10 of the UK's Most Secluded Beaches and How to Reach Each One
· Updated
The most secluded beaches in the UK are the ones you have to earn: a long moorland walk, a farm track, a tide that has to be right, or a ferry to an island most people never set foot on. That effort is exactly what keeps them quiet. Turn up on a warm August afternoon and you might share a mile of sand with two other people.
This is a UK-wide top 10, chosen for genuine remoteness and spread across all four nations, with the honest detail on how you actually get to each one. If you want beaches paired directly with a pitch, read our sister guide to Britain's secret beaches and cove campsites alongside this list.
It is part of our guide to coastal camping in the UK, from Camping Sites in Britain, where you can find and compare campsites, caravan parks and glamping right along the coast.
The 10 at a glance
Every beach here needs a walk, a boat or a bit of local knowledge to reach. Here is where each one sits and what it takes to get there.
| Beach | Where | How you reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Sandwood Bay | Sutherland, Scotland | 8-mile round-trip walk, no road |
| Silver Sands of Morar | Highlands, Scotland | Car park then short walk over dunes |
| Rackwick | Hoy, Orkney | Ferry to Hoy, then road across the island |
| Porth Iago | Llyn, Wales | Farm track and field, small parking fee |
| Whistling Sands (Porthor) | Llyn, Wales | Car park then path down the cliff |
| Marloes Sands | Pembrokeshire, Wales | 10-minute walk down from the car park |
| Kynance Cove | Cornwall | Cliff path from the National Trust car park, tidal |
| Nanjizal | Cornwall | Coast path from Porthgwarra or Land's End |
| Mothecombe | Devon | Walk from the estate car park |
| Embleton Bay | Northumberland | Walk from Low Newton or Craster |
Scotland
Sandwood Bay, Sutherland
Sandwood Bay is the most famous hard-to-reach beach in Britain, and it stays wild because there is no road to it. You walk roughly four miles each way over open moorland from the car park at Blairmore, near Kinlochbervie, for an 8-mile round trip. The reward is a mile of pink-tinged sand, the sea stack of Am Buachaille at the south end, and land cared for by the John Muir Trust. Wear proper boots, take everything with you, and allow four to five hours.
Silver Sands of Morar, Highlands
The Silver Sands are a string of small white-sand coves between Arisaig and Mallaig on the A830, the Road to the Isles. You can park near the road and drop down through machair and dunes to find a bay to yourself, with the Isles of Eigg and Rum out to sea. It is far more reachable than Sandwood, but the sheer distance from anywhere keeps the crowds thin outside peak weeks.
Rackwick, Orkney
Rackwick sits at the end of the road on Hoy, the second-largest of the Orkney islands, and getting there is half the point. You take a ferry from Stromness or Houton, then cross the island by road to a bay framed by red sandstone cliffs and a beach of huge rounded boulders giving way to sand. The famous Old Man of Hoy sea stack is a walk away up the coast. Bring supplies, because facilities are minimal.
Wales
Porth Iago, Llyn Peninsula
Porth Iago is a tiny cliff-backed cove on the wild western tip of the Llyn, reached down a rough farm track where the landowner charges a small parking fee. From the grassy clifftop it is a short scramble to the sand, and the shelter of the headlands makes it feel like a private beach. It is close to Aberdaron, so you can restock in the village before heading out.
Whistling Sands (Porthor), Llyn Peninsula
Porthor is known as the Whistling Sands because the grains genuinely squeak underfoot when the conditions are dry. It is looked after by the National Trust, with a car park at the top and a path down the cliff to a broad, sheltered arc of sand. A seasonal cafe near the beach makes it the softer option on this list, though it still feels a world away from the crowds.
Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire
Marloes Sands is a vast, cliff-backed beach on the far south-western corner of the Pembrokeshire Coast, reached by a 10-minute walk down from the National Trust car park near Marloes village. At low tide the sand and rock ledges stretch for a mile, and the beach is the jumping-off point for boats to Skomer's puffins. Check the tide before you go, because the beach shrinks fast as the water comes in.
England
Kynance Cove, Cornwall
Kynance Cove, on the Lizard, is the most photographed beach here and the hardest to time, because it is tidal and the sand all but vanishes at high water. Walk down the cliff path from the National Trust car park at low tide and you get serpentine rock stacks, caves and turquoise water. It is genuinely popular in summer, so arrive early or out of season to keep it feeling secluded.
Nanjizal, Cornwall
Nanjizal is the quiet neighbour of nearby Land's End, with no direct road or car park of its own. You reach it on foot along the South West Coast Path, most easily from Porthgwarra or Land's End, a walk of roughly a mile and a half. The draw is the Song of the Sea, a tall slot arch in the cliff, and a rock pool that fills at the right state of tide. The lack of parking is exactly why it stays empty.
Mothecombe, Devon
Mothecombe is a private beach on the Flete Estate in the South Hams, open to the public on set days of the week, which is what keeps it so quiet. From the estate car park it is a short walk down to a wide sweep of sand at the mouth of the Erme, backed by woodland rather than car parks and cafes. Check the estate's opening days before you set off, and note there are no facilities on the beach itself.
Embleton Bay, Northumberland
Embleton Bay is a long, dune-backed beach on the Northumberland coast that you can only reach on foot, which is why it stays so empty despite the drama around it. The classic approach is the walk from Craster past the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, or the shorter stroll from Low Newton-by-the-Sea. Big skies, few people and a castle on the headland make it one of England's great quiet beaches.
How to reach them, and stay safe with no lifeguard
Almost every beach on this list has no lifeguard cover, because RNLI lifeguards patrol only a few hundred of the busier UK beaches. That means the safety is on you, so treat cold water and tides with respect.
If you get into trouble in the water, the RNLI advice is to Float to Live: lean back, keep your face clear of the water, relax and breathe, and let your arms and legs move gently to stay afloat until the cold-water shock passes and you can call for help or swim to safety (RNLI Float to Live). Cold-water shock is the real danger, and its worst effects pass in under a minute if you float rather than thrash.
- Check the tide times before you commit. Marloes, Kynance and Nanjizal all shrink or cut off as the tide rises, so know when low water is and give yourself an exit.
- Wear boots, not sandals. Sandwood, Rackwick and the coast-path beaches involve real walking over rough ground.
- Take everything out again. None of these have bins or facilities, so follow the Countryside Code and leave no trace.
- Tell someone your plan and remember phone signal is patchy on remote coasts.
For more on picking the right pitch by the sea, our guides to exploring Britain's coastal pathways and Britain's coastal trails and campsites pair walking routes with places to stay.
Where to camp nearby
You cannot pitch on these beaches, but there is good camping within reach of every one. Wild camping is only a legal right in England on Dartmoor and, in Scotland, under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; everywhere else you need the landowner's permission, so a proper site is usually the answer.
Use our directory to find sites near each stretch of coast: the Scottish Highlands for Sandwood and Morar, Gwynedd for the Llyn coves, Pembrokeshire for Marloes, Cornwall for Kynance and Nanjizal, and Devon for Mothecombe. You can also browse the full campsite listings to compare pitches, prices and facilities across the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most secluded beach in the UK?
Sandwood Bay in Sutherland is widely regarded as the most secluded major beach in the UK, because there is no road to it and reaching it means an 8-mile round-trip walk over moorland from Blairmore car park.
Which secluded beach is easiest to reach?
The Silver Sands of Morar and Whistling Sands (Porthor) are the easiest here, with roadside or car-park access and only a short walk to the sand. Sandwood, Nanjizal and Embleton Bay all involve longer walks.
Are these beaches safe to swim at?
None have lifeguard cover, so swim with real caution. Check tides, avoid cold water when alone, and if you get into difficulty, Float to Live: lean back and float until the cold-water shock passes, then call for help.
Can you camp on the beach at any of these?
No. Wild camping on beaches needs the landowner's permission across most of the UK, and only Dartmoor and parts of Scotland allow it under access law. Use a nearby campsite and visit the beach by day.
When is the best time to visit for solitude?
Late spring and early autumn give the best mix of settled weather and empty sand. Even in summer, arriving before 10am or after 4pm thins the crowds at the more popular spots like Kynance Cove.
The short version
The UK's most secluded beaches stay quiet because they take effort to reach, from the long walk into Sandwood Bay to the ferry ride to Rackwick. Check the tides, respect the lack of lifeguards, and base yourself at a nearby site so you can enjoy the sand and still sleep somewhere warm. Start with our guide to coastal camping in the UK or browse campsites near the coast you fancy.
