Review: Sango Sands, Durness

View overlooking sandy cove at Sango Sands Oasis

Location: Durness, 5 hours north of Glasgow or Aberdeen, 6 hours north of Edinburgh,
Website: Sango Sands Oasis
Map: Google
Camping Facilities: Car camping
Grade: B
Stargazing: Overcast on our visit but probably quite good
Summary: Nice option to camp along Scotland's northwest coast
Thoughts: Seven days isn't a lot of time to see a big city, let alone an entire region/nation the size of Scotland. With it's varied scenery and abundant hiking opportunities, there's a lot that one can do to experience the "natural" environment (gotta use the quotes folks, the UK as a whole is on the extreme development end of rural area modification spectrum). But when you're doing a circuit of the nation, trying to get a flavour for the coasts, the lochs and the mountains, and factor in the travel time (lengthened due to the many single-track roads in the northern regions of Scotland) and you're lucky if you can solid day hike in. Camping then becomes a huge part of getting the full out-of-doors experience when you're cooped up in a car for so much of your journey.

Sloping but relatively spacious campground

We had planned to make Durness part of our trip from the very outset, given it's seeming remoteness at the far NW corner of Great Britain. Surely it must be unlike anything we'd experienced to that point, we thought. And we were right, the trip up there was spectacular, with many beautiful coastal bays and mountains to drive past. And we were also lucky to find a nice campsite in Durness where we could take in the sea air while we slept, at the Sango Sands Oasis campground.

Path to the edge of the bluff overlooking the Atlantic

The campground was relatively spacious, nestled amongst inspiring coastal scenery. The is a nice short hiking path with a boarded path that takes right to the edge of the bluff overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. It's a mesmerising sight to take in, even on the cloudiest of days.

A very handy sheltered dining area

The amenities were good, with tables provided for sit-down, leisurely dining in the cooking shelter. It sure beats having to battle the wind and rain while you try to shovel your breakfast down before it loses all remnant warmth. The layout of the campsite was haphazard (per usual for UK car camping), setting up where ever you could find a suitable spot. The area we were able to find was sloped, so it didn't make for the most comfortable sleep, but you pitch your tent right next to your car, so that affords a certain convenience.

Delicious haggis at Smoo Cave Hotel

There is also excellent food available in town, with the Smoo Cave Hotel serving some of the (purported) best haggis in the area. In fact, it isn't made in Durness, sourced from a specialist butcher a few towns away. This was my first time tasting haggis, so I can't comment on its ranking, but it was delicious; a buttery flavour that reminded me of black pudding. When I mentioned this to the barman, he glared back at me with what I guessed was a mixture of irritation reserved for tourists and pity that I didn't know what I was talking about.

Panorama of the Durness coast