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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sean Murphy

This beach on the NC500 route has been named as one of UK's best

Breath-taking scenery, a warm Highland welcome and scenic roads are all part of the reason many thousands of people are drawn to the NC500 every year.

However, what many people might not know is that it's also home to one of the UK's best beaches.

Influential travel mag Condé Nast Traveller recently put together its list of the beaches around the UK that are must-visits and one of the hidden gems in the northwest of Scotland was Achmelvich.

Home to some of Scotland's most dramatic and windswept scenery, the northwest coast is where you'll find the white sands and dreamy blue waters of this incredible beach.

Achmelvich Beach on the North Coast 500 route (Steven Gourlay/PA)

The team at Condé Nast wrote: "Achmelvich has a series of lovely, intimate beaches backed by a picturesque, flowering landscape.

"It offers clean white sands (no dogs in summer holidays), clear, safe waters where porpoises swim in summer, an annual sandcastle-building competition and Europe's tiniest castle, Hermit's Castle."

Getting there

Lying several miles outside of Lochinver on the road north from Ullapool, the beach itself is accessed from a single track road from the B869 which is a key route on the NC500.

Activities

The clear waters make it a haven for water sports fans with windsurfers and kayakers a common sight.

While sea anglers after the likes of bass and turbot can often be seen dotted along the shoreline.

Walkers and hikers are also fond of the beach on the route to the nearby Suilven Mountain.

When it comes to things to see, you can enjoy Europe's smallest castle, Hermit's Castle, the Bone Caves in Assynt and of course the nearby Stoer Lighthouse.

Wildlife

With seabirds such as the agile Red-throated Divers and Common Terns diving into the pristine water, there's a lot to see and enjoy at the beach.

While porpoises, dolphins, and the occasional minke whale have also been sighted not far from the shoreline.

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