Loch Morlich Beach

Loch Morlich Beach is a broad sandy shore on a freshwater loch in Glenmore Forest Park. Caledonian pine forest edges the water, with the Cairngorms beyond; at about 300 m above sea level, it is known as Britain's highest beach. Come to swim, paddle, relax on the sand or take a shoreline walk without committing to a mountain hike.

From Aviemore, follow signs for Cairngorm for about six miles. Pass the first Loch Morlich car park and continue to the far end of the loch; the Loch Morlich Watersports sign marks the beach entrance. The first car park is a different access point. The beach car park is paid, overnight parking from 11 pm to 6 am is not allowed, and Forestry and Land Scotland parking passes do not apply here. Sunny days can make parking difficult, so the bus between Aviemore and Cairngorm Mountain is a useful option.

You can swim and use non-motorised craft here. Loch Morlich Watersports offers boat, canoe and paddleboard hire and instruction in season; motorised craft such as e-foils are prohibited. Check local water-safety signs before swimming.

The easy Beach Trail is 2.4 km and takes about an hour, mostly on wide, smooth gravel with a paved stretch and a few moderate slopes. For a longer outing, the 5.8 km Loch Morlich Trail takes about two hours and is moderate, with some uneven or muddy gravel, a steep ramp and two road crossings.

From the shore, get some of the coarse pink sand into the foreground and aim across the water toward the pines and mountains. In still conditions the rounded slopes can reflect in the loch; wind and cloud change that view, so treat the reflection as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

The coarse pink sand comes from Cairngorm granite, ground down by glaciers and rivers over thousands of years. The mountains across the loch are the source of the grains underfoot, so the beach carries a small piece of the range down to the water's edge.

The area was used as a Second World War commando training ground, including by the Norwegian independent company Kompani Linge, trained by Britain's Special Operations Executive. Small glass fragments in the sand are linked to that training rather than discarded bottles. The memorial is outside Glenmore Forest Park Visitor Centre; leave any fragments where they are.

The water and nearby feeder streams can attract sandpipers, herons and otters, especially in quieter early hours. Red squirrels, crested tits and crossbills are possibilities in the surrounding woods. These are wild sightings, not a promise, so keep to paths and give animals room.