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Aberdeenshire

Sandend Beach

A half-mile sweep of sand at Sandend, one of the smallest and oldest fishing villages on the Moray Firth coast, loved by families and surfers.

Welcome

On the coast between Cullen and Portsoy, a curve of pale sand runs for half a mile round Sandend Bay, backed by grassy banks and yellow gorse, with the Moray Firth rolling in.

At its western end, huddled round a small stone harbour, is the village of Sandend, perhaps the smallest and one of the loveliest of all the old fishing villages on this coast.

The village is older than many of its bigger neighbours, well established by the early 1600s. Its fisher cottages crowd round the harbour, built in the 1800s, standing end-on to the sea as they do all along the coast.

The beach is a favourite with families in summer, and with surfers: the waves here are among the best in the country, without the crowds. Glenglassaugh Distillery looks down on the bay, and a mile to the west the ruins of Findlater Castle cling to their clifftop.

A short drive awayThe Shore InnPortsoy's oldest pub, a low-ceilinged howff of the 1700s on the old harbour.6 min by roadSee itThe white front of the Shore Inn on Portsoy's old harbour, flags over the door.
Before you go

Free, at any time.

There is a car park at the village end of the beach. Glenglassaugh Distillery stands above the bay.

Where
Sandend, off the A98 between Cullen and Portsoy.
The beach
About half a mile of sand; good surf.
Where it is

On the Moray Firth coast at Sandend, three miles east of Cullen and two miles west of Portsoy.

Close byThe Banffshire coast.
  1. Rows of casks on their racks in a Glenglassaugh warehouse.Glenglassaugh DistilleryA distillery on the shore of Sandend Bay, silent for over twenty years and working again.Under a mile3 min by road
  2. Findlater CastleFindlater CastleThe ruins of a medieval castle clinging to a narrow promontory high above the sea between Cullen and Sandend, with a sandy cove below.1 mile4 min by road
  3. Portsoy Ice CreamPortsoy Ice CreamIce cream made in Portsoy, along the coast.3 miles5 min by road
  4. Banff Bay from the hill, the sandy shore curving round to the town.BanffAn old royal burgh at the mouth of the Deveron.11 miles17 min by road
  5. Duff HouseDuff HouseWilliam Adam's baroque mansion at Banff.11 miles19 min by road
Directions
Grassy dunes and rocky sand lead to a curved headland beyond the bayAttractionsSunnyside Beach1.4 miles over the water
The white front of the Shore Inn on Portsoy's old harbour, flags over the door.BarsThe Shore Inn2.9 miles
A volunteer shaping a timber boat in the Boatshed at Portsoy.ActivityThe Boatshed3.3 miles
Scale model of Old Cullen marks the Royal Burgh's bicentennial in a museum displayAttractionsCullen Heritage Centre3.6 miles
Garden House Trading shopfront with signs for cards, gifts and interiorsShoppingGarden House Trading3.6 miles
The Rockpool café on a street corner beneath a stone railway viaductRestaurantsRockpool Café3.6 miles
Slate rooftops and chimney pots overlook a misty coastline at dawnAttractionsCullen3.7 miles
Wooden steps lead down through grassy dunes towards a curving coastal pathAttractionsCullen Links Golf Club4.1 miles
Sandy beach and sea seen through the arched window of a wooden saunaAttractionsSauna at the Kings4.2 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the beach, and when each is next free.

A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.Gate Lodge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 12 miles from Sandend
Check datesA triangular timber cabin stands behind a wooden gate and post-and-rail fence, bare trees framing the entrance.Midpark
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 12 miles from Sandend
Free 30 Oct – 1 NovA stone cottage with a slated roof and a blue front door, climbing roses in pink and white flanking the porch.Butlers Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 12 miles from Sandend
Free 17–19 OctA grey stone cottage with dormer windows and a black front door, climbing roses either side, set behind a lawn.Bailies Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Rothiemay
  • 12 miles from Sandend
Free 26–28 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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