Balephuil Bay, Tiree
Tiree's Atlantic-facing wave bay — unfiltered swell, reef at both ends, and nobody around.
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● Spot · shaded: the wind directions that work here. It is not a riding area or a permitted kite zone. Two fingers to move the map.
Location & launch
Know before you go.
- Launch
- Sand on Tiree's exposed south-western shore, below Ben Hynish.
- Wind
- S · SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW winds work here.
The shaded area shows the wind directions recorded as working here. It is not a permitted kite zone or a safe launch boundary. Check local signs.
Local rules, hazards & spot guide
Need to know
The things that catch people out here.
- This is Tiree's wave beach — full unfiltered Atlantic swell with no continental shelf to slow it down.
- Reef at both ends and powerful rips. Experienced riders only.
- Gott Bay on the other side of the island is the sheltered alternative when this is too big.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW
- Best in
- W, WNW
- Offshore (careful)
- N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE
- Wind quality
- clean
- Water
- Waves
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Mid tide
- Spring range
- 3.4 m
- Beginner
- Not suitable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Ideal
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
rocks Reef and rock at both ends of the bay.
- high
current Powerful Atlantic rips.
- high
remote Very remote, on a remote island.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Sand on Tiree's exposed south-western shore, below Ben Hynish.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
Parking
- Balephuil roadside
free
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Tobermory RNLI
- Water quality
- Not a designated bathing water
Extremely remote. Self-sufficiency essential.
The spot
Balephuil Bay faces south-west on Tiree's exposed Atlantic shore, below Ben Hynish. It takes swell straight off the open ocean with nothing to slow it down, which makes it the island's wave beach and an experienced riders' spot.
Reef sits at both ends and the rips are powerful. Gott Bay on the eastern side of the island is the sheltered alternative when this is out of hand — one of the advantages of an island where every direction has a beach.
Nearby alternatives
Other launches around Tiree, with different conditions.
- Gott Bay, Tiree
The longest beach on the windiest inhabited island in Britain.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Rove.me — kitesurfing Scotland
Checked 2026-09-07 · spots
- Boards magazine — Balephuil Bay, Tiree
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- Kite & Windsurfing Guide — Balephuil Bay, Tiree
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 56.4586, -6.9425. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.