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West Beach, Berneray - Lonely Planet's Top 20 Best Beaches in Europe

Beach and Machair in the Outer Hebrides

Just look at them.

Whatever the weather, the Outer Hebrides beaches are built for walking, swimming, storytelling, rock pooling, proposing, dune jumping, tennis ball launching or horizon looking. And they’re everywhere. It’s obvious why Wanderlust named the Outer Hebrides in the top 100 Greatest Travel Experiences, why Lonely Planet ranked West Beach in Berneray as the No 3 Best Beach in Europe and why the Thailand Tourist Board mistaken used a picture of a Hebridean beach to promote one of their beaches! Find out more about our BEACHES BLOG.

Machair is a Gaelic word meaning fertile low lying grassy plain. This is the name given to one of the rarest habitats in Europe which only occurs on exposed western coasts of Scotland and Ireland. Machair habitats in the Outer Hebrides run up the western shores of Uist, Harris and Lewis.

Here sand, largely made up of crushed shells, is regularly blown ashore by Atlantic gales. Over time the calcium rich shell sand and traditional Outer Hebrides crofting land practices have led to the development of a mosaic of fertile Scottish grassland habitats renowned for its Outer Hebrides wildflowers, Western Isles birds and insect life.

The most extensive areas of Outer Hebrides machair can be found on the West Coast of Uist. Here you’ll see the succession from dunes to grassland and traditional arable cultivation worked in rotation. On the fallow areas that have recently been cultivated you’ll find the greatest diversity of flowers where up to 40 Western Isles plant species can be found within a square metre.

Many of these are quite common Outer Hebrides flowers but it’s the sheer abundance of blooms that makes the machair so special. The colours change through the season with yellows dominating at first and then fading into reds, whites and blues.

However, the Western Isles flora on display on each machair is different depending on the history of land use and the local environment so it’s worth visiting several areas. Flowers of the Outer Hebrides are at their best between mid June and mid August.

The diverse plant community supports a rich insect life. The rare Great Yellow Bumble Bee and the unusual Belted Beauty Moth with its flightless female form are two of the most characteristic machair insects found in the Outer Hebrides.

The machair are bustling with Western Isles bird life at all times year. Corncrakes and breeding waders are the most distinctive spring arrivals. Large flocks of geese, lapwing and golden plover make this their home in winter.

This brilliant film explains how crofting methods are in sync with nature:

Machair is a special PLACE, please help us keep it that way by:

Please don’t PARK on Machair land. It causes enormous damage to the fragile ecosystem and reduces the machair through soil erosion
Leave no trace. Take everything with you when you leave, including LITTER. Do not light campfires or use disposable BBQ’s – there is a very real wildfire risk
Be aware of livestock and ANIMALS. Keep dogs under close control and away from livestock, especially in the spring at lambing time. Please also leave gates as you found them, they are important for animal management
Please do not CAMP on the machair unless using an organised camp site/spot and leave no trace when you leave
For more advice on good outdoor ENGAGEMENT please follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

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Geirnish Beach amd Machair

Address

West Gerinish, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5RW

Isle Of South Uist

Along the west coast of South Uist is an approx. 20 mile strip of stunning white beach and machair.

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Seal Bay

Address

Allasdale, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, HS9 5XX

Isle of Barra

Watch the seals laze on the rocks off shore - you may even catch them coming for a cheeky peek at you!

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Clachan Sands Beach and Machair

Address

Clachan Sands, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5AY

Isle Of North Uist

Clachan Sands beach is a stunning white sandy beach which is accessible via the village of Clachan Sands.

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Balemore Beach and Machair

Address

Knockintorran, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5ED

Isle Of North Uist

Balemore Beach and Machair is easily accessible through the village of Balemore.

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Traigh Dhail Beag (Dalbeg)

Address

Dalbeg, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9AE

Isle of Lewis

Traigh Dail Beag (Dalbeg) is a lovely small bay and beach on the west side of Lewis.

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The Braighe

Address

Braighe, Point, Isle Of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 0BQ

Isle Of Lewis

The Braighe is the stretch of land (isthmus) linking Point and the villages of Branahuie and Melbost. To the north of the main road there is a sandy beach and a pebble beach on the south side.

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Hosta Beach (Tràigh Stir) and Machair

Address

Tigharry, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5DE

Isle Of North Uist

Hosta beach is easily accessible from the main road at Hosta.

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Ardroil Sands

Address

Uig, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9EU

Isle of Lewis

Camas Uige or Uig Bay is in a national scenic area in the south west of Lewis.

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Traigh Ghearadha

Address

Tolsta, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Lewis

Triaigh Ghearadha is a beautiful sandy beach at the end of the B895 road in the unspoilt north east part of Lewis.

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Luskentyre

Address

Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Harris

The beach at Luskentyre is the largest and most spectacular of all the Harris beaches.

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Cuidhsiadar Shielings and Beach

Address

Cuidhsiadar, Ness, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 0XA

Isle of Lewis

A small group of well-used and maintained shielings with a track along a ravine to a small beach.

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Hougharry Beach and Machair

Address

Hougharry, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5DL

Isle Of North Uist

A stunning white beach and is easily accessible through the village of Hougharry.

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Huisinis Beach

Address

Hushinish, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Harris

Hushinish is a small settlement of only 4 houses overlooking a white sand beach in the far west of Harris

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Milton Beach and Machair

Address

Frobost, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5RX

Isle Of South Uist

Along the west coast of South Uist is an approx. 20 mile strip of stunning white beach and machair. Acces from the village of Milton (Gerraidh Bhaltos is the Gaelic translation).

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Tràigh Mhòr

Address

Tolsta, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Lewis

The Tràigh Mhòris a mile long sandy beach at North Tolsta in the unspoilt north east part of the Isle of Lewis

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Loch Bhurigh

Address

Berneray, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5BQ

Isle Of North Uist

Loch Bhurigh is easily accessible from the machair to the south of the island.

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Barvas Beach and Machair

Address

Barvas beach, Barvas, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 0QR

Isle of Lewis

A good surfing beach with good access and pleasant walks.

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Brue shore

Address

Brue, Barvas, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9QW

Isle of Lewis

A good access road and parking for a walk down to a boulder beach.

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