The nearest beach, Sandyhills, is only a short 10-15 mins walk from the lodge along a quiet road.
It’s a large sandy beach, warmed by the Gulf Stream, so popular for paddling and exploring rock pools. It’s great for walking at low tide.
⚠️ The tide can move very quickly so we recommend you check the tide times.
To get there, turn left from Barend Holiday Lodges and stay on that road to the ‘T’ junction. Cross the road into the car park, then access the beach to the left of Sandyhills Bay Holiday Park.
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Beach Days
Whether you want a full day of sandcastles and paddling, or just a gentle stroll and some shell collecting, Sandyhills is a great beach that doesn’t get too crowded even at high season.
The beach itself is interesting with grass and trees growing right up to the edge of the sand. The soft sandy area is fairly small when the tide’s in but it becomes a large bay when the tide goes out. There are lots of rocks to clamber over and you can also go rock pooling if you catch the tide right.
Perfect for 4 Legged Friends
When the tide is out Sandyhills Beach opens into a vast expanse of sand for you and your dog to enjoy the fresh air and stunning Scottish coastline.
Much of the sand is firm, making it easy to walk on in boots. However, there are softer ‘squelchy’ areas too; we’ve got a bit stuck at times 😂 So, you might prefer to go in wellies!
The Geology of Sandyhills
The beach has really interesting rock formations and colours in layers of the coastal rock and you can see outcrops of granite on the surrounding hills too. The grey stone of the cliffs between Sandyhills and Rockcliffe is called Greywacke, which once lay on the ocean floor! When continents moved together, they pushed up the ocean floor, folding and stacking it into the layers we see today.
Erosion and the elements have shaped the coast, creating distinctive features. Look out for Lot’s Wife, Piper’s Cove, Needle’s Eye, Port O’Warren and Cow’s Snout.
This image from seakayakphoto.com shows the difference in depth when the tide comes in! Don’t get caught out!
Smugglers!
In the past, the harbours, beaches and coves were alive with activities like boat building, fish trapping, salt making, trading goods and often… smuggling! The secret caves and sheltered shore on the Colvend Coast provided excellent hiding places for smuggled goods. Salt, tobacco and spirits were landed along the coast en route from the Isle of Man, and then distributed by pack horse.
However, the constantly changing sandbanks, racing tides and rocky shores have proved dangerous for smugglers, excisemen and sailors. There are tales of shipwrecks found nearby.
The Scottish Riviera
The development of the railway slowly reduced shipping and brought tourism to the area. Victorians made the Colvend Coast a popular destination because they were enthusiastic about the benefits of sea bathing and enjoyed the mild climate. So, the area became known as the “Scottish Riviera”, and holiday villas developed along the coast between Sandyhills and Kippford.
This rugged coastline of headlands, bays and islands has also been popular with writers and painters as well as holiday makers.
What’s That Structure?
When you look out from the beach you’ll also see a large platform which is a wooden target, part of a bombing range from World War II!
The target wasn’t destroyed as only small practice bombs were dropped, which broke open and emitted smoke when they struck – there weren’t any explosions.
⚠️ The target is further out on the sands than it looks, and the tide runs fast here so please don’t try to walk out to it. ⚠️
One of Our Favourite Walks
There are some lovely views of the hills across the bay, and if you’re up for a good walk (5.5 miles / 9 km) we heartily recommend the hike along the coastal path to Rockcliffe beach. It’s one of our favourite walks anywhere!
This walk has been described as one of the best in Britain. On a clear day there are stunning views across the Solway Firth to Cumbria and the Isle of Man as well as along the Galloway Coast.
Sandyhills Amenities
Although it’s less than 15 mins walk, if you prefer to drive to Sandy Hills there’s a car park with plenty of spaces (£5 for the day). There are also a few 30 minute car park spaces that are free to use for visiting the toilets or the small shop.
There’s a digital information board with daily low and high tide times next to the path to the beach. This only operates during busy times and seasons. So, especially out of season try to remember to check the Sandyhills tide times yourself.
There’s a grassy area with benches that’s good for sitting and “de-sanding” when you come off the beach.
For more beaches to visit click on the beach tag.
Click walking for walks and hikes we’ve done, or see our walking & hiking post.
Book self catering accommodation near Sandyhills Beach: Book Now
Links & Reviews
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/sandyhills-p2570721
https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-scotland/dumfries-and-galloway/sandyhills.htm
Planning Your Visit
0.6 miles SE ~11 min walk DG5 4NZ
Dog friendly.
Sandyhills Beach
Dalbeattie
DG5 4NZ
Google Maps: maps.app.goo.gl/gSjsRAKYaA2FefeC7
Lovely beach but not sure I’ve ever seen so many empty shells. I’m not exaggerating when I say there must have been literally 100’s of 1000’s of them all over the place. No one seems to know why but even if it was a natural disaster or something the amount of sea creatures needed to leave so many shells behind wouldn’t have been able to survive anyway. I’d love to know how there could be so many empty shells in one place
Hi Richard, I’d never really thought about this, but your post got me doing some digging. This was possibly the most useful article I found: https://www.childhoodbynature.com/the-mystery-of-shells/ This and some other references suggest that the large numbers of shells on some beaches (Kippford beaches are made up almost entirely of cockle shells) are simply due to the prevailing currents washing them up over time. At Sandyhills there are also the ‘pools’ where they’re unlikely to ‘escape’ from.
“…a shell is the old home and protection of a creature. It has outgrown it (or it may have died). When a mollusk dies, the soft body disappears but its shell remains and eventually washes up on the shore. This is how seashells end up on the beach. Also, once a creature grows out of a shell, it will find another shell to live in and then eventually grow out of that one. Once they grow out of a shell they will leave it behind and if it’s not picked up by another creature it will wash up on the beach. And that is why you see so many on the beach.”
Just spent the day at Sandhills beach, lots of shells but awful muddy when tide is in or out and very slippy underfoot. Tide doesn’t stay in for long so not brill if kids like water as it’s difficult to walk the distance out to the sea, due to the mud. Lovely beach, clean toilets and little shop to buy a cuppa or ice creams from but not worth the visit if you’re a water baby as not enough to really play in when the tide is out.