Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · United Kingdom

KinlochbervieCeann Loch Biorbhaidh

Go only with your own car and 1–2 nights booked: base here for Sandwood Bay and the beaches, not as a pass-through stop.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Jun, Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (gales, short daylight, exposed pier)
Airports
INV · EDI
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Kinlochbervie is a working fishing harbour of about 400 people on the far northwest coast of Sutherland, reached by a minor road off the A838. There is almost nothing to do in the village itself; the reason to come is the coast west of it — Oldshoremore, Oldshorebeg, Shegra and Sandwood Bay — plus the drive. Without a car the trip is hard: buses run a few days a week and the nearest railway station is at Lairg, well inland.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Kinlochbervie, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealHotel main course£14–22 (≈ US$19–30)
  • Street or quick mealSoup and a sandwich£8–13 (≈ US$11–18)
  • BeerPint of beer in a hotel bar£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£8–15 (≈ US$11–20)
  • Budget bedCampervan pitch on the pier, a night, per room£15 (≈ US$20)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, B&B, a night, per room£120 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, B&B, a night, per room£180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £45 (≈ US$60) · Mid £80 (≈ US$110) · High £130 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Sandwood Bay and Am Buachaille sea stackOldshoremore and Shegra beachesFishing harbour and pierNorth West Highlands Geopark rocksNorth Coast 500 route
Airports
INV Inverness (Nearest practical airport; about 2 h 30 min–3 h by road via Bonar Bridge and Lairg) · EDI Edinburgh (Longer drive, roughly 5 h+; most visitors arrive by car from elsewhere in Scotland)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Kinlochbervie: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

1°C

20 rd

Feb

6°C

1°C

17 rd

Mar

8°C

2°C

18 rd

Apr

10°C

3°C

15 rd

May

13°C

5°C

14 rd

Jun

15°C

8°C

14 rd

Jul

17°C

10°C

16 rd

Aug

17°C

10°C

17 rd

Sep

15°C

8°C

18 rd

Oct

12°C

6°C

20 rd

Nov

9°C

3°C

20 rd

Dec

7°C

1°C

20 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need your own wheels. The B801 from Rhiconich is two-lane but tight, and west of the village it becomes a single-track lane with passing places ending near Shegra. A dial-a-bus covers the Rhiconich–Sheigra road on weekdays and Sunday, booked by phone before 6PM the day before. Fill the tank before you come: the village filling station keeps short weekday and Saturday hours.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sandwood Bay

go

Door to door: Half a day from the village

Drive the lane to Blairmore, then walk the 4-mile track

No facilities, no signal; go in dry weather and carry water.

Cape Wrath

caution

Door to door: Most of a day

Drive to Durness, then minibus or a long hike

Access depends on the Durness side; check before committing.

Durness and Smoo Cave

go

Door to door: About 1 h by road each way

Durness Bus 805 north, or drive the A838

Bus runs only on certain days; check the timetable.

Lochinver

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min each way

Drive south via Kylesku and the A894

Coastal scenery on the way; pair with Kylesku.

North West Highlands Geopark

go

Door to door: Half a day

Drive to the Kylesku and Scourie sections

Some of the local rock is over 3 billion years old.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Kinlochbervie village and harbour

Hotel, pier stopover pitches and the Spar; walkable to the quay but not to the beaches.

Inshegra / Oldshoremore lane

Old School House and the closest access to the beaches; single-track road with passing places.

Rhiconich and Scourie

On the A838 and A894; more rooms, but you drive 15–30 min each way to the beaches.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–70 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
£70–110 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
£110 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room, B&B1 × 2 nights × £120£240
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × £80£320
Fuel, about 200 km of local driving1 × £30£30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £10£20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£61
Trip total≈ £168 per person per day, bed included£671≈ US$900

2026 estimate in pounds; fuel and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Soup and a sandwich£8–13 (≈ US$11–18)
Hotel main course£14–22 (≈ US$19–30)
Pint of beer in a hotel bar£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
Campervan pitch, per night£15 (≈ US$20)
Petrol or diesel, per litre£1.45–1.65 (≈ US$2–3)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£8–15 (≈ US$11–20)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very low crime; the real risks are the drive, the weather and the distance from help. Tell someone your plan for Sandwood Bay, carry water and a charged phone, and expect no signal on the track.
  • Fuel is limited and the nearest alternatives are far: arrive with a full tank.
  • Single-track roads with passing places — pull in for oncoming traffic, including trucks.
  • Mobile signal is patchy: EE and Vodafone give some 4G, O2 and Three little or none, and there is no 5G.
  • The pier stopover is exposed to winter gales and can be awash at high tide.
  • Midges in still, damp summer weather; bring repellent.
  • Sandwood Bay is a 4-mile walk each way with no facilities and no phone signal.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard
999
Same, from a mobile (EU-wide)
112
NHS non-urgent advice
111
Police non-urgent
101

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

KinlochbervieCeann Loch Biorbhaidh

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Don seòladh seo, mas e do thoil eTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard999
  • From a mobile112
  • NHS non-urgent111
  • Police non-urgent101

Embassy

No consulates locally; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh and most other countries keep embassies in London.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Durness Bus 805, Inverness → Kinlochbervie: about 2 h 30 min; runs certain days only, check the timetable
  • Campervan pitch, pier: £15 (≈ US$20) per night, pay at the shop
  • Fuel, Kinlochbervie filling station: weekdays 8AM–5PM, Saturday 9AM–noon

Say or show

  • Halò — Hello (ha-LAW)
  • Tapadh leat — Thank you (TA-pa let)
  • Tràigh — Beach (try)
  • Loch — Loch (lokh)
  • Càite a bheil an cala? — Where is the harbour? (KA-chuh vayl un KA-la)
  • Mar sin leat — Goodbye (mar shin let)

Gaelic is a heritage language here; everyone speaks English.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kinlochbervie. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (gales, short daylight, exposed pier) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for INV: last sensible departure, car-hire fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: harbour and Telford church, Oldshoremore lane, Sandwood Bay track.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath, Smoo Cave) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Bus-day fixtures for the 805, 806 and dial-a-bus so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources