Luskentyre Beach (Luskintyre / Losgaintir)

Few people expect to find a beach like Luskentyre on the remote western side of the Isle of Harris. When the sun is shining and the tide is out the beach here is one of the most beautiful sights you will find anywhere; the water colour lies somewhere between aquamarine and turquoise, and the sand is the kind of silvery-white you would expect to find in the tropics.

But this isn’t the tropics (as a dip of the toe in the sea will tell you) and instead of palm trees for a backdrop there are wind blown sand dunes and distant mountains. 

Just across the water from Luskentyre is the island of Taransay on which the BBC’s Castaway series was filmed. This area is suitably wild and unspoilt making it something of a haven for wildlife. Dolphins, seals, otters and sea eagles can all be spotted in the area and it is not unusual to see a pony or two taking themselves for a walk along the sands of Luskentyre beach.