Gruinard Bay
A pink-sand bay beside the A832 road, where Gruinard Island was once a WWII anthrax test site and is now peaceful.
Gruinard Bay lies beside the A832 road between Ullapool and Inverewe Garden. The bay has several pale pink sandy beaches, and on clear days the water is bright blue, with the Summer Isles and Ben Mor Coigach in the distance. Gruinard Island in the bay was used by the British government as a site for testing anthrax as a biological weapon during the Second World War. It was quarantined for nearly half a century and was only declared decontaminated in 1990. Today, it remains uninhabited and closed to the public. The viewpoint on higher ground beside the road is a great spot for panoramic photos of the bay, and you can walk down to the beach for a picnic. It is an ideal stop on the way to Inverewe Garden.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Summer Isles
- Inverewe Garden
- Achiltibuie
- Loch Maree
- An Teallach
- Ben More Coigach
- Stac Pollaidh
- Ullapool Harbour & Village