Machrihanish
United Kingdom · Atlantic Europe
Machrihanish is a highly exposed, sweeping beach break situated on the Kintyre Peninsula in western Scotland. The bathymetry is defined by a wide, relatively flat expanse of highly compacted silica sand that spans several kilometres.
Forecast accuracy at Machrihanish
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Best time to go
No great windows in the next 2 days
Best available option is Tomorrow around 2pm (score: 21). Conditions are below the Good threshold but may still be surfable.
Crowd report
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Session journal
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7-day forecastRecent form
Last 13 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Machrihanish. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early May.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
When is the best time to surf Machrihanish?
Check our timing score heatmap above for a week-by-week breakdown combining surf conditions with crowd pressure.