Spots Nearby
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Torrisdale Bay:
19.8 km
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Dunnet Bay:
30.7 km
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Sango Sands:
48.6 km
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Burghead Bay:
97.9 km
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Lossie East Beach:
100.0 km
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General Information
Level:10-10 Season:April 1 — December 31 -
Melvich sits on the estuary to the river Halladale and is suitable to accommodate most levels of water sport enthusiasts. In general it is quiet so you will only see a handful of people there at any one time. The weather like most of Scotland can be changeable but there is always varying degrees of wind.
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Beach
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Melvich beach is made up of sand with a rocky shoreline that is sheltered by rolling hills. It is fairly easy to find. Simply follow the signs down to Melvich beach where you can park up. It is about 5 minutes walk from there
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Wind&Waves
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A good wind direction blows from north and south which promotes pretty large swells which start working at less that 1 meter and holds right through to 3.5 - 4 meters which can make it pretty hard to paddle through. It is advisable to go during the summer months when there isn’t so much white water. Due to the changing wind direction you might need to change spots to suit the wind, especially if you are there for 5 hours or more. The river mouth gives you a longer wave ride (approximately 300 meters on a good day) but if you want the larger wave, then try the center of the beach. The waves can be slow, right through to fast, depending on the conditions.
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Facilities
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Melvich has a campsite which is about a 20 minute walk from the beach and there is also a pub nearby which serves good food. If you need surfing supplies then the nearest shop is in Thurso which is a 30 minute drive.
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Safety
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Be aware of quick changing weather conditions. Also watch out for the rocky shoreline.