bourblach and Sgeir Mhòr.
- Come by bike – between Arisaig and Morar are five flat-ish miles of coast road with every beach reachable by bike.
- Come by train – to Arisaig or Morar and walk – the Silver Sands are less than 30 minutes from Morar station.
Traigh to Camusdarach beach walk
The walk between Traigh and Camusdarach is around two miles and takes in eight beaches.
Start at the Traigh car park and head out onto the headland, bearing right onto the beach. At the end of the sand you join the B8008 briefly until the next bay, then verge left and follow the well-trodden path along the field fence line, passing two more beaches.
Keep to the path through some dense woodland and you come out at an old boathouse, where a grassy track runs ahead before separating into a warren of sand dunes, each path skirting one beach after another. It finishes at Camusdarach.
Do it at low tide if you can. You can then also get around the rocky promontory at the far end of Camusdarach towards the Rubha da Chuain peninsula, and a few more bays beyond that.
You can walk it in either direction, and it’s the best way to see the beaches.
By train
The West Highland Line has stations at both Arisaig and Morar, and it’s regularly voted the most scenic railway in the world.
There are limits to getting to Arisaig and Morar by train as no buses run along the B8008, so from the station you’re walking:
- Silver Sands is about 30 minutes on foot from Morar station, some of which is along the very busy A830 road.
- Camusdarach is roughly 3 miles / 4.5km from Morar station and the B8008 route is a single track road with lots of traffic at busy times.
- Traigh is the easiest to reach, a couple of miles walk from Arisaig station.
By bike – my recommendation
The coastal road between Arisaig and Morar is one of the prettiest stretches of road in Scotland, with every beach within easy reach. You can combine your train trip with a bike and cycle between the beaches.
When to visit Arisaig
- May to early June – my favourite. Long days, fewer people, and the midges haven’t properly arrived yet.
- July and August – warmest and busiest, and the worst of the midges. Beautiful, but go early. Read my midge survival guide
- September and October – quieter, lovely light, still warm enough to swim if you’re brave.
- November to March – wild and empty. Low winter light across white sand.
Where to eat near the Arisaig and Morar beaches
Arisaig village is the closest option to the southern end of the coast, and the most useful.
- The Arisaig Hotel serves food from 4pm during the week and from 12 on weekend in the Crofter’s Rest
- The Old Library sits in the middle of the village overlooking the bay and serves up lovely seafood.
- .Down at the marina, the Arisaig Marine tearoom does coffee, soup, sandwiches and very good cake, with the boats and Loch nan Ceall in front of you – daytime only.
- Soundbites Cafe serves up delicious breakfasts, lunches and early evening meals.
- The village also has a shop for picnic supplies, plus public toilets.
Mallaig is ten minutes north of Morar. It’s a working fishing port, so the seafood arrives about fifty metres from where you eat it.
- The Fishmarket deli does takeaway prawn rolls and things to eat on the harbour wall.
- Bloom and Graze does takeaway, breakfast pies, grazing boxes and all kinds of cakes.
- The Bakehouse Cafe has delicious pastries and coffee.
- There’s also a Co-op for anything you’ve forgotten.
A word on timing. Mallaig gets super busy when the ferry and the Jacobite arrive within twenty minutes of each other, so arrive in town before 12.30 to get a spot at one of the cafes or be first in the queue for fish and chips.
Where to stay at Arisaig
Holiday accommodation and hotels near Arisaig beaches
- The Arisaig Hotel & Bunkhouse – friendly inn with restaurant, bunkhouse and live music
- The Crab & Creel, Mallaig – rooms above a fantastic restaurant
- Lochailort Inn – hotel with restaurant located to the south of Arisaig on the Road to the Isles.
- Mingarry Park – 4 star hotel with hot tubs and beautiful mountain views.
Campsites at Arisaig
There are lots of formal campsites along the coast, many with direct beach access, including Traigh Beach & Silversands Caravan Site. For informal spaces – overnight parking isn’t allowed at Camusdarach, but the paid Silver Sands car park has a couple of motorhome spaces.
- Camusdarach Campsite – 30 pitches, 3 glamping pods, 2 self-catering apartments, a few minutes’ walk through the dunes to three white beaches – with views to Eigg, Rum and Skye.
- Silversands Caravan & Campsite – 18 touring pitches, mostly hardstanding, plus an off-grid 2-berth camping pod.
- Sunnyside Croft Touring Caravan & Camping – 40 spacious grass or hardstanding pitches, big enough for awnings.
- Portnadoran Caravan Site – Family-run on a working croft, right on the coast with direct access to white sandy beaches and views to Skye and the Small Isles. Touring caravans and tents, plus self-catering accommodation.
- Invercaimbe Caravan & Camping – Close to Arisaig village, on the beachfront overlooking Eigg, Rum and Skye. Its selling point is the setting: sheltered sea inlets on two sides making a safe spot for paddling, swimming and boating – the best of these sites for younger kids in the water.
Practical tips
- Facilities – toilets at Traigh and the paid Silver Sands car park. None at Camusdarach, and no cafés or shops at any of the beaches. Bring water.
- Single-track roads – the B8008 has passing places. Use them, and let locals past.
- Take it away with you – there are no bins at most of these beaches.
- Midges – west coast, damp evenings, still air. You know the drill.
- Fuel and cash – fill up in Fort William or Mallaig.
- Phone signal – patchy along the coast road. Download your maps and tide times before you go.
FAQs
Where are the Silver Sands of Morar?
On the B8008 old coast road between Arisaig and Morar, around the mouth of the River Morar.
Can you park at the Silver Sands of Morar?
Yes, but only in the car parks. There’s a free area beside the road and a paid car park with toilets. Roadside parking is prohibited – double yellow lines now run along the beach stretch of the B8008, including at Traigh, Camusdarach and the Silver Sands.
Where do you park for Camusdarach beach?
At the signed car park at Glenancross off the B8008 (PH40 4PD), which holds about 15 cars and has no toilets. From there it’s a five-minute walk through the dunes, over a footbridge signed “To the Beaches”.
Which is the best beach near Arisaig?
Camusdarach for the views and the drama, Traigh for families, swimming and paddleboarding, and the Silver Sands of Morar for the classic wide-sand photograph.
Is Camusdarach the Local Hero beach?
Yes, the beach scenes were filmed there in 1983. The village in the film is Pennan, on the Moray coast, 175 miles away.
Does the tide matter at these beaches?
At the Silver Sands, very much – low tide opens up huge sand flats, high tide is better for swimming. At Traigh the tide changes how big the small bays are. At Camusdarach it matters least.
Can you swim at the Arisaig beaches?
Yes. Traigh is the most sheltered and the best for families, while Camusdarach is more exposed and can have waves. The water is cold all year, so bring a wetsuit.
Are there toilets at the beaches?
At Traigh and at the paid Silver Sands car park. There are none at Camusdarach, and no cafés or shops at any of them.
Can you get to the beaches by train?
Arisaig and Morar both have stations on the West Highland Line, but no buses run the coast road, so the beaches are a walk – about 30 minutes to the Silver Sands from Morar station. A bike makes the whole coast easy.
Can you wild camp on the beaches at Arisaig and Morar?
Scotland’s access rights allow responsible wild camping on foot, Silver Sands is a popular spot for beachside camping, but come lightweight and leave no trace.
Are dogs allowed on the beaches?
Yes, on all of them under Scotland’s outdoor access rights. Keep them on a lead or close at heel from April to July to avoid disturbing ground-nesting birds.
Which Arisaig beach is best for young children?
Traigh. It’s a cluster of small sheltered bays with shallow water over sand, there are toilets beside the free car park, and you can carry everything about twenty metres from the boot. Go at low to mid tide, when the bays are at their biggest. Invercaimbe campsite, with sheltered inlets on two sides, is the best base if you’re staying with little ones.
Can you park a motorhome overnight at the beaches?
Mostly no. Camusdarach has no overnight parking at all, and there’s no roadside parking anywhere along the B8008 thanks to the double yellow lines. The paid Silver Sands car park has a couple of spaces where motorhomes can stay overnight, and that’s it. Sleeping in a vehicle isn’t covered by Scotland’s access rights, so for anything more than one night use one of the campsites along the coast — several have hardstanding pitches and, more importantly, waste facilities.
How busy do the Arisaig beaches get in summer, and what time should I arrive?
Busy enough that parking is the thing that will ruin your day. On a fine weekend in July or August the car parks start filling from mid-morning and Camusdarach, with space for around fifteen cars, can be full by ten. Arrive before 10am or after 4pm — late afternoon into the evening is the better half of the day anyway, with the light behind the islands and most of the day-trippers heading back to Fort William.
Are there lifeguards at the Arisaig beaches?
No. There are no lifeguards on any beach on this coast, at any time of year, and no flags or safety cover of any kind. There are rip currents and fast tidal flows around the mouth of the River Morar and around the headlands. Don’t swim alone, know where you’re getting out before you get in, and in an emergency call 999 and ask for the coastguard.
Can you have a barbecue or a fire on the beach at Arisaig?
Please don’t. Disposable barbecues scorch the sand, leave metal behind and are a real fire risk on the dry machair and marram grass in summer. Open fires on or near the machair are worse — the grassland sits on a thin layer of sand and takes years to recover. If you must cook, use a camping stove, keep it on bare sand below the high tide line, and take every bit of it away with you.
How far is Arisaig from Fort William, Glasgow and Skye?
Fort William is about 35 miles and 1hr 10 along the A830. Glasgow is around 150 miles, or 3.5 to 4 hours. For Skye, carry on 8 miles to Mallaig and take the ferry to Armadale — about 45 minutes across, and worth booking a vehicle space in advance in summer. The Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh is the alternative, but that’s a much longer drive round.
Is Camusdarach or the Silver Sands of Morar better?
They’re different beaches doing different things. Camusdarach is the prettier one — a single clean arc of white shell sand backed by dunes, with Eigg, Rum and the Cuillin lined up in front of you, and it’s a five-minute walk in from the car park so it feels more like an arrival. The Silver Sands are bigger, more dramatic and more changeable: at low tide you get vast rippled flats and the famous wide-angle photograph, at high tide most of it disappears. Camusdarach for the view and the walk in, the Silver Sands for the scale and the sunset. If you only have time for one and the tide is out, go to the Silver Sands. Otherwise, Camusdarach
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