Farr Bay – A White Beach and a Rough Headland at Bettyhill
Bettyhill sits on a hill above Farr Bay, a horseshoe of pale sand a few minutes' walk through the dunes from the old parish church.
That's the easy half of this day. The harder half is Ard Mor, the rough headland beside the bay, where a round of two miles without much of a path reaches a ruined salmon station above the mouth of the River Naver. Lunch is at the Store in the village.
- Time
- A few minutes each way through the dunes to Farr Bay. The Ard Mor round is an hour to an hour and a half: 3 km, or about two miles, with 108 metres of climbing, rough and without a path in places.
- The path
- A sandy path through dunes to the beach. Ard Mor is faint paths and sheep tracks over rough ground, with stretches of no path at all.
- Where to start
- The small car park beside the Strathnaver Museum at the east end of Bettyhill, for the beach. Free. The Ard Mor round has its own parking area at Achneiskich, on the north side of the village.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. Keep Ard Mor for a clear, dry day, and from November to January be on the headland by 1pm. The Store shuts at 5pm on weekdays.
- Dogs
- On a lead on Ard Mor, where sheep graze.
- Children
- The beach suits all ages, with rock pools at its edges. Ard Mor has unfenced cliffs and is not for small children.
- Toilets
- None at the beach: the public toilets are in the middle of Bettyhill.
- Before you set out
- Unfenced cliff edges on Ard Mor. Sheep graze the headland.
The walk
Park in the small free car park beside the Strathnaver Museum, the white former church at the east end of Bettyhill. Farr Bay is a few minutes away on foot, through the dunes behind the churchyard. It's a curve of pale sand facing north-west between two low headlands, Ard Mor to the west and Ard Beag to the east, with a burn running out across the beach and rock pools at the edges. On the way, look for the Farr Stone among the graves. It's a tall Pictish cross-slab, carved in about the ninth century.
The beach is the easy half of the day. The other half is Ard Mor, the rough headland between the bay and the mouth of the River Naver. Walkhighlands gives the round as 3 km, or about two miles, with 108 metres of climbing, and allows an hour to an hour and a half. It starts from the parking area at Achneiskich on the north side of the village, a few minutes' walk from the Store. There are only faint paths and sheep tracks.
Some stretches have no path at all and the cliff edges are unfenced, so it's for sure-footed walkers in boots on a clear day. On the far side, the ruined buildings of a salmon fishing station stand above the river mouth, looking across to the long sands of Torrisdale Bay. Sheep graze the headland, so keep dogs on a lead there. Public toilets are in the middle of the village. From November to January, be on the headland by 1pm.
If it rains
The beach is fine in a shower and bleak in a gale. Leave Ard Mor out in rain, wind or mist, when the grass is slippery above the cliffs, and go straight to the Store.
Afterwards
The Store Bistro & Bar
Lunch
The Store is Bettyhill's café and bar, in the old village shop with its timber front, where the original shelves still line the walls. The kitchen makes soup, bacon rolls, cooked breakfasts and a chocolate fudge cake, and the coffee is freshly ground. It's open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, from 11am to 10pm on Saturday and from 11am to 8pm on Sunday. It's a small place and it fills up, so allow for a wait at lunchtime. Dogs are welcome. The parking area for Ard Mor is a few minutes' walk away. Over Christmas and New Year, check before going.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Lundies House, 8 miles away.
Where to eat
The Store Bistro & Bar, a café in Bettyhill.
Bettyhill Tourist Information & Cafe, a café in Bettyhill.
For further reading, before you go.