Sango Sands

Highland

A beautifully formed cove Sango Bay offers panoramic views of the North Minch. It enjoys golden sands together with rocky formations and outcrops which offer shelter. Sango Bay offers the visitor a little of the best of everything and there is also free car parking.

History

The north-west of Scotland has very interesting geographic history. Continental Shelf movement has made the land around Scotland very variable throughout history – ranging from hot deserts, tropical to Ice Age. Only 60 million years ago, Scotland separated from what is now America and Greenland. As the plates collided they created the well-known dramatic Scottish scenery.

There are well known caves on Sango Sands. The Smoo Cave, which comes from the Norse “smuga” meaning hiding place. It was formed in the Ordovician dolostones of the Durness Limestone around 470mya. The cave’s innermost chambers formed along two different geographic lines of weakness, which makes the cave unique in the UK. Inside the cave is a stunning 20m high waterfall. The cave entrance is the largest sea cave entrance in Britain, it is 40m wide and 15m high. There have been archaeological investigations which found artefacts from the Neolithic, Norse and Iron Age, but usage could date back further. In the summer months, you can have a tour of the cave and get a boat to the inner chamber.

Natural Space

Sango Sands is a beautiful beach at the very north west of Scotland. It is surrounded by a rich, interesting geological history. The setting around the beach is spectacular. There are areas around Sango Sands worth visiting to capture one of the most striking areas on the north-west coast. Not too far from Sango Sands is the mountain Foinaven and a small peninsula Faraid Head.

Setting

Sango Sands is the most north westerly village on mainland Scotland, making it understandably far from large towns and cities. It is 104miles (167km) from inverness. The closest town would be Thurso which is 70 miles (113km) away at the top of the A9.