Sands Caravan and Camping Park

Big Sands beach (added by manager 16 Oct 2022)

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Sands Caravan and Camping Park is situated on the beautiful west coast of the Highlands of Scotland and has unsurpassed views of the Isle of Skye and Outer Hebrides. Sands is the ideal base to explore the best of Wester Ross, from the famous Torridon mountains in the south to the world renowned Inverewe Gardens in the north. Bring your own caravan, motorhome or tent and set up where ever you wish, choosing from one of over 250 pitches including 150 hook-ups. Whether you want a sheltered spot amongst the sand dunes or a raised pitch with unrivalled views, our 55-acre site has something for everyone. Wherever you set up our award winning beach is a stone's throw away and the only restriction we enforce is that you keep a distance of at least seven metres from your neighbour. Dogs are welcome on the site provided they are kept on a lead and dogs’ faeces picked up. On site we have a licensed grocery shop open from April to October selling freshly baked bread, newspapers, groceries, caravan and camping equipment, toys, books, camping and Calor gas. There is also a fully licensed cafe on site which serves breakfast, lunch and evening meals daily. Facilities on site include: - Three heated toilet and shower blocks, including family and disabled facilities - Games and TV room, including table tennis and a football table - Covered indoor cooking & dining area. - Laundry facilities, including 4 washing machines and 4 dryers. All coin operated. - 150 electric hook ups - ELSAN disposal, for the emptying of chemical toilets. - Purpose-built motorhome service point - EV charging point - Play area, including swings, obstacle course, flying-fox and pump track - Launching slip - Dog walking area - River fishing - Nearby walks - Free Wifi - Cafe/restaurant with an adjacent takeaway van

Site type

Caravans for hire 5
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 12
Opens 29 March

Tourist board rating

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 29 Mar to

Want to know more about camping in Highlands and Islands?

Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Baby-changing facilities

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Local produce

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Communal freezer

Communal fridge

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Very large (over 200 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point

Seasonal pitches

Tourer storage facilities

Location

Sands Caravan and Camping Park

Gairloch

Highlands and Islands

Scotland

IV21 2DL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

57.74066°N
-5.76447°W

Route directions

From Inverness, continue north on the A9 until the Tore roundabout after 12 miles (20km). Take the A835 towards Ullapool. Just after Garve in 19 miles (31km), the scenic route by Loch Maree can be taken by branching left onto the A832 and following this road through Achnasheen and Kinlochewe to Gairloch. This is 45 miles (72km). The route to the Sands Holiday Centre is on the B8021. This road branches to the left in Gairloch approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) after the pier. This route is shorter but contains a few stretches of single track road where passing places are used to allow oncoming traffic to overtake. They should also be used to allow faster following traffic to overtake. The other route from Garve is to stay on the A835 until Braemore Junction 20 miles (32km) from Garve. Turn left onto the A832 and follow the road through Aultbea and Poolewe to Gairloch in 55 miles (88km). At the foot of the hill after entering Gairloch the B8021 to the Sands Holiday Centre branches to the right. This route is longer but is all double track road.

Nearest transport

Rail
24 mi Achnashellach Rail Station
25.3 mi Strathcarron Rail Station
26.5 mi Attadale Rail Station
Ferry
3.6 mi Gairloch Ferry Landing
17.8 mi Badluarach Ferry Landing
18.5 mi Scoraig Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

The area surrounding Sands offers many varied and unique activities for the whole family. On the first Saturday of the Highland school holidays every year Sands hosts the Gairloch Highland Gathering. With events including a hill race, heavy athletics and a pet parade, as well as a family ceilidh on the Friday evening and over 18's dance on the Saturday evening, there’s something to entertain all members of the family! Gairloch Harbour is home to many whale watching cruises that can take you around Gairloch Bay and into the Minch to spot whales, dolphins, porpoises and even basking sharks. In nearby Badachro there are Shellfish Safaris where you can reel in your own creel full of lobsters and prawns, or why not take one of the many fishing trips from the harbour. The beautiful Flowerdale Estate, home to the MacKenzies of Gairloch, has a spectacular waterfall, an 18th-century house and plenty of exhilarating walks to suits all ages and abilities. Flowerdale also has a Victorian Ice House, one of the oldest barns in Scotland and a memorial to Gairloch’s Blind Piper. Gairloch Trekking Centre, where beginners and more experienced riders can explore the stunning landscape and beach on horseback or improve their riding skills with lessons, has now been relocated to Red Point. The Gairloch area has many sites of historical interest and our award winning museum explores the area’s history with exhibits including a croft house interior, a replica of a Highland shop and Rua Reidh Lighthouse’s original lens. In nearby Sheildaig the Fairy Lochs walk visits a memorial to a crashed WW2 bomber plane. The beautiful Loch Maree has many tales and legends surrounding it, and is rumoured to have been a site of importance for Saint Columba. If you visit Isle Maree you can see an ancient wishing tree and visit the graves of a prince and princess, but make sure you keep an eye out for Muc-sheilch, the loch's very own monster! For rainy days there are plenty of indoor activities too: Gairloch Leisure Centre offers a range of activities, including archery, a climbing wall and badminton, and Poolewe Swimming Pool is only a 15-minute drive away. The Perfume Studio at Mellon Charles is Scotland’s only working perfume studio, and also has a cafe, gift shop and excellent views of Loch and Isle Ewe. The Gairloch area is home to the world famous Inverewe Gardens, established by Osgood MacKenzie in 1862. Famed for its exotic plants from countries as diverse as Tasmania, New Zealand and Chile, the gardens also have an onsite cafe, short walks and a bird hide. Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, Scotland’s oldest reserve established in 1951, offers woodland trails and mountainous walks, all situated within the ancient pine forests surrounding Loch Maree. Famed for its wildlife you’re likely to spot deer, dragon flies, golden eagles and crossbills, or you may even see a pair nesting sea eagles!

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Sand Beach 0.4 mi Sea N/A N/A Excellent N/A
Gairloch Beach 3.2 mi Sea N/A N/A Excellent N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

The Aros Experience 28.2 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Sand River Trail 1 mi

Gairloch - Flowerdale Falls 3.7 mi

The Fairy Lochs 4.7 mi

Tollie - Slattadale (Loch Maree) - Tollie 6.2 mi

Londubh - Kernsary - Poolewe 6.2 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

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  • Does Sands Caravan and Camping Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Sands Caravan and Camping Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Sands Caravan and Camping Park? The area surrounding Sands offers many varied and unique activities for the whole family. On the first Saturday of the Highland school holidays every year Sands hosts the Gairloch Highland Gathering. With … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Sands Caravan and Camping Park?

    10pm

    Read more