Sandwood Bay

Sandwood Bay is one of the most northerly sandy beaches in Scotland, and would be well worth a visit without the added interest of the strange phenomena that has happened here.

Sandwood Bay and its environs, seems to be one of those places that attracts strange phenomena. For hundreds of years the bay has been known as a haunt of the mermaids, they have been reported in the area as late as the 19th century.

Bob Jones [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Sandwood Loch and Cottage are also said to be haunted by a ghost, that of an Australian who used to visit the area. He makes himself known by his heavy footsteps, although this ghost and that of the sailor could may be related.

The cottage has also been the scene for other strange phenomena. According to Marc Alexander in his book Enchanted Britain, 2 hikers passed the night there, and awoke to find the ruins shaking, and the sound of a wild horse stamping above them. This sounds remarkably like description of the Each Uisge, or the Scottish water horse of folklore, a dangerous shape shifting entity often in the form of a horse.

Whatever the cause of these happenings, Sandwood Bay is definitely a focus for strange sightings and events.

Directions: The beach is best approached from the South along the Oldshoremore Road. The track to the bay is well signposted.