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Big Sand Beach

Highland, Alba / Scotland · United Kingdom

What have people found?

Atlantic beadlet anemone, european green crab and common hermit crab are the usual finds. ~30 distinct species have been recorded here.

What is the best time to visit today?

Download the app to see the 7-day schedule.

Predicted tide for Gairloch, from The UK Hydrographic Office.

See low tide times at Big Sand Beach for the next three days
  1. Sun 15 Novin the dark4:141.7 m16:401.7 m
  2. Mon 16 Novin the dark4:511.9 min the dark17:211.9 m
  3. Tue 17 Novin the dark5:332.1 min the dark18:102.0 m

Every low tide each day, in local time at the shore.

Plan the week in Intertidal
  • A tide chart for every day, with the best window marked
  • Identify what you find from a photo
  • An alert when a good daylight low is coming

When do people visit?

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Most observations come from July and October.

What should you know before visiting?

Parking is about 250 meters away.
Arrive 45 minutes to an hour before low tide and leave as it turns. The water comes back faster than it left.
Grippy shoes beat sandals. Wet rock and algae are more slippery than they look. Rock pool safety
A rock pool is a fragile place. Look and photograph, take nothing. The rockpooling code

What lives at Big Sand Beach?

Species records from iNaturalist

Atlantic Beadlet AnemoneActinia equina
European Green CrabCarcinus maenas
Common Hermit CrabPagurus bernhardus
Atlantic DogwhelkNucella lapillus
Seven Armed Sea StarLuidia ciliaris
Blue JellyCyanea lamarckii
Garden SnailCornu aspersum
barnacle-eating doridOnchidoris bilamellata
garland hydroidDynamena pumila
Pepper DulseOsmundea pinnatifida
Knotted WrackAscophyllum nodosum
Lion's Mane JellyCyanea capillata
Spiral WrackFucus spiralis
Common Sea StarAsterias rubens
Dahlia AnemoneUrticina felina
Scan this rock pool on your next visit.

Every organism named, every visit logged to your journal.