To provide you with the best experience, cookies are used on this site. Learn more

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.

Plan your trip

Accommodation
What's On
See and Do
Food & Drink

Accommodation

See and Do

What's On

Food & Drink

Refine By

Number of results: 58

, currently showing 37 to 54.

Sort By: A-Z Lowest A-Z Highest

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.

More Details
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.

More Details
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.

More Details
Traigh Bhostadh (Bosta Beach)

Address

Bernera, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, HS2 9LZ

Isle of Lewis

Traigh Bhostadh is a sheltered shell sand beach at the north end of Great Bernera. The Iron Age House and Time and Tide Bell are both sited here, along with ample parking and toilets.

More Details
Baleshare Beach

Address

Baleshare, Isle Of North Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS6 5HG

Isle Of North Uist

Balleshare beach is easily accessed from the village of Baleshare.

More Details
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!

More Details
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.

More Details
Traigh Scarista

Address

Scarista, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

Isle of Harris

Facing out into the Atlantic Traigh Scarasta has dramatic views over the Sound of Taransay from its white sand beach.

More Details
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.

More Details
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

More Details
Garrynamonie Machair & Beach

Address

Garrynamonie, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5TX

Isle Of South Uist

The machair runs parralell to the beach and a great place to walk.

More Details
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.

More Details
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.

More Details
Traigh Mhor Beach - Barra Airport

Address

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

Telephone
01871 890212

Isle Of Barra

Traigh Mhor is the beach where the plane lands - the only scheduled plane landing that lands on a beach in the world!

More Details
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.

More Details
Liniclate Beach and Machair

Address

Liniclate, Isle Of Benbecula, Outer Hebrides, HS7 5PJ

Isle Of Benbecula

Liniclate beach is a stunning white sandy beach and can be accessed from the village of Liniclate.

More Details
Beach and Machair at Kilpheder

Address

Kilpheder, Isle Of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, HS8 5TB

Isle Of South Uist

Along the west coast of UIst lies around 20 miles of stunning white beaches.

More Details
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.

More Details

FOLLOW OUTER HEBRIDES

Our Tourism Community

My Planner

You can build your own holiday itinerary here! Just browse our site and click this button to add to your itinerary when you see something you like. If your planner is not finished, simply click save and you can come back to it later on! You also have the option to send your itinerary to our tailor made holiday partner.