KINLOCHBERVIE

Heading south from Cape Wrath down the west coast of Scotland we enter a sparsely populated stretch of coast, the jewel in the crown being the glorious Sandwood Bay, featured as Beach of the Week in the Telegraph in 2007. The beach here is believed to be the most remote beach on mainland Britain but is well worth the trek to get to it, with its lovely pink sands, dramatic cliffs, sparkling clean water and a small loch separated from the beach by sand dunes.

The first settlement of any note on this northernmost part of the west coast is Kinlochbervie. The main economic activity here is fish handling, with vessels from far and wide landing their catch at Kinlochbervie, from where the fish are loaded onto refrigerated trucks for distribution throughout Europe. In 2008 the village featured in the Time Team series when a wreck off the coast was investigated. Artefacts from the ship, which included pottery, anchors and cannons suggested a vessel which may have formed part of the Spanish Armada. Every year in early July the village holds a Gala Day, with traditional Scottish entertainment such as the pipe band, and the crowning of the Gala Queen. Images from past Gala Days and other delights can be found on the village website, which also features webcams based in the village.

Map of the area.

Kinlochbervie - geograph.org.uk - 819632. Photo by Anne Burgess, via Wikimedia Commons.