Am Buachaille and Sandwood Bay

Following severe winter gales, thousands of tons of sand can be shifted by the waves, altering the contours of the beach. A few years ago, this exposed the remains of a World War II Spitfire.

The joy of Sandwood Bay is its desolation, for no roads run nearby and you are likely to enjoy solitude in all seasons. Spring brings out the thrift on the cliffs and purple orchids on the moor, while the brilliant white lighthouse at Cape Wrath to the north shimmers in the clear light. In summer you can watch the gannets as they plummet into the waves, diving for fish. In autumn, at low tide, you can stride across the wet sand dotted with oystercatchers and sandpipers, while in winter you can marvel at the magnificent waves as they break with a roar and race across the firm sand.

There is one word of warning, however, for the sandy beach shelves suddenly and there is a vicious undertow, so on no account should you attempt to bathe. On hot days, you can safely cool off in the pools and lagoons where the river, draining into Sandwood Loch, cuts through the sand on the north side of the bay.

Despite the sheer scale of the open landscape provided b y the vast sweep of Sandwood Bay and the huge sky above, your eyes are constantly drawn south to the enormous Am Buachaille sea stack. First climbed in 1967 by Tom Patey, it still provides a tough challenge for the rock climber, who has to swim 33 feet (10 metres) through boiling surf before he or she can gain the plinth and start the ascent. (Incidentally when I did this walk in 2016 I watched two rock climbers climb Am Buachaille).

Beyond Am Buachaille, the waves break on the tiny island group of Am Balg, just one mile (1.6 km) offshore. They are rarely visited because of a protective ring of ugly rock teeth.

Before you turn away from Am Buachaille and Sandwood Bay to return inland over the burnished moor grass and purple heather to your car, glance south to the contorted, indented coastline of jagged rocks, cliffs, promontories and stacks which stretches for 10 miles (16 km) as far as the bird sanctuary of Handa Island. Handa makes a splendid excursion for another day, with a regular motorboat service from the village of Tarbet throughout the summer.