West Beach, Berneray

6 Mar

The West Beach (or Berneray Sands) is around 3 miles long and runs the entire length of Berneray - a small island in the Outer Hebrides, between Harris and the Uists.

Notably, this remote beach in Berneray that you most likely haven’t heard about has recently been included by Lonely Planet on a list of the 20 best beaches in Europe - the only entry from Scotland. I would say this is a bit of an overstatement, however it’s great to see something other than Luskentyre Beach getting recognised for a change.

It’s not the first time this beach makes international headlines. In 2009, a Thai resort actually used a picture of this beach in Berneray to promote their local Kai Bae Beach in Thailand. But the mountains of Harris in the distance gave it all away. This is not at all surprising - those kind of beautiful beaches with white sand and light blue water is really not what one would expect to find in Scotland. There is one major difference though - it’s definitely not warm in Berneray.

This beach is as remote as it gets. And it is huge! It’s well known locally, but it’s far off the beaten trail. Visit at any time and you’re likely to be the only person around, except the casual local walking their dog. If it’s sunny, you’re in for a treat as that’s when the colours (blue, green, white) come alive - which is most often the case with those kind of white sand beaches.

It’s easy to spot this beach on Google Maps satellite view and get a sense of its sheer size. The beach is easy to reach from the the ferry terminal in Berneray. It’s a 2.5miles drive to the parking area nearest to its southern point - which is where we went. From there, it’s a 500m walk to the beach. Check my map of Scotland for the exact location.