Can anyone recommend a beach on Skye that's good for tidepooling? (At least that's what it's called in the US; I've seen info from Scotland use the term "rock pools.") The idea is to find an area of rocks on a beach where the retreating tide leaves a big pool, and you can easily look at all the cool marine creatures in there. Thanks!
Posted by
Isle of Skye, Scotland
1338 posts
Hi Laurie
Yes we call it rock pooling here. Most beaches on Skye are stony or rocky rather than sandy, so there are plenty of opportunities. One cool place would be the beach at Isle Oronsay, Ullinish. This is a lovely walk but shhhhh don't tell everyone! There are two Oronsay isles on Skye, so be careful to get the right one. It's a lovely walk across a meadow to a tidal sand spit that joins the isle to the mainland of Skye. When the tide is out the beach is exposed and you can walk across to the isle, but at either end of the sand spit there are rocky areas where pools form. The views are spectacular and I've also seen otters, dolphins and sea eagles in the area. The parking area is very small and the path crosses farmland where there are sometimes cows.
Another place is the far end of the coral beaches. This is one of the few 'sand' (actually desiccated seaweed) beaches on Skye but at the far end is a rocky section with pools.
Also Broadford bay, easily accessible from the village of Broadford has some rocky sections. And Elgol is another good spot.