Achmelvich is a small settlement about five kilometres north of Lochinver with an absurdly white sand beach set in a rocky bay. The sand is shell-derived — crushed by millennia of Atlantic waves — giving it a brightness and fineness that seems to belong to the Caribbean rather than the Sutherland coast. The water is clear, cold, and the colour of glass.
There is a small campsite here and the beach attracts swimmers in summer, though "summer" in this part of Scotland means water temperatures that stay firmly bracing. The bay is enclosed by low rocky headlands and offers some shelter from the prevailing westerlies. A short walk along the coast reveals further small coves. At the northern end of the beach, the so-called "Hermit's Castle" is a tiny concrete structure built as a private retreat in the 1950s — reportedly the smallest castle in Scotland, barely large enough for one person to sleep in.