Monreith
A quiet, mild, south-facing bay on the Machars coast — often empty.
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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
- Sandy bay on the Machars coast, backed by low cliffs and a golf course.
- Wind
- SSE · S · SSW · SW · WSW · W · WNW 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.
- Very quiet — you will often have the bay to yourself.
- Rock at both ends and reef at low water.
- Among the mildest sea temperatures in Scotland thanks to the Gulf Stream reaching this coast.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW
- Best in
- WSW, W
- Offshore (careful)
- N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, NNW
- Wind quality
- clean
- Water
- Flat to choppy
- Depth
- standing
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 5.8 m
- Beginner
- Workable
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Good
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- medium
rocks Rock at both ends of the bay and reef exposed at low water.
- medium
remote Few facilities and few people.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Sandy bay on the Machars coast, backed by low cliffs and a golf course.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets
Parking
- Monreith beach car park
free
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Kirkcudbright RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Galloway Community Hospital, Stranraer (~45 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — excellent
The spot
Monreith sits on the Machars peninsula in Dumfries and Galloway, a sandy south-facing bay backed by low cliffs and a golf course. The Gulf Stream reaches this coast, so the sea is among the mildest in Scotland.
There are rocks at both ends of the bay and reef exposed at low water, and facilities amount to a free car park and a toilet block. You will often have the place to yourself.
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Windfinder — Monreith
Checked 2026-09-07 · coordinates, wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 54.7371, -4.5694. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.