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Clachtoll · Nature
Clachtoll Beach and Broch
Clachtoll gives families two choices from the beach car park: keep the visit simple on the sand, or add the rougher coastal walk to the Iron Age broch when weather, footwear and younger legs allow.
- Best for
- Beach-loving families; confident walkers for the broch
- Cost
- Free broch visit; parking contributions requested
- Weather
- Fair-weather coast; no indoor fallback
- Visit length
- Flexible beach stop, with an optional coastal walk
Our family take
Choose Clachtoll for beach time with the option of an Iron Age walk. Younger children can stay on the sand; confident primary-age walkers can make the broch the goal. If you need an easy buggy walk or shelter from bad weather, choose somewhere else.
The practical details
Plan your visit
- Parking and start
- Use Clachtoll Beach car park, signposted from the B869. Check the Invitation to Pay signs on arrival.
- Broch route
- Follow the coastal path marked “walkers welcome” beyond the car park west, then north. Wear stout footwear.
- Prams and access
- The paths are rough and stony in places. Do not plan the broch walk with a buggy or assume a step-free route.
- Toilets and changing
- Public toilets are listed at Clachtoll with disabled access, but no baby changing. Check current opening locally.
- Food and supplies
- Bring a picnic, drinks and changing supplies. Do not base the day on using campsite facilities.
- Road access
- The approach is single-track. Allow extra time and use passing places carefully.
ParkingToiletsBuggy limitsBeach and rock-pool settingBeach Car ParkFootwear
8 October 2026
Check current path information (official)A little more detail
Make it work for your family
Beach first, broch second
With younger children, make the beach the main plan and treat the broch as optional. That keeps the day enjoyable if the wind rises, feet get tired or the path looks less manageable than expected.
With confident primary-age children, follow the coast to the remains of a farming family’s Iron Age home. The broch was destroyed by fire, and later excavations uncovered what had survived beneath the rubble.
Leave the length of the stop flexible, with time for the walk back if you add the broch. Keep children close around rocks, ruins and water; calm-looking water does not mean it is safe to swim.
Paths, prams and younger legs
The walk to the broch continues beyond the beach car park along the coast. Beach shoes are a poor choice for this part of the outing; bring stout footwear. The alternative approach south from Stoer beach is rougher.
A carrier may work for a small child if the adults and conditions suit the walk. Rough ground and exposure still matter, so keep the beach-only option if the wind picks up or anyone is struggling.
Parking, toilets and a picnic
The beach car park has an Invitation to Pay scheme. Read the signs when you arrive to see what contribution is requested.
There are public toilets near the car park. Highland Council lists disabled access and no baby-changing facilities. Check current opening locally, especially outside the main visitor season, and bring your own changing kit.
Pack food and drinks before taking the coastal road. Facilities advertised by the neighbouring campsite belong to a separate business; check with it before relying on them as a day visitor.
Fit it into an Assynt day
Culag Woods in Lochinver is a woodland alternative with play areas when children have had enough of the open coast. Little Assynt is the better comparison when easier surfaced paths matter.
Knockan Crag belongs to the Ullapool approach and works as a separate same-route geology stop, rather than a quick add-on to beach time.
Plan the rest of your day
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