A scenic pebble beach with fascinating geology, right next to Tarlair Pavillion and tidal swimming pool which are being lovingly restored by the local community.

A good site for beginners to explore with a mixture of rocks, sand and some kelp.

Be cautious of metal piles which are present from old pool infrastructure.

Trail leaflet

Download the trail leaflet for offline access to site information

Download Leaflet

Facilities

Parking
Picnic benches
Lifebuoy ring
Tarlair Pavillon (Friends of Tarlair community hub)

What other people say

How to get there

By road

From Macduff, travel east along the coastline from the streets High Shore to Tarlair Road. Parking is available at the end of the road.

The snorkel zone is directly adjacent to the parking area where there is easy access and entry to the water.

The nearest electric vehicle charging station is 1 mile away, next to Macduff Marine Aquarium.

By rail

The nearest train station is Keith (24 miles away) and Elgin (38 miles away).

By bus

Bus services are provided locally by Stagecoach North Scotland.

Get directions

Provided by Google Maps

Local conditions

Here is the wind forecast and tide times for this snorkel site. It is your responsibility to assess whether these conditions are suitable for snorkelling.

Banff Tide Times
Tue 29th Jul 2025
Tide Time Height

High03:413.81m

Low10:110.90m

High16:133.51m

Low22:101.25m
www.tidetimes.org.uk

Other considerations

More information

  • Visit the award-winning Macduff Marine Aquarium and check out their events programme in advance. The aquarium offers a great starting point to your snorkel adventure, promoting awareness, enjoyment and stewardship of the Moray Firth marine environment. The aquarium showcases hundreds of marine species you might encounter while snorkelling to help you with your identification skills
  • Have a positive impact on the community during your visit by getting involved in activities offered by East Grampian Coastal Partnership, a voluntary group of individuals and organisations passionate about maintaining and improving the sustainability and wellbeing of the coastline. Their Turning the Plastic Tide project champions beach cleans and more to combat harmful impacts of marine litter.
  • Contact Blue Coast Surf & Paddle, a Surf and Stand-Up-Paddleboarding (SUP) School based in Cullen offering wetsuit and snorkel equipment hire.
  • Suds Surf School are a Surf and Stand-Up-Paddleboarding (SUP) School based in Sandend offering wetsuit and snorkel equipment hire.
  • Visit the thriving community hub at Tarlair Pavillion (offering a cafe, accessible toilets and picnic area) to support the Friends of Tarlair and local community, in their inspiring renovation efforts to benefit the local community (note that the tidal pool is under renovation).

Wildlife warning

Please be a responsible snorkeller; do not touch, take or tease wildlife.

This area is home to internationally important colonies of breeding seabirds (April-September) and seals (harbour seals June-July, grey seals August-December). Please behave responsibly and stay distant, wildlife should be left undisturbed. For more information see sealalliance.org and nature.scot. Avoid disturbing ground-nesting birds and livestock; follow the Outdoor Access and Marine Wildlife Watching codes.

Stay safe

  • Be cautious of metal piles which are present from old pool infrastructure.

Snorkelling can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is your responsibility to check the conditions present on the day and assess whether it is safe to snorkel.

Please read our top tips to being a safe and responsible snorkeller.

Top tips

Snorkelling can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk.

Information is provided free of charge; it is your responsibility to check the conditions present on the day and assess whether it is safe to snorkel.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust strives to provide accurate information but cannot accept responsibility for changes, errors or omissions.

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