Dunnet Bay
Two miles of sand at the top of mainland Britain — superb clean wind, thirteen-degree water, and the Pentland Firth next door.
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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
- Two miles of sand in a north-facing bay near Britain's most northerly mainland point.
- Wind
- SW · WSW · W · WNW · NW · NNW · N 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.
- The Pentland Firth immediately north has the fastest tidal streams in Britain — over ten knots in places, with standing waves. Stay inside the bay.
- Water peaks around thirteen degrees. Full winter kit is a year-round requirement here.
- Extremely remote. Thurso hospital is a minor injuries unit; the nearest full A&E is a long way south. Tell someone where you are.
- Thurso East, ten minutes west, is one of Europe's best right-hand reef breaks — a serious wave spot rather than a kite beach.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW, N
- Best in
- SW, WSW
- Offshore (careful)
- ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S
- Wind quality
- clean
- Water
- Waves
- Depth
- mixed
- Best tide
- Mid tide
- Spring range
- 3.5 m
Nothing but open Atlantic and Pentland Firth upwind — some of the cleanest and strongest wind in Britain.
- Beginner
- Workable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Ideal
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- high
current The Pentland Firth is the fastest tidal water in Britain, with streams exceeding ten knots and standing waves. Do not go north out of the bay.
- high
cold water Water temperatures peak around 13°C. Cold-water shock is a genuine risk.
- high
remote Very remote, with limited facilities and long distances to medical help.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Two miles of sand in a north-facing bay near Britain's most northerly mainland point.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, campsite
Parking
- Dunnet Bay car park
free
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Thurso RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Caithness General Hospital, Wick (~45 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — excellent
Remote location with limited phone signal in places. Carry a means of calling for help.
The spot
Dunnet Bay sits near Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the British mainland. It is a two-mile north-facing beach with as clean and strong a wind as anywhere in Britain, and almost nobody on it.
The Pentland Firth immediately north is the reason for caution. It carries the fastest tidal streams in Britain — over ten knots in places, with standing waves — and it is not water to be carried into. The sea peaks around thirteen degrees, cold enough that full winter kit is a year-round requirement, and the location is remote enough that the nearest full A&E is a considerable drive.
Thurso East, ten minutes west, is one of Europe's finest right-hand reef breaks and a serious wave-riding destination in its own right.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Kite & Windsurfing Guide — Dunnet Bay
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- North Coast Watersports — Dunnet Bay
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 58.6082, -3.3504. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.