A wet and windy country, the UK looks more like Paul Atreides’ home planet of Caladan than the brutal desert sands of Arrakis. Yes, we have recently watched Dune: Part Two, could you tell? And if you’re here to live out your fantasies of becoming the Kwisatz Haderach, you might be disappointed. Formed by wind-blowing sand inland, these ever-changing dune systems are often thriving with wonderful wildlife; they may not be desert-y, but they certainly look like alien planets at times. So follow the Golden Path (aka the rest of this article) to discover the very best sand dunes in the UK that will keep you coming back like Duncan Idaho.
1. Braunton Burrows
The ‘Town by the Sand’ they used to call the nearby village of Saunton. The North Devon spot is the country’s largest dune systems – the size of a thousand football pitches – and is flanked by a 3.5-mile-long sandy beach. Used for D-Day invasion training, the American army once flooded these sand dunes. These days, the rich-in-nature landscape is home to hundreds of plants, butterflies, birds and reptiles – including over 470 species of flowers!
2. Merthyr Mawr
If you want a sense of Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve’s ‘desert power’ understand that these sand dunes once stood in for the Arabian Desert. Filmmakers used the South West region to film parts of Lawrence of Arabia (ask your parents). The village of Merthyr Mawr might be small and unassuming, but the surrounding dunes can be as big as hills – reaching as high as 200 feet, the Big Dipper is the second-highest dune in Europe.
3. East Head
East Head is one of West Sussex’s only natural coastlines. Its notorious shifting sand dunes mesmerise before eventually folding into salt marshes. Due to its fragile, yet dynamic nature, this sand-dune habitat is also an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). Meanwhile, the beach itself is beyond beautiful; ideal for swimming, sunbathing or sandworm-riding.
4. Ynyslas
About eight miles north of Aberystwyth, Ynyslas sand dunes sit on the Dyfi National Nature Reserve. Take the waymarked Dune Walk across the ever-changing landscape and spot an alienlike population of orchids, mosses, liverworts, fungi, insects and spiders – many of which are not found anywhere else in the UK. To learn more a Visitor Centre is open from Easter to September on the shoreline.
5. Sefton Coast
Near Liverpool, you’ll find the largest sand dune system in England. Stretching over 12 miles, Sefton Coast has been described as “one of the most important dune habitats in North-west Europe” thanks to its diversity of animals and plant life. Different dune types – ranging from shifting dunes to grassland, wet slacks and (super rare) dune heath – help support this varied flora and fauna. Home to land lizards, tiger beetles and 40% of the UK’s natterjack toads, you’ll find all sorts sifting through the sands.
6. Lindisfarne
You can only reach Lindisfarne (also known as Holy Island) at low tide – so make sure to double-check tidal times for a safe crossing. Once on the other side, you’ll find 3500 hectares of dunes, salt marsh and mudflats, plus an array of wildlife, on the nature reserve – including the unique, orchard-like Lindisfarne Helleborine flower. There’s evidence of people living on Holy Island as far back as the 9th century, but this is slowly being lost to the sands of time…
7. Sands of Forvie
Only the fifth-largest sand dunes in Britain, but the Sands of Forvie near Aberdeen in Scotland are incredibly important. They’re considered one of the most “geomorphologically active dune systems in the UK” and the least disturbed by human activity.
8. Camber Sands
Best known for its exquisite beach – a mix of sand and shingle – Camber Sands also boasts the only sand dune system in East Sussex. With unspoilt views stretching for miles, there’s a reason it’s been a filming location for numerous movies and TV shows over the years (everything from Carry On to The Theory of Everything, The Inbetweeners to Green Wing). Camber Sands became the planet Aridius in the Doctor Who episode The Chase (1965)… It’s not quite Arrakis, but it’s close!