Auchencairn Bay opens onto the Solway Firth. The bay is one of the best things about living here, and it asks for a bit of respect: tides on this coast move quickly and the sands change.
15°C Drizzle Feels like 11°C It is blowing hard today — worth bearing in mind before going onto the sands. Forecast by Open-Meteo.com, from national weather services. Checked 17 minutes ago. Met Office forecast for this areaWeather in Auchencairn
Tide times
Always use an official source for tide times. Times differ along the coast, and a table for the wrong place or the wrong day is worse than no table at all.
- UK Hydrographic Office — EasyTide: easytide.admiralty.co.uk, the official national source.
- BBC tide tables: bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables.
To be added: the nearest official tide station to use for the bay, confirmed rather than assumed, and a direct link to it. If the council wants times shown on this page rather than linked, they must come from an official feed with attribution — never typed in by hand or copied once and left.
Hestan Island
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water | Low water |
|---|---|---|---|
8.0 m | 1.4 m | 7.9 m | 1.6 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water | Low water |
|---|---|---|---|
7.6 m | 1.7 m | 7.5 m | 1.9 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water | Low water |
|---|---|---|---|
7.1 m | 2.1 m | 7.1 m | 2.2 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water | Low water |
|---|---|---|---|
6.5 m | 2.5 m | 6.6 m | 2.6 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water | Low water |
|---|---|---|---|
5.9 m | 2.9 m | 6.1 m | 2.9 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| High water | Low water | High water |
|---|---|---|
5.5 m | 3.2 m | 5.8 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
All times are British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT).
| Low water | High water | Low water | High water |
|---|---|---|---|
2.9 m | 5.4 m | 3.2 m | 6.0 m |
Tidal curve
Predicted heights in metres above chart datum.
Across the days shown
Everything here is measured against the other days on this page, not against a long-term average — this site does not keep one.
Highest water
Wed 14 Oct
8.0 m at 02:05
much the same as the other high waters this week
Lowest water
Wed 14 Oct
1.4 m at 08:41
0.2 m lower than any other low water shown
The water moves furthest on Wednesday 14 October — 6.6 m between high and low. It moves least on Monday 19 October, 2.6 m.
Contains ADMIRALTY® tidal data:
© Crown Copyright and database right
Predictions only, and not to be used for navigation. The bay fills quickly — always allow a margin, and check the official tables before going onto the sands: ADMIRALTY EasyTide.
Worked out from the date and where the village is, so this part of the page needs nothing from the internet. Times are for Auchencairn and are a minute or two either way; the moon is accurate to a couple of hours.Light and moon
Staying safe on the shore
The Solway has a wide tidal range and a fast flood tide, and channels can fill behind you while you are still walking out.
To be added: local safety guidance confirmed with HM Coastguard and the Solway Firth Partnership — where the soft ground is, which channels fill first, and the safe routes. Nothing specific should be published here until it has been checked with them, because wrong safety information is more dangerous than none.
In an emergency on the coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Hestan Island
To be added: whether and when the island can safely be reached on foot, checked with the Coastguard, together with who owns it and any access restrictions. This is exactly the kind of information that gets repeated inaccurately, so it is left blank until it is right.
Wildlife and the seasons
To be added: what to look out for through the year, and any areas that should be avoided during nesting or over-wintering.