PINK sand beaches are mainly associated with exotic destinations like Bermuda and Indonesia.
But a stretch of coast on the Scottish mainland has its very own beach which, in the right light, has stunning stretches of pink sand.
Sandwood Bay in Kinlochbervie, on the north-west coast of mainland Scotland, is routinely named one of the most beautiful beaches in the country.
Backed by huge sand dunes and a loch, the beach is known for its pink sand.
The pinky-red shade is caused by the local sandstone cliffs eroding.
Sandstone contains iron oxide, a compound that gives the shade its reddish-pink hue.
The beach stretches for around 1.5miles, with its side flanked by cliffs.
Its large sand dunes run to Sandwood Loch, a large freshwater loch filled with brown trout.
The bay cannot be accessed with a car, which means holidaymakers will need to trek four miles along a path.
The path starts at a gravel car park in Blairmore and is part of the Sandwood Estate, meaning it is pretty well maintained.
Sandwood Bay has a 5/5 star rating from hundreds of reviews on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “Walking on a beach of pink sand that is a mile and a half long and being the only person there, is a truly memorable experience.”
Another person added: “No other beach in the UK is this stunning and beautiful.”
A third person wrote: “As beaches go, this is pretty epic.
“Arguably the most remote beach I’ve ever been to, surpassing those on the Outer Hebrides.”
Elsewhere in the UK, Paignton Beach in Devon also has stretches of pink sand.
Located on the English Riviera, holidaymakers have raved about the pink sand beach.
One person wrote: “My daughter loved the pink sand! The beachfront is good too, it’s tidy and clean and was not crowded.”
Other beaches in the area like Broadsands Beach and Goodrington Sands are also known for their unusual pinky-red shade of sand.
What is it like to visit a pink beach?
THE Sun’s Lizzie Parry visited Elafonissi Beach in Crete, one of the few pink beaches in the world, here’s what she thought…
Hidden away in a secluded corner of Greece’s biggest island lies a rose-tinted paradise worthy of a spot on your Instagram grid.
Elafonissi Beach is one of only a handful of pink beaches in the world — and with a flight time of just over four hours to Crete, it’s one of the closest to the UK.
The promise of pink sands was enough to entice me, and one of my oldest friends, when we were deciding where to escape to for a week in the sun.
In the 20 years we’ve known each other, we’ve put some effort into refining our holiday “wish list”.
Miles of sandy beaches, guaranteed sunshine, crystal clear waters, great food and wine, a little bit of (affordable) luxury, beautiful towns and villages to explore — plus a bit of history and adventure thrown in.
The Island of the Gods ticked every box and Elafonissi proved to be the pink icing on the cake.
I won’t lie, wandering down to the water it did just look like any other sandy beach. But the closer we got to the water’s edge it was clear to see what all the fuss was about.
Dipping my slightly sunburnt toes into the sea, my pink foot blended in perfectly with a stunning stretch of bright pink sand.
We arrived early morning, just in time for a coffee at one of the cafes nearby, and it meant we had the beach to ourselves, almost.
It’s a vast beach, but our guide for the day, Aris from Uncharted Escapes, warned it can fill up quickly — especially at the height of summer as it has been ranked one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Here are several other pink beaches holidaymakers can visit across Europe – and one’s in the UK.
And a beach in the Canary Islands even has sand that looks like popcorn, due to the shape of the coral.
