St Combs, Loch of Strathbeg, Rattray Head

From the St Combs parking area we pass St Columba's church and then turn right down Church Street.  Just before the cemetery, we turn right along a grassy track which heads downhill to join another track, then continues straight ahead behind the dunes with access to the beach.  Unless there is a very high tide, we head onto the sand and continue walking south. The dunes on this section are impressive.

A gap in the dunes is reached where the outflow from the Loch of Strathbeg reaches the sea.  Here we head inland around the edge of the lagoon - a great habitat for wading birds.  We climb up the dunes on the far side to pick up a path along the top.  The Loch of Strathbeg can be seen ahead.

We continue crossing a footbridge over a drainage canal and then another larger bridge, across the main outflow of the Loch of Strathbeg. On the far side we turn left back downstream towards the beach.  When the flat grassy area is reached we bear right (south), following the bottom of the sandy bank.  Many birds can often be seen.

We follow faint grassy tracks, sometimes a little wet underfoot, for almost a kilometre until it is possible to cross the ground towards the dunes safely.  A faint sandy vehicle track then eases the passage over the dunes and back down onto the beach.  We now continue along the beach. The lighthouse at Rattray Head goes out of sight around a corner and three kilometres pass below the dunes before the corner is rounded and the lighthouse is seen again.

When almost level with the lighthouse there is a gap in the dunes on the right where a sandy route heads inland. This becomes a track and leads to the former lightkeepers cottages. The walk  ends here, where some cars will have been left.  We will then return to St. Combs to pick up the remaining cars.

This description is based on a Walkhighlands route and may change after reconnaissance.