Paddleboarding the Rabbit Islands

The Main Points

• Location – Talmine Bay, North Coast, Scotland
• Cost – Access from road side
• Conditions – Saltwater Loch/Bay
• Other users – Travellers along the North Coast 500
• Entry Point – Sandy Beach
• Surrounding amenities/Bathrooms- Bathroom at town of Tongue 13 km south (8 miles)

Location

Weather

Water Temperture

Paddleboarding from Talmine Bay to the Rabbit Islands

Paddleboarding to the Rabbit Islands is one of those SUP sessions not to be taken lightly. The conditions can be quite variable and there is a lot of water rushing in and around the islands with the tide. My best recommendation is to become familiar with the water by paying close attention and knowing the high and low tide times.

We spent a couple of hours watching the water and the local fishing boats to get an idea of the swell and currents and decided to wait for low tide. Even with this preparation the swell was 1.5-2m in the very middle of the crossing which was the largest swell we had experienced on our boards yet. If you are familiar with paddling in these conditions this location should be a good one for you. If you are still new to paddleboarding I would recommend paddling one of the other alternatives in the area if the swell is the same levels we experiences.

Having said that the chance to explore the Rabbit Islands on out paddleboards couldn’t be missed. From the shore of Talmine Bay you can see a nice sandy beach on the largest of the islands. From the high tide mark that we could see, it appeared that much of this beach would be under water when the tide is at it’s fullest. A view from satelite images will show you what an interesting collection of islands this is to explore in the right conditions.

Watch our video of our Paddle to the Rabbit Islands here

This paddleboarding session was part of our SUP Safari Scoltand Series where we spend 5 months travelling Sotland in our Campervan Harmony the Happy Camper exploring all of the best places to Stand Up Paddleboard in Scotland. If you would like to watch this 23 part series you can check out Epsiode 1 below. While we are still very much learning about the video filming and editing process (they do get better over time!) it is the most comprehensive video guide to stand up paddleboarding in Scotland ever made. We’d love it if you would subscribe to our channel, and share with your paddleboaring mates to help us grow the paddleboarding community!

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If you haven’t yet watched part one of our SUP Safari Scotland Travel Video Series  check it out here.