LUSKENTYRE, ISLE OF HARRIS – SCOTLAND

BEST FOR… Wild walking, scenery, escaping

WHY GO? Luskentyre isn’t so secret – it’s oft lauded as Britain’s best beach, a slither of white-sand-n-turquoise Caribbean dropped in the Outer Hebrides. But, despite its fame, Luskentyre’s still likely to be empty, just because Harris is so far away.

WHAT TO DO: Hike along the perfect sweep of sand and backing dunes. Glean the best view from Seilibost School, where you can look north along the sandbar, to the North Harris mountains beyond.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Continue along the coast to find more ‘Caribbean’ coves. Board a boat to tour the outlying islands such as St Kilda, Hirta and Dun.

GET THERE: Ferries from the mainland (Uig and Ullapool) service the connected isles of Harris and Lewis. Flights from cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh land at Lewis’s Stornoway Airport.