Discovering Tiree's Stunning Beaches
Gott beach
When you live on Tiree, you live on the beach. It's where you walk when you want to think. It's where you go surfing or run or find a moment alone. In fact, almost all my greatest moments on Tiree happened on the beach. With the Isle of Tiree covering 30¼ square miles of land, you're never more than a mile or two from a spectacular expanse of white sands and rolling waves.
It's a major draw for visitors to the island. But it's all too easy to take it for granted when you live here. Whether you've got a stunning view of the beach from your windowsill or it's a stone's throw away, you've got to remind yourself just how lucky you are. (I know I do!)
I was reminded of this fact when I came across a breathtaking satellite photo of our emerald island. What was striking wasn't the green and fertile machair crofts and farmland. Rather it was the glistening shorelines scalloped into the island's coast. I was shocked. You can live here for years and still not discover Tiree's hidden depths.
Indeed, Tiree's beaches are also the beating heart of our tourism and culture. We're not called the "Hawaii of the North" for nothing. Annually, in October, for example, the Tiree Wave Classic takes to the beaches as one of the nation's major windsurfing events. Meanwhile, you'll find Blackhouse Watersports taking surfers out on Balevullin beach throughout the summer months. Our beaches are a thriving industry – the shimmering light in the Tiree jewel.
It's time, I thought, we explored them in depth. We talk of our natural splendour, of the machair, and the rugged hills. But we don't give the beaches their fair share of attention. No more! We're journeying around Tiree's coastline, exploring one majestic beach at a time.
Gott Bay
Crossapol Beach
Soroby Bay
Balephuil Beach
Traigh Nan Gilean
Sandaig
The Maze
Hough Bay
Balevullin Beach
The Green
Cornaig Bay
Balephetrish Beach
Vaul Bay and Salun Bay
Discovering Tiree's Stunning Beaches
Gott Bay
Gott beach
We're starting in the east. Gott Bay is by far the biggest beach on the island. Visit Tiree by ferry, and it's one of the first sights you'll see. It's a sweeping arc of alabaster sands, beginning in Kirkapol and stretching more than 2 miles to Brock at its eastern edge. Here, you'll find the island of Soa, connected to Tiree at low tides by a thin stretch of sand.
The beach is ever popular with windsurfers and sand yachters
You'll find numerous hotels and lodges overlooking Gott Bay, including Tiree Lodge and Kirkapol House. It's a pretty spectacular view every morning, with Mull hovering on the horizon.
Crossapol Beach
Crossapol Beach
Journeying westward from Gott Bay, we pass by Scarinish – the island's largest settlement – arriving at Crossapol Bay. Like Gott Bay, it's popular year-round with windsurfers and kitesurfers, hoping to take advantage of the winds blowing along the shoreline.
It's also known locally as beautiful Baugh Beach; it's not hard to see why.
Looking south from Crossapol, you'll see the island of Colonsay, Jura and Isla on a clear day. You can even spot the large dorsal fins of Basking Sharks in the summer months. These 11-metre-long gentle giants are harmless, feeding exclusively on plankton.
Nor is nature solely far out at sea. You'll often see sanderlings performing their dance on the glistening sands. And it's always a superb location to stop and watch the kitesurfers as they brave the silvery surf.
Soroby Bay
Sorobay
Go a little further west – not too far – and Crossapol becomes Soroby. Or in old Gaelic Sorobaidh Bay. It's a short walk from Crossapol (or paddle if you feel adventurous). The waters here are shallow, and the beach is often secluded – meaning you could have the 1 km stretch of golden sands all to yourself. (Where else but Tiree?!)
The small township of Balemartine is nearby; indeed, it's sometimes referred to as Balemartine Bay. If you want to stake this beach out as your own, a croft camping site is less than a minute's walk away. And there's a Farmhouse Café, for when you want a delicious snack or lunch after a morning swimming and surfing the waves.
Balephuil Beach
Balephuil beach with Ben Hynish
There's no time to stop. As we meander around the Hynish headland, we come to Balephuil Bay – in the shadow of the mighty hill Ben Hynish: the island's highest point.
Balephuil is something of an ancient site. Iron-Age hill forts mark the surrounding cliff tops, and there are several old chapel ruins overlooking the beach below. You can almost picture the early inhabitants enjoying a cool swim after a long summer's day in the fields.
It's here on the golden mile of sand that the Tiree Wave Classic has often been held since the 1980s. Small wonder why they choose Balephuil: it's one of the island's most beautiful beaches.
Just beware! Nearby are the caves of Kenavara, which descend far into the earth.
Traigh Nan Gilean
Clamber up and over Kenavara – avoiding its colonies of seabirds – and you'll come to the ominously named Traigh Nan Gilean meaning "beach of the jaws". It's by far one of the most secluded beaches on the island. No roads run nearby; reaching the beach means parking up and trekking kilometres across country.
Still, it's a fantastic spot to spy on the seabirds, like guillemots and puffins, which breed on Kenavara's slopes.
Sandaig
Sandaig hardly has a beach to speak of; however, there are a few small openings in the rocky shoreline. Tiree Fitness is close by from where the Tiree Ultramarathon is planned: a gruelling 30+ miles run around the island coast.
You'll almost always have these little coves and sandy inlets to yourself – no matter the time of year. Plus, the waves here are gentler, broken by the many skerries.
The Maze
Before heading back along the northern shore, there's one last beach: the Maze. It's a popular spot with surfers, with consistent year-round surfing conditions. That's due to its westerly location, open to all directions of Atlantic swell.
With a small car park nearby, it's a brilliant location to visit any time of year to ride the surf. There's only one complaint: everyone else has the same idea. It can get a little busy during the summer months when the sun shines from dawn to dusk.
April tends to be the best month for surfing at The Maze – with clean surfable waves around 26% of the time (according to Surf Forecast).
Hough Bay
As we start to back around Tiree's northwest corner, we arrive at Hough Bay. Ben Hough, the island's second-highest hill, stands behind – meaning it's often quieter than either The Maze or Balevullin Beach. Like the Beach of Jaws, Hough Bay is a trickier beach to reach – especially considering there's a rocky hill in the way.
You'll need to follow the narrow track that rounds the hill, starting at Balevullin township. Unless you're particularly determined to surf there, it's not one for dragging a surfboard along. It is a lovely walk, however, when combined with Ben Hough.
Balevullin Beach
Balevullin Beach is surfer central here on Tiree. If you come to Tiree to discover the waves, you'll end up here sooner or later. The Larg family runs Blackhouse Watersports from a small wooden cabin on the beach, and it's the ideal location for beginners and pros alike to experience Tiree's waves.
In fact, there are several adorable cottages or large modern houses nearby in Balevullin – often kitted out for surfing holidays.
The Gulf Stream warms the waters here, making it a popular spot with holidaymakers and locals. Oh, and pack a pair of binoculars; you'll often see seals, otters, and basking sharks off Balevullin's coast.
Perhaps most breathtaking about Balevullin is the colours. The rich, green machair bristling with flowers; the crisp, white sands; the ocean bluer than the sky – there's nowhere else quite like it.
The Green
The Green
The Green is on Tiree's High School’s doorstep, a short walk through the Machair.
It's a stunning beach, where the machair descends down the dunes and onto the golden sands. Here your dog or kids can roam free across the beach, or you can settle down for a day soaking up the rays. It’s usually a very calm bay perfect for snorkelling.
Cornaig Bay
Cornaig Bay barely deserves the title of "beach". It's little more than a few sandy coves and a rocky shoreline. Nevertheless, very determined holidaymakers have ventured down to spend the day.
Balephetrish Beach
Balephetrish Beach
Balephetrish Bay, on the island's northern shore, competes for the title of Tiree's second-biggest beach. It's a popular location with visitors, as several guesthouses in Balephetrish have glorious views of this expanse of sand and sea.
This two-mile arc of sand is full of surprises. You'll find a rock formation at Balephetrish known as the "Mermaid's castle". This unusual pink granite arch has brought hours of fun to the island's youth over the generations. On a clear day you can see the Small Isles of Eigg, Rum and Muck and even the Western Isles.
Nearby is also the Ringing Stone – a prehistoric monument that "rings" when struck. Most unusual are the round depressions made by the island's inhabitants thousands of years ago – their purpose remains unknown to this day.
Vaul Bay and Salun Bay
Vaul beach
The twin bays of Vaul and Salun lie at the island's narrowest point – separated from Gott Bay to the south by the golf course. It's an extraordinarily peaceful part of the islands; your only company is often the sheep trimming the grass.
Both bays are quite shallow, making them ideal for swimming – and the coastlines are protective, so you'll find few surfing enthusiasts.
Vaul gets its name from the local ruins, a short distance north of the beach. This "broch" is an ancient defensive tower constructed by the same people who carved the Ringing Stone. If you're spending the day on Vaul Beach, remember to explore these mysterious ruins.
Caolas Beach
Finally, at the far east of Tiree – where you can almost touch the neighbouring islands of Coll and Gunna – is Caolas Beach. Despite its stunning beauty and incredible view, it's one of the least visited beaches on the island.
While it's not optimum for surfing conditions, there are tons of rock pools and crags for kids to explore. Who knows what you might find?
The rocks also make an excellent location to perch with a good book and spend an hour or two soaking in the sea air.
Visit Tiree's Breathtaking Beaches
With some of the sunniest weather you'll find anywhere in the UK and waters warmed by the Gulf Stream, Tiree's beaches are something to behold. It's part of why I fell in love with the island.
There's something unforgettable about the rugged wildflowers carpeting the machair, the glowing sun, the crisp, white sands, and the boundless sea beyond.
Which beach do you want to discover? Are you a surfer, a walker, or an afternoon ambler? Whatever you choose, we can't wait to see you!
