How to Visit Coral Beach (Skye)

You often see photos of beaches with white sand and turquoise waters from Scotland, but there are not many like this on Isle of Skye. Coral beach is the most spectacular example on the island with white sand and should be on your list of places to visit.

Coral beach is located at the northern end of the Isle of Skye, close to the village of Dunvegan. Despite having a large car park it often gets full so arrive early or late in the day.

From the parking area to the beach is a half an hour walk on a gravel path. Plan to spend at least 2 hours visiting the beach.

Where is Coral Beach on Skye?

The beach is at the northern end of the Isle of Skye (often called Skye) in Scotland.

Both the beach and the parking area is marked on the map.

It is not marked above but on Google maps the free public toilets in Dunvegan are easy to find.

Is Coral Beach Worth Visiting?

Yes, Coral beach is worth visiting. It is one of those places which really do look like the photos.

Behind Coral beach sheer but small mound. Don’t miss the views from the top as well as the other viewpoints described below.

The only downside is that the beach is popular so you are unlikely to have it to yourself and it can be difficult to find a parking space. You will have more luck with having Talisker bay beach to yourself.

How Long Is the Walk to Coral Beach?

The walk to Coral beach is 2 km and takes 20-30 minutes one way.

To begin with the path is a wide gravel road. Closer to the beach the track ends and the last hundred metres is across grassland.

How Long to Spend at the Beach?

Given the length of the walk to the beach, plan at least 2 hours for your trip. You can easily spend half a day at the beach on a warm and sunny day.

Pick at least one viewpoint described below to sit an enjoy the views. As long as you don’t mind cold water, swimming is safe.

Does the Tide Level Matter?

The beach is wider at low tide, but it doesn’t make enough of a difference to plan your trip around the tide.

Try to avoid high tide but otherwise the weather is more important than tide level.

What Time of Day to Visit?

Skye has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland and sites such as Old Man of Storr and Quiraing walk can be very crowded.

Not as many people visit Coral beach but make sure you arrive early or late in the day to avoid the busiest times.

Arriving early or late will also make it easier to park. The car park is a reasonable size, but it often gets full and there is nowhere else to park.

Can You Swim at Coral Beach?

Yes, you can swim at Coral beach. Being a protected bay it is one of the best places on Skye to swim. That is as long as you don’t mind the freezing water!

Best Viewpoints

For me Coral beach is all about the views of the beach rather than the beach itself.

The 2km walk to the beach is along the coastline and there are several good viewpoints:

• My favourite viewpoint: Shortly after you pass through the stone wall on the path to the beach this viewpoint is located on a small hill to the left. From the top you will find the view from the photo at the start of this post. Most people hurry on to the beach so even on busy days you can often have this viewpoint to yourself
• Beach View: Shortly before the beach walk along the raised grass bank. Close to the beach there are fabulous views of the white sand and the sheer cliff behind the beach
• Climb the cliff: Behind the beach is a steep cliff. Approach it from either side and you can easily make the short, steep climb to the top. It is not too challenging or high, but few people climb to the top. Walk across the top of the hill, down the other side and come back along the beach. On the small island in front of the beach seals bask on the rocks, especially around low tide
• Dunvegan castle: This is not close to the beach but when driving back to Dunvegan stop at the what3words location of receive.crash.salary. On Google maps it is marked as Ceann Liam. You can’t see Dunvegan castle from Dunvegan itself

Where to Park

From Dunvegan there is a single lane road for the 7 km to the beach.

The drive takes about 20 minutes – longer when many people are driving to and from the beach since you must stop and let vehicles past.

At the end of the road is a large car park. However, despite its size, this is a popular beach and the car park fills up quickly, especially on days with nice weather.

Arrive early or late in the day to secure a parking space. Since the road leading to the beach is single lane you can’t park along it without blocking traffic.

Parking is free.

How to Get To Coral Beach by Public Transport   

Bus 56 runs from Portree to Dunvegan. It departs several times a day and takes about 45 minutes. Buses are operated by Stagecoach and timetables can be found here.

The problem is that there is no public transport from Dunvegan out to Coral beach.

Buses run to the villages but not the tourist destinations. It is 7km from the village to the beach so you really need a car or a bike to get to the beach.

Other Things to Do in the Area

• Dunvegan castle: This is the only inhabited castle on Skye and the oldest continuously-inhabited castle in Scotland. All the other castles on Skye are ruins
• The Duirinish stone and ruins of St Mary’s church and cemetery: Are at the outskirts of the village by the A850 towards Portree. On the small hill behind the church is the standing stone. Park along the road next to the ruins of the church
• Giant Angus MacAskill Museum: An interesting museum on the giant who was born on Berneray in the Outer Hebrides. Angus was 2.4 metres tall and was named in the 1981 Guinness Book of World Records as being the tallest and strongest non-pathological giant in the world

Restaurant and Cafes Nearby

There are no cafes or restaurants close to the beach, but Dunvegan has several options:

• Community Café: With views over the loch and homemade cakes this should be your first port of call for a meal in Dunvegan. Only open Friday, Saturday and Monday
• The Misty: Serves pizzas and is the cheapest option for lunch in the area. Open in the tourist season (April to October)
• The Waterside Café and Bistro: Has a varied menu and the food gets good reviews. It is on the outskirts of Dunvegan but is not always open when Google says it should be
• Blas Restaurant: Although the food has mixed reviews it is worth stopping here for the outside terrace during warm weather
• The Dunvegan: A hotel restaurant with a wider menu than Blas. Another plus is the views out over the loch
• Jann’s cakes: A takeaway cake shop open during the tourist season (April to October). Bring a large piece of apple pie with you to have on the beach – it is delicious!

Where to Stay

Skye is a small island, but when choosing where to stay keep in mind that it takes a long time to drive between different sites since the roads are narrow and windy.

• Top End: Ullenish House – This is a short drive from Dunvegan but with its remote location and sea views it is my favourite place to stay on Skye. However, it is not cheap. Check rates and availability here
• Mid-range: The Tables Guest House – Comfortable B&B in Dunvegan with a garden and sea views. Book early as it fills up quickly. Check rates and availability here
• Budget: Sheperds Hut – Having a kitchen and being able to make your own meals makes a big difference to the cost of your stay. This small hut is well designed and has everything you need. Check rates and availability here

Final Thoughts

One of the highlights of visiting Scotland are the beaches and Coral beach is not one to miss.

Try to arrive early or late in the day to be able to find a parking spot – it will also mean that there are fewer people.

An added bonus is that mornings and afternoons are more likely to offer fine weather. The tide doesn’t impact the views of the beach as much as for some other beaches in Scotland.

Instead, plan your trip around the time of day and weather. Coral beach is the place to visit on one of the few nice weather days in Skye.