Beautiful Camusdarach Beach was made famous by its starring role in the cult film Local Hero. This short walk heads out to explore the celebrated sands and continues along the coastline.
Dune paths and sandy beach.
None to start; approx 3km from Morar station.
Camusdarach beach car park, Glenancross at NM664917.
The walk begins from the car park off the B8008 road by Glenancross. Start by crossing the footbridge (signed 'To the Beaches'). On the far side turn right along the path by the burn - lined by an array of wildflowers in the summer. Keep straight ahead at a path junction to pass through the dunes and emerge on the beach.
With its perfect shell sand and stunning outlook to the Isles of Rum and Eigg, the beach is deservedly popular. Its status was further enhanced by its use as a location in the classic film 'Local Hero' - the shack in which beach-bum Ben lived was to the left between the end of the dunes and the rocky promontory (though the village featured in Local Hero was Pennan on the opposite side of Scotland). Head left across the sands; if the tide is out you can pass round the rocky promontory; if it is high you have to cross it.
Almost immediately pass a second rocky promontory to reach the next section of beach. Here the Rubha da Chuain peninsula reaches out towards the sea, and the beach looks towards Skye. Cross the peninsula to reach the next beach, which faces west. Here there's wooden steps leading to a path which heads inland - this is the way back, but if you wish you can detour further along the coast as described in the next paragraph.
For the detour, continue along a grassy path, heading through a wooden gate to the left of a boathouse. There's a muddy section through woodland before the path emerges at another beach, overlooked by a stone crofthouse. You can continue from here, passing another beach, before the path emerges at the minor road.
Retrace your steps back along the coast to the steps mentioned in stage 4. Take the path inland here, with a fence on its left - it leads to a gate just short of the plantation of trees. Pass through and turn left along the clear path beyond. After 100m there's a pedestrian gateway on the left giving access to a grassy field - head through this and cross the field to another pedestrian gate at the left end of a fence on the far side.
Pass through this, then turn right alongside the fence, passing through a farm gate. Continue along the path towards two clumps of pine trees. The path eventually slopes down to rejoin the outward route opposite the footbridge into the car park.
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