The Outer Hebrides islands might be on the other side of the world, at the wind-blasted and rain-lashed edge of the North Atlantic, but they boast some of the most beautiful, white-sand beaches on Earth, writes Matt Brace.
The sun rode high in the early summer sky and the sand was as white and powdery as chalk. Behind us were low dunes and in front a deep-blue ocean with gentle, lapping waves.
We weren’t in the Caribbean, although the crystal-clear, turquoise water was like St. Kitts.
We weren’t in Australia, although the sand felt like Hyams Beach or The Whitsundays.
In fact, we were about as far from Australia as it’s possible to travel. This was Huisinish on the west coast of the Isle of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, off the northwest coast of Scotland.
To get there we flew to London, took a train to Glasgow, drove 550 kilometres across Argyll and Bute and the Isle of Skye, and hopped on and off five Caledonian MacBrayne ferries. Journey’s end was a single-track, rollercoaster road with signs in the local language — Scots Gaelic — and a welcoming committee of sheep and newborn lambs.
As we rounded the last headland we saw it: a stunning arc of white sand with bottle blue-green water and a resident seal bobbing its head out of the sea.
My wife — a native Queenslander and all-year swimmer — was out of the car and through the dunes as if her life depended on it. She shunned her wetsuit despite the 10oC water temperature and was in, wearing just a one-piece, booties and gloves, and breast-stroking through the North Atlantic.
Her initial yelps from the cold prompted a pair of oystercatchers to do a flypast to check out this new addition to their beach, while the seal slunk off around the rocks. I’m a 20oC water temperature kinda guy but managed to get in up to my thighs and almost instantly lost all feeling in my feet and calves.
These islands are often where Atlantic storms make their first landfall so it can get seriously cyclonic here, but Huisinish faces south and is protected by a great curved arm of grassy dunes, known locally as a machair. Also, we got lucky; the day we came to play was calm with the lightest of breezes and wavelets that swished melodically, sounding not unlike the pronunciation of this beach’s Gaelic name.
Huisinish (also known as Hushinish and Huisinis) was one of eight beaches we visited on the Isle of Harris and Lewis, which is actually one island and the largest in the UK, if you don’t count the mainland.Harris is the smaller, mountainous, southern part with Lewis the larger, flatter, peatbog-dominated northern bit.
Wildest of all was Eoropie (Traigh Shanndaigh in Gaelic), which is up at the northern end of Lewis. It’s wide and faces due west, and on the grey day we showed up was displaying several rips and a confused, boiling sea. So, instead of plunging in and getting dragged out into the North Atlantic, we snuggled up in the dunes under our Hebridean woollen blanket and sipped wee drams of delicious local Hearach single malt whisky.
From Eoropie we walked a mile or so up to the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse at the northernmost tip of the island. No swimming here unless you’re a seal or an orca, but nearby we found a hidden bay called Port Stoth. It’s the most northerly beach in the Outer Hebrides and was as calm as a millpond. Amorous seagulls cooed at each other on their roosts on the low cliffs, daring us to take the plunge.
Another beauty was Bosta (Bostadh), which is on the small islet of Great Bernera just off the west coast of Harris. It’s a trek to get there but worth it to explore the reconstructed Iron Age blackhouse on the machair, see (and hear) the Time and Tide Bell artwork and, of course, swim.
We got to tick off another Outer Hebrides island and also dropped in to see the Callanish (Calanais) Standing Stones. At 5,000 years old, they pre-date both Stonehenge’s larger sarsen stones and the Egyptian pyramids.
Thrilling as the cold-water swimming was for my wife, it was the afterglow that really overwhelmed us, and no more so than at Bosta. We sat enveloped by a huge, faux-fur-lined Osprey swimmer’s coat, sipped hot tea, munched well-travelled Carman’s muesli bars and basked in the tranquillity of it all.
Bosta was devoid of people and trash. Just clear, light-blue wavelets cleansing the oat-white sand so languidly it was as if they were half asleep. We were the only evidence of human presence. As we sat, drinking in the serenity and feeling warmth flowing back through our bodies, a pair of white-tailed eagles came into view, wheeling gracefully over the rocky headland. We silently bottled up the beauty and peace of that scene, storing it to help us through any tough times that might lie ahead.
Top 10 Outer Hebrides beaches
The Outer Hebrides island chain runs from Lewis in the north to Barra in the south, each island peppered with stunning white-sand beaches.
Here is our pick of the Top 10 Outer Hebrides white-sand beaches.
Huisinish, Harris
Our top pick, partly because of its isolation but also its perfect south-facing arc of glorious sand. It’s probably the easiest and best swimming beach but, as with all the beaches here, check the weather and the tides carefully.
Bosta, Great Bernera
A stunner and remarkably tranquil despite its westerly aspect. Watch out for white-tailed eagles on the lookout for a fish supper.
Port Stoth, Lewis
Small, quiet bay protected by cliffs and perfect for a Hebridean training swim, so you can test your wetsuit and your tolerance for cold water in relative safety and isolation.
Luskentyre, Harris
A great arc of sand sweeping around a dune headland and, at low tide, reaching across a tidal estuary to join neighbouring white-sand beach Seilebost.
Tràigh Griais, Lewis
A vast expanse of sand backed with dunes about a 20-minute drive north of Stornoway. Also known as Gress Beach. Expect birds in the dunes, horse-riders on the sand and wild swimmers braving the sea.
Tràigh Iar, North Uist
Just north of the community of Sollas, Traigh Iar is a swimmer’s delight on a calm day but when the swell is pumping in from the North Atlantic it’s a surfer’s paradise.
West Beach, Berneray
This five-kilometre beach, backed by grassy dunes with rare wild orchids, was in Lonely Planet’s Top 20 best beaches in Europe in 2021. A ferry runs from Leverburgh on Harris but if you don’t want to be restricted by sailing times, access Berneray via the causeway from North Uist island to the south.
Eoropie, Lewis
Wild, windswept and safer to walk and admire than to swim. Best experienced on a windy day when you can get a sense of the force of the North Atlantic.
Eriskay, Eriskay
This beach is protected by a small reef, which makes it good for swimming on calmer days. To refuel after a dip, drop into the Am Politician pub for fish and chips. The pub is named after the ship that ran aground near here in 1941 laden with barrels of whisky, which the islanders promptly salvaged, creating one of Scotland’s most-told stories and the basis for the film Whisky Galore!.
Tràigh Mhòr, Barra
A pretty curve of sand that doubles as the low-tide runway for the Loganair flights to and from the mainland and other islands.
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How to get there
ANA and Finnair quite often have good deals from Australia to the UK. ANA flies via its hub in Tokyo, while Finnair codeshares with Qantas and flies from Bangkok, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore to London via its Helsinki home.
Romantic place to stay
Given the relative isolation of Harris and Lewis and the scarcity of dining opportunities, we booked an Airbnb rather than a hotel, allowing us to do our grocery shopping and self-cater. We found a warm, cosy, cute little Airbnb (perfect for couples) called Cherry Blossom Guest House just east of Stornoway. We woke to stunning views, right across the Little Minch channel to the Scottish mainland mountains.
Romantic place to eat
The most romantic meal we had was sitting on Huisinish beach one evening dining on a haunch of delicious salmon, smoked that morning by Ranald and his father Alasdair at the family-owned Stornoway Smokehouse.
More information
Check out the excellent website by the Outer Hebrides community interest membership organisation Visit Outer Hebrides. visitouterhebrides.co.uk. For all ferry information, look no further than the great team at Caledonian MacBrayne. calmac.co.uk
Matt Brace travelled at his own expense
