The beach that you can see from the window is Torrisdale Beach, a beautiful wide expanse of pale sand with unspoilt sand dunes and a shipwreck.
Despite looking as if it is a mere short walk away, it is bordered to the east by the River Naver and the River Borgie to the west, making the walk to the beach longer than you might think. At low tide, crossing the River Naver looks tantalisingly possible but the central channel remains about waist deep, and certainly more than an average pair of wellies can cope with.
To access the beach from the east, it is best to start down at Invernaver on the other side of the metal road bridge. This is both a residential area and a working farm/stables so please park respectfully and avoid blocking the gates or road. Here you will find a sign declaring 2km to Torrisdale beach. Walk out, along the edge of the river or across the sands. You can pass by the raised beach either to the left or the right or you can climb up along the stream tumbling down the hillside and visit the broch along the way.
The broch is not easy to see, even when you are quite close to it, but once you have climbed up the steepest part of the waterfall, divert away from the stream and head off to the left and within ten or so metres you will at the highest part of the hillside at this location. Scramble up the rocks here and you will arrive at the broch. Enjoy the view from here, back down the River Naver, across to The Captains, across Bettyhill, the estuary, down on the iron-age settlement on the raised beach, and out to sea - quite a panorama.
As you might imagine, sand is easily blown about on this often windy beach. Should you happen to be walking along it on a windy day, having sand blown into your face can, at times, make you feel as if you are pioneers on some desolate alien planet. However, these winds are responsible for creating the extraordinary sand dunes, with sand being blown to heights of 30m, and also found at the peak of the hillside some 100m from sea level. This sandy contribution to the soil up on the hillside, has converted the acid moorland so typical of this region, into calcareous pasture, thus allowing The growth of some interesting flora, including juniper, crowberry, saxifrage, frog orchids and unusual mosses. So, should you have climbed up to admire the broch and/or the view, then spend some time walking around, admiring the plants at your feet.
Roughly in the centre of the beach, tucked a little way into the dunes is a giant rock known as the Ringstone. Despite its size, it can't be seen from the beach but can be seen by heading into the dunes shortly after the raised beach, or you will spot it from above if you have walked across the bogland on the hillside from the broch.
The legend says that a giant hid his silver ring under the rock to keep it safe from an angry giant from Skerray. Probably best to not go rummaging for it.
To access the beach from the west, drive round to the unclassified road that goes past the Borgie Lodge Hotel and heads towards Torrisdale. Just after a turning on the left to Torrisdale Tunnel, you will find a small parking areas on the righthand side of the road with a "Borgie" information board, and here are steps down to a foot bridge across the Borgie River. Directly in front you will a single stone dwelling on the opposite hillside. This has been abandoned since the early twentieth century but older members of the local community can remember playing football on the flat area around the house known as Melvich Park.
Walk down to the bridge, cross it and follow the rough path to the beach. Wellies or stout footwear are recommended as the path is uneven and often muddy.
This side of the beach has become the resting place of the wreck of the American Liberty Ship, SS John Randolph, now just a stumpy metal skeleton. The ship, built in 1942, was one of 5 ships accidentally mined in an allied minefield at the eastern entrance to the Denmark Strait whilst en route from north Russia to Reyjkavik. The fore part was salvaged in September 1952 but broke its tow whilst en route to the Bo'ness, Firth of Forth, for scrapping and it came ashore at Torrisdale Bay.
Often the sand at this end of the beach, particularly along the edge of the river where it joins the sea, can be soft and deep so trudging along with stompy footsteps can be satisfying and fun. In this meeting between the river and the sea you can see salmon and trout jumping and hundreds of tiny sand eels and flat fish at the edge of the river.
There are often a great number of mussel shells washed up here so the strandline has a general blue tinge to it but mixed in are cockles, tellins, lucines, razor shells and scallops. Occasionally there are pieces of broken heart urchins, although on the flat plateau of the beach here, away from the destructive forces of the tide, if you are keen eyed and lucky, you might find a whole heart urchin.
Across the River Borgie, you can see Torrisdale cemetery and a few scattered houses of Torrisdale. On another occasion you might like to park next to the cemetery and explore the small beach there. Just a little sand, some pebbles and grassy tuffs. It can be fun, as the tide comes in, to jump between these mini grassy islands with each sweep of the incoming waves.
Notes on accessibility for visitors with limited mobility:
It is possible to enjoy views across Torrisdale Beach from The Captains doorway and along the road up towards the post office but it is not possible to get onto the beach itself without a substantial walk on difficult terrain. The small beach next to Torrisdale Cemetery is very close to where it is possible to park.