Britain’s 20 best beaches (now that decent weather has finally arrived)

Britain’s relationship with its beaches might easily be described as “complicated”. There are days when the rain arrows in sideways, and that excursion to the seaside is reduced to huddling in fish-and-chip shops and Victorian bandstands. There are days when everyone has the same idea – or, as was the case in the two pandemic summers, no other option – and you can barely see the sand for damp picnic blankets, grouchy children, yapping dogs and giant beady-eyed seagulls. Then there are days when the sun shines at the right temperature and the ideal angle, the shoreline looks like a tropical postcard, and you briefly wonder why, for all the glorious places dotted round the globe, you would ever go anywhere else.

Right now, with the weather finally playing ball and children returning to school, we can focus on that third scenario – and the best that this country and its 7,723 miles of coast can offer. For there will be plenty of days during September when the perimeters of Wales, Scotland and England – and yes, their surrounding islands – are holiday heaven, and you will not be able to stop yourself unlocking your phone, and clicking the camera.

But where? Over the next few hundred words, Telegraph Travel’s experts have picked out their favourite beaches in the British Isles. Some will be familiar – along the popular waterfronts of Cornwall, Devon and Sussex. Others can be found a little further from what might be deemed the beaten track – up in the Highlands, and out in the Hebrides. But all of them have that essential something which makes a beach a splendid place to spend an afternoon or early evening – scenic beauty, a certain magic.

Of course, one thing they may not include is your own personal favourite – that little cove on Cumbria’s edge, the blissful bay chiselled somewhere into Pembrokeshire’s rocky outline, that hidden strip on Yorkshire’s flank. And if this is the case, then let us know, in the comments box below. Unless, of course, you would rather do anything but. For it is entirely possible that the best British beaches are those that we keep to ourselves.

You might, if you weren’t going to be a stickler for geography, describe this glorious arc of sand as Britain’s most south-westerly beach. It isn’t, because though it haunts the south flank of St Martin’s, fellow Isles of Scilly St Mary’s and St Agnes sit further out to sea, and have lovely bays of their own.

Still, there is something wonderful about Par Beach. I tripped over it during the pandemic, in that time when we were all meant to be discovering our own country. And it did feel like a discovery, as I approached by water – and found myself staring besotted at this largely unadorned crescent, with its little jetty and handful of rowing boats. Here was the social distancing we were meant to seek in the Covid days – but during my couple of hours next to that beach, the world’s worries felt very far away.

St Martin’s Vineyard (07936 710 262; stmartinsvineyard.co.uk) offers shepherd huts as well as wine. From £400 for a four-night holiday; £650 for a week.

The Island Bakery (theislandbakery-stmartins.com) does pizza and picnics.

St Martin’s is not much of a rainy-day place, but if the dark clouds gather, there is always the Seven Stones Inn – and its potent beers (sevenstonesinn.com).

Chris Leadbeater

Most visitors to this part of West Cornwall gravitate towards Porthcurno, but those in the know head instead to Pedn (pronounced ‘pednee’). It’s every bit as beautiful as its more famous neighbour, with glassy waters, soft white sand and soaring cliffs behind. The sea here is sheltered and usually very calm, so it’s a lovely place for a swim (although watch out for rip tides). It’s quite hard to get to though, hence the smaller crowds. Park up at Treen, from where it’s a half-mile walk down to the coast. The last stretch is a steep scramble down onto the beach: not recommended for the not-so-spry. Also be aware that this is an unofficial nudist beach. You’re not expected to strip off on arrival, but don’t be surprised to find some fellow beachgoers in the buff.

There’s little in the immediate area, but the Old Coastguard Hotel (01736 731 222; oldcoastguardhotel.co.uk) in Mousehole, a half-hour’s drive east, is a cosy spot to hole up. Double rooms from £185.

For pub grub and a pint, the Logan Rock Inn is an atmospheric old boozer in Treen (theloganrockinn.co.uk).

PK Porthcurno is a fascinating museum dedicated to the history of communications, housed in a former Victorian submarine telegraph station. Adults £10; under-18s £6. (pkporthcurno.com).

Tom Mulvihill

There are dozens of fantastic family beaches along Cornwall’s Atlantic coast, but Polzeath is the standout choice for those visiting the seaside with children. A reliably consistent swell makes it a prime spot for surfing and bodyboarding, and there are several surf schools to help beginners catch their first waves. It’s a Blue Flag beach, so you don’t have to worry about the water quality (sadly not always a given these days), and, since the beach shelves very gently out to sea, it’s safer for children to play in the water (although you still need to watch out for rips). Then there’s the village itself: a laid-back resort with a smattering of pubs and restaurants to which you can retreat when the tide comes in.

The St Moritz Hotel (01208 862242; stmoritzhotel.co.uk), situated a little further down the coast, is a family-friendly seaside stay with a breezy Art Deco vibe. Double rooms from £180.

The Cracking Crab serves great seafood atop the cliff at Polzeath Beach’s southern fringe, with sweeping views from its outdoor terrace (crackingcrab.co.uk).

It’s definitely worth making the 30-minute drive to Bodmin Jail, a wonderfully creepy museum dedicated to crime and punishment in the Georgian era. Entry from £18.50 (bodminjail.org).

Tom Mulvihill

Set in one of Devon’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and backed by wooded hills, this trio of fine sandy beaches – Fishermans Cove, Smalls Cove and Mill Bay – sit opposite the yachtie resort of Salcombe. They are much quieter than their better-known and more accessible neighbours, which get very overcrowded at high tide during warm weather. 

The easiest way to reach them is aboard a cute, little passenger ferry that plies regularly between East Portlemouth and Salcombe. The swimming is safe and clean and the gentle waters are a draw for kayakers, paddle boarders and families with young children. They’re dog friendly all year around, too. Time your visit with low tide to be sure of getting plenty of space to yourself. 

South Sands Hotel  (01548 845900; southsands.com) is on the Salcombe side of the estuary and has wonderful views looking onto East Portlemouth. Double rooms from £250.

In North Sands, the Winking Prawn Café (winkingprawn.co.uk) is a personal favourite with its fresh seafood, while National Trust property Overbecks serves delicious cream teas in sub-tropical gardens (nationaltrust.org.uk). 

Salcombe’s pretty high street has plenty of stylish independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants, while Salcombe Gin offers weekly tasting sessions for £50pp (salcombegin.com). 

Suzy Bennett

This glorious three-mile stretch of sand, backed by the largest sand dune system in England, has served as the backdrop for films including Edge of Tomorrow and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, as well Robbie Williams’ music video for Angels. Home to more than 400 unique dune plant species, Braunton Burrow’s dune system is part of the North Devon Unesco Biosphere Reserve and has 1,500 acres of dunes to play, hide or snooze in. It’s not lifeguarded, but is gently sloping, so offers relatively safe swimming. While it’s not an off-the-grid suggestion, its vastness means that even in the height of summer, if you’re prepared for a walk, there’s plenty of space for a game of football, frisbee or beach volleyball.

Family-friendly Saunton Sands (01271 890212; sauntonsands.co.uk) is an iconic white Art Deco hotel offering commanding views of the beach and dunes. Double rooms from £250.

Squires, in Braunton, is a local institution famous for serving consistently good fish and chips (squiresfishrestaurant.co.uk).

Nearby Braunton has trendy shops and restaurants, while Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park is a 30-minute drive away (tickets from £17.50; cmwdp.co.uk). 

Suzy Bennett

The hamlet of Seatown, seven miles east of Lyme Regis, is a sleepy little place in a prime spot. It sits at the base of 191m-high Golden Cap, a glowing sandstone beacon that’s the loftiest point on England’s south coast. It’s about a mile to walk from Seatown car park up to the top, worth it for the views across Lyme Bay and out to Portland Bill. 

The beach itself is a little beauty, flanked by cliffs and hidden away at the end of a quiet country lane – no surprise it was once a popular smugglers’ haunt. There’s not much here, just a scatter of cottages, a pub, a holiday park and the River Winniford trickling gently into the sea across the shelving shingle. Come to admire the view, have a pint and scour for fossils – this is the Jurassic Coast, after all.

The Anchor Inn (01297 489215; theanchorinnseatown.co.uk) is right by the beach and has three smart sea-view rooms. Double rooms from £130pn.

Venture inland to the George, a thatched pub serving fresh, seasonal food and Bridport-brewed Palmers ales (georgeinnchideock.co.uk).

Learn more about Jurassic Coast critters – prehistoric and existent – at Lyme Regis’s Museum and Aquarium (lymeregismuseum.co.uk; lymeregismarineaquarium.co.uk).

Sarah Baxter

There are probably better actual beaches in Somerset: the soft, blonde sand of Brean Down stretches for miles and little Layde Bay is cuter and prettier. But Clevedon has the best all-round scene. For starters, there’s a long and pleasant sand-and-pebble beach backed by a grassy promenade; dotted along it, you’ll find a bandstand, arcades and ice creams. Up at the northern end of town lies one of the country’s prettiest piers (completed in 1869), which reaches 310m out into the Bristol Channel; there’s a cafe in the pagoda at the end. Inland from here you’ll find handsome Hill Road, home to smart independents like the Vintage & Vine bar and bottleshop, and Books on the Hill. Then, down at Clevedon’s southern end, is the enormous Marine Lake, a 15,000 square metre tidal infinity pool where you can safely swim, crab, canoe or SUP for free (though donations are welcomed).

Walton Park (01275 874253; waltonparkhotel.co.uk) is a traditional hotel right on the clifftop; many rooms have sea views. Double rooms from £71.

Escala serves up modern tapas – breaded gurnard, chimichurri scallops, sherry-glazed pork – with a view of the Grade I-listed pier (escalatapas.co.uk).

The spectacular Curzon is the UK’s oldest continually running indie cinema; catch a movie and admire the vintage equipment (curzon.org.uk).

Sarah Baxter

Though the hordes which flock from the mainland when the temperature climbs tend to head for the likes of Ryde, Sandown and Colwell, locals know Totland Bay is a better bet by far. Just a ten-minute drive from the ferry terminal at Yarmouth, this little sand-and-pebble spot on the West Wight does a marvellous impression of the Med on a sunny day, with vegetation on the neighbouring headland spilling down to the water’s edge, a healthy crop of small yachts bobbing happily beyond the shoreline, and a cracking sunset. Better still, with litter removed daily in summer, and shallows which slope ever so gently, the beach consistently ranks among the island’s best for cleanliness and safety.

Sentry Mead (01983 753212; sentrymead.co.uk) has a boutique vibe overlooking the sea. Double rooms from £180.

Stop for rosé at chi-chi newcomer The Hut (thehutcolwell.co.uk), or fish and chips with a pint at local favourite The Waterfront (waterfrontiow.com).

Thanks to the island’s size, excellent options like Osbourne House (english-heritage.org.uk), Butterfly World (butterflyworldiow.com) and Carisbrooke Castle (english-heritage.org.uk) are all within half an hour’s drive.

Gemma Knight 

To escape Brighton's crowds, cycle along the undercliff path to Rottingdean, four miles east of the marina. Tucked under chalk cliffs, the pebble beach is quieter and a lovely place to swim, but I mostly love it because of its celebrity history. 

In the late 1930s, the village's Tudor Court Hotel was the Chateau Marmont of Sussex. A summer retreat for Hollywood stars like Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn, Errol Flynn, and Cary Grant, who's said to haunt the bar of the Rottingdean Club. 

In the summer, live music and plays are performed on the Rottingdean Terraces, the open-air stage overlooking the sea. Molly's at the Beach does the best flat white. It's also good for rock pooling at low tide, when you can hop along the sleepers that Daddy Long Legs, the world's first saltwater tram, used to run along a century ago.

Sadly, the Tudor Court is no longer a hotel. Instead, stay in airbnb’s chichi Ocean- view apartment, near South Downs & beach, for sea views. Sleeps six; from £139 per night (airbnb.co.uk).

For crispy batter and proper chips doused in salt and vinegar, Smugglers serves old-school fish suppers best eaten on the beach (facebook.com/SmugglersFishAndChipBar).

See press cuttings of Hollywood stars and a model of the Daddy Long Legs saltwater tram in The Grange museum. Free entry (rottingdeanheritage.org.uk).

Tracey Davies

The parking spaces at this white cliff-backed stretch of shingle fill up fast in summer but that doesn’t matter: abandoning the car high above it all in the little village of St Margaret’s At Cliffe and then picking your way down a winding wooded path towards the water is part of the fun. This pine-scented stroll, past sleepy lanes hemmed in coastal mansions, evokes the French Riviera and the Costa Brava – transporting walkers straight into holiday mode. 

Though Noel Coward and Ian Fleming once called St Margaret’s Bay home, it’s no longer as fashionable as its near-neighbour Deal, nor Margate and Broadstairs further along the coast. A noticeable lack of DFLs (Down From Londons) equals no chichi coffee huts or beachside boutiques, just local families rockpooling, paddling and searching for fossils among the shingle.

Brooks House (brookshouse.traveleto.com), a comfy B&B around one kilometre from the beach, is known for its delicious English breakfasts. Double rooms from £105.

The Coastguard, a 300-year-old pub just above the shingle, is known for its burgers and steaks (thecoastguard.co.uk).

The beach may invoke distant climes but the Pines Garden Tea Room, with its scones and homemade cakes, is a British institution (baytrust.org.uk).

Amanda Hyde

Time-warp Walberswick sits just across the River Blyth from the more obviously beach-resorty Southwold – the two have been connected by rowboat ferry since the 13th century. Connected but contrasting: Walberswick, once a thriving hub of fishing and ship-building, is now like Southwold’s lower-key little sister. It doesn’t have the pier amusements or bustle. It does have a wilder-feeling dune-backed beach, a surrounding nature reserve (where you might spot otters and avocets) and a harbour that’s ideal for crabbing. There’s also a comely village green, a couple of pubs and tearooms, and a handful of shops. This includes the Black Dog Deli, where you’ll find local honey, cakes and pies, and walls scrawled with doodles by Charlie Mackesy, who lives nearby. Don’t miss St Andrew’s, Walberswick’s wee church, which was built in 1696 within the looming ruins of the grand 15th-century church, a reminder of the village’s former glory.

The Bell Inn (01502 723109; bellinnwalberswick.co.uk) is a 600-year-old pub with six bright rooms. Double rooms from £107.

The award-winning Anchor serves up fresh, inventive dishes; a menu of seafood specials is served on Fridays and Saturdays (anchoratwalberswick.com).

Southwold has many indoor diversions, from Lighthouse Tours (adnams.co.uk) to the madcap slot machines of the Under the Pier Show (southwoldpier.co.uk).

Sarah Baxter

Holkham tends to hog all the ‘best Norfolk beach’ limelight. But Brancaster, ten miles west, is pretty fine too. Here, you’ll find an immensity of wide, dune-backed golden sand – the D-Day landings were practised here – while the surrounding coast and hinterland fizzles into a morass of creeks, sand banks and salt marshes that are brilliant for birds. 

The beach itself is so big that it never feels overcrowded, and is perfect for shell-collecting, kite-flying, sand-castling, horse-riding and dog-walking (permitted year-round). It’s not hugely touristy either. At the beach itself there’s just a toilet and kiosk, plus a golf course founded in 1892, with a clubhouse that looks little-changed since. There are more facilities at Brancaster village and Brancaster Staithe. It's worth noting that during a high tide the beach road can flood. Consider coming by Coasthopper bus or on foot along the Norfolk Coast Path instead.

Marooned on the marshes, the White Horse (01485 210262; whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk) has 15 coastal-vibe rooms and a classy restaurant. Double rooms from £150.

The Crab Hut at Brancaster Staithe sells fresh lobster, crab and more, caught by the owner’s boat; open daily March-November.

Holkham Hall is a full day out. Find shelter in the 18th-century manor, Victorian greenhouses and interactive Holkham Stories Experience (holkham.co.uk).

Sarah Baxter

Lancashire’s seaside towns look out onto big skies and the Irish sea – both grey as often as blue – and massive Saharas of sandy beach. Silting and changing currents mean tides rarely venture in, which is great for power kites and moody photos, less so for bathing. Morecambe is a different kettle of cockles, with the water coming up to the prom twice a day and then drawing back to the sea. This brings other benefits besides a quick dip close to where you left the car. 

The foreshore is a haven for birds and the sands left behind by the retreating tide are a whirl of shifting patterns, framed by the southern fells of the Lake District. No wonder Turner painted Morecambe Bay during his Cumbria trip. The statue of Eric Morecambe shows the country’s favourite comic in his “Bring Me Sunshine” dance-pose, with binoculars dangling. That’s Morecambe: fun, feathered things and nostalgically harking back past times.

Get a sea-view room at the Streamline Moderne Midland (inncollectiongroup.com/the-midland-hotel), close to the stone jetty that divides the North and South beaches. Double rooms from £179. 

Comfort food always works in northern climes; get yourself a bowl of fish, seafood, bacon and potato chowder, served with a crusty cob at Morecambe Bay Chowder Co (baychowder.com).

When Eden Project Morecambe opens (it’s scheduled for 2026) there’ll be year-round indoor sunshine, but until then a tour of the Winter Gardens is a rewarding experience and all funds support its ongoing restoration. Entry £10 (morecambewintergardens.co.uk).

Chris Moss

It’s a remarkable – and blessed – fact that, despite its deserved popularity among locals, Runswick Bay has resisted the usual trappings of seaside-y hotspots: burger vans, fish and chip shacks, knick-knack shops. Admittedly, they’d be pressed to find room in this former fishing village whose red pantile-roofed cottages tumble gently down the cliffside; this, incidentally, is the ‘new’ village, the old one swept away by a landslide in 1682. 

Below the small slipway an inviting curve of sand and shingle, cupped by rocky spurs that demand rock-pooling investigation, stretches a mile-and-a-half east to Kettleness cliffs. This is fossil-hunting territory; part of the north-east’s Jurassic coast. The sands are for ball-games, sandcastle-building and splashy forays into the water – paddle boards and kayaks, too (barefootkayak.com). Most people stay near the village so it’s easy to find a quiet spot. In summer, an ice cream van often parks up near the slipway. What more could you want?

In a quiet village, a mile inland, family-run Ellerby Country Inn (01947 840342; ellerbyhotel.co.uk) offers smart, cottagey rooms and well above-average pub food. Double rooms from £115. 

Above the slipway and with outside seating, Tides cafe sells sandwiches, breakfast rolls, ice cream and traybakes, plus beach gear (01947 841472; facebook.com/tides2010).

Take a steam train ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Whitby, seven miles south, across the moors (nymr.co.uk). £45 unlimited, or £12 for one stop (children free). 

Helen Pickles

Just when you think Northumberland is running out of coastline and can’t produce a better beach – after all, it has the sheltered delight of Low Newton, the beautiful curve of Beadnell, the wild pinky-gold sands of Bamburgh – you come across Cocklawburn and Cheswick, four miles south of the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. 

You can reach the interconnected, peachy beaches by the coastal path from the town, otherwise park up on the country lane, walk through the dunes and prepare to be staggered at the near-emptiness of Cocklawburn beach below you. A mix of sand and rock, it's scattered with a few dogs, walkers and beachcombers – look out for crinoids and the pinky-orange carnelian stones – until, rounding a rocky point as you head south, it opens into the runway-flat expanse of Cheswick beach. On my first visit, I could have sworn it ran uninterrupted all the way south to Holy Island. That may have been an illusion, but the feeling of wild and gorgeous freedom was not. 

In an enviable position on Berwick’s town walls, and overlooking the Tweed estuary, The Walls (01289 330233; thewallsberwick.com) is an elegant Georgian townhouse B&B with a relaxed atmosphere. Double rooms from £120.

Pick up provisions – filled bagels, buddha bowls, cake – from Berwick’s Mule on Rouge, and picnic in the dunes (facebook.com/themuleonrouge).

Head to a castle: either Lindisfarne if the tides permit (nationaltrust.org.uk; £8.50) or mighty Bamburgh (bamburghcastle.com; £15.50).

Helen Pickles

You could comb through every pebble and grain of sand on Britain’s shores and not find a lovelier beach than this great scoop of blonde sand fizzing into a sea of brilliant turquoise. 

There’s a reason Barafundle Bay on Pembrokeshire’s south coast always sneaks into the polls of Wales’ best beaches, but the good news is it hasn’t let fame go to its pretty head. Summer holidays and weekends aside, you’ll often get this ravishing beach to yourself, particularly if you’re an early riser. Why? Because you can only reach it on foot: up and over grassy cliffs and dunes on a half-hour walk from Stackpole Quay National Trust car park. 

If you’re here in summer, visit nearby Bosherston, too, where a trail whips through broadleaf woods and past water lily-spattered ponds. The path emerges at Broad Haven South, another stunner of a dune-fringed beach, with views to Church Rock.

The ivy-draped Stackpole Inn (01646 672324; stackpoleinn.co.uk) has double rooms from £120. 

Stackpole Inn doesn’t just have seaide-y rooms; it’s a cracking country pub with an outstanding restaurant serving up freshest seafood and foraged finds. 

A 20-minute drive away, Carew Castle (pembrokeshirecoast.wales) presents a fascinating romp back to the Middle Ages, with its romantically ruined Norman motte-and-bailey and restored tidal mill.

Kerry Walker

If you’ve never heard of Penbryn, it’s most likely because locals whisper quietly about this sublime, cliff-clasped bay on the Ceredigion coast. Living in the Cambrian Mountains, Penbryn is one of my nearest beaches and its wild beauty pulls me back time and again. The magic is all in the approach: pootling along narrow country lanes that dip gently to the sea, parking at the National Trust car park, then walking in quiet wonder through a fern-flecked, waterfall-wisped beech forest until rock eventually becomes sand. In spring the woods are dusted with bluebells.

And my, my what a beach: here rugged cliffs roll down to butterscotch sands and booming surf, where you might spot dolphins and seals early or late in the day. Go for a gaspingly cold swim, or ramble north along gorse-clad cliffs on the coast path to Traeth Bach, the castaway cove of childhood fantasies.

Glamp in rustic-cool style in a log cabin or geodesic dome at Fforest Coast (01239 623633; coldatnight.co.uk/coast-dome), where beach days give way to nights around the firepit under the starriest of skies. Three nights self-catering in a dome from £520; sleeps four.

In a dinky converted cart house, the Plwmp Tart (01239 758100) does fabulous coffee, cakes and ice cream. Organic homegrown ingredients go into lunches like pea and wild garlic soup and sweet potato falafel.

Pop five minutes down the road to In the Welsh Wind (inthewelshwind.co.uk) distillery, which has scooped multiple awards for its gins infused with local botanicals. They run tours, tastings and gin-making workshops.

Kerry Walker

This is the beach I dream of visiting most – it tempts in the wee village of Elie just over an hour’s drive from Edinburgh. The capital broods across the Forth in the distance, but it feels a world away. Here, you get two beaches for the price of one as Elie Harbour Beach is joined at low tide by the similarly golden sands of Earlsferry Beach, forging a glorious mile-long expanse.

A sprinkle of orange-tiled, whitewashed old fishing cottages provide a dramatic natural amphitheatre for the cricket. Yes, cricket: The Ship Inn Cricket Club is surely the world’s only team to play all their home games on a beach. It is sheltered, too, which is handy for paddling families and beginner kayakers. More thrilling windsurfing, water-skiing and newbie sport e-foil await beyond the harbour wall, but you won’t want to stray too far from this Keep Scotland Beautiful award winner.

Book a room with a beach-view at the legendary Ship Inn (01333-330246; shipinn.scot). The Admiral Room on the top floor is the pick with a roll-top bath. Double rooms from £140.

You won’t want to wander away from the Ship Inn to eat. Executive Chef Mat Majer celebrates local produce with the likes of venison and haggis Scotch egg, or crab linguine. There are even beach BBQs in summer months.

Dunfermline, Scotland’s newest city, was crowned by King Charles III last year. The historic palace, abbey and mini-Edinburgh old town are only a 40-minute drive away (dunfermline.com).

Robin McKelvie

It is an improbable 40 years since this postcard-pretty slice of Scotland stole hearts when it starred on the big screen in Local Hero. It captured my English wife’s heart too – she says she fell in love with Morar before she fell in love with me. It is impossible to resist this sweeping stretch of starched white sand sprinkled between Arisag and Morar. 

Forget banana boats and beach bars; instead lose whole hours strolling together not wanting to be anywhere else. The water is aquarium-clear; the backdrop epic with the volcanic hulk of Eigg and jagged Rum Cuillin cinematic across the water. Day trips seduce across to those isles (watch out for dolphins and whales en route), but if it’s a clear day, be back in time to see the sun melting into the Atlantic. If you are lucky the Northern Lights will soar too. Swoon.

Rustic lovers can camp by the sands; otherwise the Morar Hotel (01687-310410; morarhotel.co.uk) is a comfortable three-star with views towards the sands. Double rooms from £106.

The Old Library in Arisaig offers bistro-style dining. Think homemade smoked salmon pate, Loch nan Uamh mussels and wild venison pave steaks (oldlibrary.co.uk).

Catch the train one stop to Mallaig and board Western Isles Cruises for the sail to the Old Forge, the UK mainland’s most remote pub (westernislescruises.co.uk).

Robin McKelvie

Last time I was at Scarista an American visitor opined “this looks just like the Caribbean.” I thought for a moment and then pointed out that it is the other way round – this landscape is millions of years older. Indeed, Harris is home to some of the planet’s oldest rocks. But you are here for the beach: a mile of starched white wonder. 

Mother Nature at Scarista is painted in bold, broad brushstrokes; the cobalt waters stretching off into Atlantic nothingness and a hulk of Hebridean hills vaulting on either flank. They do not do sun loungers and you are likely to see more seals and seabirds than people. Climb 339m-high Ceapabhal and you can see St Kilda, the ‘Island at the End of the World’. That makes Scarista the world’s final beach flourish – what a way to go.

Hide from everyone and everything at Blue Reef Cottages (01859-550370; stay-hebrides.com). Rejoice in the beach view, or hop in the sauna and Jacuzzi in these gorgeous stone, turf-roofed cottages. Sleep two; seven nights, from £2,500.

Indulge in superb dining in stately Scarista House overlooking the beach. Treat yourself to the ultra-local likes of smoked Hebridean sea trout with nettle and pea coulis (scaristahouse.com).

Drive half an hour north to the home of the Isle of Harris Whisky Distillery (harrisdistillery.com). As well as tours they do a mean gin that makes a stylish souvenir candlestick. 

Robin McKelvie