The Silver Sands of Morar

Portnaluchaig, plus Rum and Eigg

The road from Arisaig north to Morar is one of the most memorable in Scotland. This isn't because of its twists and turns and narrow single track stretches, though these do make meeting a fish lorry from Mallaig an interesting experience.

River Morar Stormy Day at Keppoch

No, what makes it truly memorable is the sublime seascape formed by a series of rock-framed white beaches and stunning views across a turquoise sea towards the Small Isles of Eigg and Rum and further north to Skye. This stretch of coast is known as the Silver Sands of Morar.

Bunacaimb, with Skye Beyond

Dunes at Camusdarach

This coastline begins in the south at the hamlets of Back of Keppoch and Bunacaimb. Here you will find a number of the more or less informal campsites occupying parts of the foreshore that characterise much of this coastline.

At Portnaluchaig the road skirts the beach itself, and continues around a superb bay past the 9 hole golf course at Traigh. There are a number of places here to park and simply explore the beaches and islets of the bay. Film buffs will find that parts of this coastline look very familiar: it was here that the beach scenes for "Local Hero" were shot.

A little further north again there is a parking area at Camusdarach, from where a path leads to the magnificent dunes lining this part of the coastline. This is an essential stopping-off point on any tour of the Silver Sands.

North again the road twists inland towards Kinsadel as it skirts the beaches on the estuary of the River Morar. Catch this in the right light and with its white beaches, blue sea and occasional white boat it could be the Caribbean. Except for the water temperature, of course.

As implied above, the only thing preventing even greater enjoyment of this stretch of coastline is the need to concentrate on roads that in places are very narrow, and which carry a lot of heavy traffic to and from Mallaig.

That is all changing in 2003. A new road is being built north from Arisaig that will by-pass this stretch of coastline altogether. However, the current road will remain in use, but without the large trucks that make it so interesting at present.

In the meantime, for more information about Scotland's single track roads and how to drive them, visit our feature page on driving single track roads.