Sandaig Bay

This article is about the bay on the Knoydart peninsula. For the bay in Glenelg which was the home of Gavin Maxwell, see Glenelg, Highland § Sandaig and Camusfeàrna.

Sandaig Bay is a coastal embayment, on a chord of 2.04 kilometres (1 mile 471 yards), on a 194° orientation, located on the northwestern end of the sea loch, Loch Nevis, facing the Sound of Sleat. The bay is within the western end of the Knoydart peninsula, in the Lochaber district in the historical county of Inverness-shire on the north west coast of Scotland.^[2]

Sandaig Bay
Sandaig Bay on a wet night.
Sandaig Bay
Location	NG726016
Coordinates	57.045133°N 5.764828°W / 57.045133; -5.764828
Type	Sea loch bay
Primary inflows	Sandaig Burn
Ocean/sea sources	Atlantic Ocean
Islands	Eilean Mòr, Fraoch Eilean, Sgeir nan Eun[1]

Geography

Sgurr an Eilein Ghiubhais near Mallaig. Looking at the cliffs near the top of Sgurr an Eilein Ghiubhais. Sandaig bay and Rubha Raonuill can be seen beyond.

Directly south of Sandaig Bay is the sea Loch Hourn that separates the peninsulae of Kintail to the north and Knoydart to the south. The view to the west is the Sound of Sleat, dominated by the twin peaks of Beinn na Seamraig at 1,841 feet (561 metres) and Ben Aslak at 2,000 feet (610 metres) that overlook the bay on the Isle of Skye. Further to the north is a further two peaks on the Isle of Skye that can be seen from the bay, the closest peak to the bay and the highest peak on the north of Skye is Sgurr na Coinnich at 2,425 feet (739 metres) and the furthest away is Beinn na Caillich at 2,402 feet (732 m).

Sandaig Bay is known by the blown sand that has accumulated at its head. At the head of the Bay in the north corner, is the former Roman Catholic chapel.^[3] At the east side of the bay lies several rocky islands, some two cable lengths from shore i.e. lying at the entrance to the bay. The larger islands are called Eilean Mòr, Fraoch Eilean and the smaller Sgeir nan Eun.^[1] The islands and together with western exposure, make it an unsafe anchorage.^[3]

References

1. Clyde Cruising Club (22 June 2017). Ardnamurchan to Cape Wrath. Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Limited. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-84623-913-7. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
2. "Sandaig Bay". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
3. Great Britain. Hydrographic Dept (1877). West Coast of Scotland Pilot. J. D. Potter. p. 79. Retrieved 17 December 2018.

External links

• Sandaig Bay
• Walks at Sandaig Bay