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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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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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Eoligarry Beach

Address

Eoligarry, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, HS9 5YD

Isle of Barra

Image: https://www.instagram.com/steve_gormley/
Great white sandy beach. Perfect for a family outing or a quiet walk.

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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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Am Baile Beach

Address

Eriskay, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5JL

Isle Of South Uist

The beach is a stunning white sandy beach and easily accessible from the village, near am Politician.

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Shawbost Beach

Address

Shawbost, Shawbost, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9BJ

Isle of Lewis

A horseshoe beach with sand, good birdwatching and safe swimming. There are two access roads to the beach.

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Ormiclate Beach & Machair

Address

Ormiclate, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5SB

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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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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Howmore Beach and Machair

Address

Howmore, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5SH

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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Polochar Beach

Address

West Kilbride, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5TT

Isle Of South Uist

Along the west coast of South Uist is an approx. 20 mile strip of stunning white beach and machair. There is easy access to this beach at Polachar.

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Boisdale Beach and Orasay Island

Address

South Boisdale, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5TE

Isle Of South Uist

Along the west coast of South UIst lies around 20 miles of stunning white beach and machair.

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Berneray West Beach and Machair

Address

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

Isle Of North Uist

A truly stunning beach and was voted in 2021 as no. 3 in Lonely Planet's Top 20 Best beaches in Europe! It is easily accessible through the village of Borve.

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Bornish Beach and Machair

Address

Bornish, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5SA

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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Traigh Mhangurstadh (Mangersta Beach)

Address

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

Isle of Lewis

Traigh Mhangurstadh (Mangersta) is a beautiful beach in the parish of Uig in south west 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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Coilleag a'Phrionnsa (Tràigh Leis)

Address

Eriskay, Isle of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5JN

Isle of South Uist

Bonnie Prince Charlie first stepped foot on Scottish soil on this beach on 23rd July 1745, from the french ship "Du Teillay"

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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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Traigh Iar

Address

Niseabost, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Harris

Traigh Noisaboist (Nisabost) is a spectacular west coast beach with extensive views across the Sound of Taransay.

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Traigh Sgurabhal

Address

Eoligarry, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, HS9 5YD

Isle of Barra

Great beach for a family outing or a quiet walk.

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