Sandy beach at Bagh a Deas, South Bay, Vatersay island, Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland (Image: Getty)
Stretches of white sand and turquoise seas may be closer to home than you think. This beach looks like it’s been ripped out of a glossy magazine selling a once in a lifetime trip to a Caribbean beach, but its actually in the UK.
Over a hundred miles of moorlands folding into sweeping shorelines border Europe’s oldest rock, Lewisian Gniess, which lies North of Scotland’s mainland. It’s somewhat isolated, meaning that are few and far between and you can roam the coasts with little chance of bumping into swathes of other travellers.
Despite how North of the outer Hebrides the are, air and sea temperatures remain relatively mild and in August sea temperatures reach 15C. If watching wildlife is up your street, the area is also home to otters, crofters, eagles, orcas and deer.
If you’re looking for a pointer, Vatersay is the southernmost and westernmost inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is also home to the Hebridean way start point, a breathtaking route spreading 200 miles across ten islands.
But if you’re in search of everybody’s favourite – – these feathered friends are on the Shiant Islands. Made up of ancient volcanic stacks, they are also home to guillemots and fulmars, and they constitute one of Britain’s largest colonies.
The clear blue of this sea could be mistaken for the shore of a Jamaican beach (Image: Getty)
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Ice, wind and the relentless pounding of the Atlantic has shaped the landscape, with each island boasting its own unique geography and character. To the north lies the island of Lewis and Harris, Scotland’s largest island.
Lewis is renowned for its distinctive archaeology, atmospheric moorland, stunning beaches, peat bogs and numerous Lochs and Lochans. In summer, many lochans are adorned with white waterlilies, while the moors turn heather-purple in late summer.
Heading south, you traverse the majestic, rugged hills of North Harris, and cross a bridge to the isle of Scalpay. Descending towards the coast, you’ll encounter magnificent white shell sand beaches and fertile plains that form the machair, which bursts into flower in the summer months.
Crossing Harris, you reach the Isle of Berneray, with its mix of rocky little bays on the east coast and extensive machair and sandy beaches on the west.
A brief journey across the causeway leads you to North Uist, where the rocky inlets of the east coast meet the wildlife-rich grasslands of the machair and beaches of the north and west coast. The island is heavily indented with picturesque sea lochs and sheltered natural harbours.
By contrast, the Isle of Benbecula is a flat island and the most populated in Uist, boasting a wealth of bird life on the machair and scenic beaches on the west coast. South Uist is a strikingly long, narrow island with rugged hills on the east and almost continuous machair and brilliant white sand beaches on the west.
Between the mountains and the sea lies traditionally managed crofting land. Eriskay, accessible via a causeway from South Uist, is a rocky little island with a strong fishing heritage. Barra’s stunning scenery is a delightful mix of rugged hills, rocky coves and flower-covered machair.
St Kilda is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of three main islands, flanked by dramatic skerries and stacks. With pink and white granite on the east and brown and black to the west, St Kilda is like geological Neapolitan ice cream and home to the UK’s tallest sea cliffs. Mingulay, though smaller than St Kilda, is no less dramatic in its landscape.