Isle of Harris Beach voted one of the UK’s top ten

By Michelle Henderson

February 21 2018, 6:45 am

Luskentyre beach on Isle of Harris.

With its white sands and deep blue waters, it is obviously a special place.

And now, Luskentyre beach on Harris has beaten competition from holiday destinations such as Sardinia and Brittany to figure in a list of Europe’s best beaches.

Luskentyre has been named the second best-rated beach in Britain in TripAdvisors Travellers’ Choice Awards for beaches and is the only beach located in Scotland to win an award.

The beach, located on the west coast, also won a place in Europe’s top 20, fighting off competition from picturesque locations including Sardinia, the Turkish Aegean coast and Brittany.

The bay is famous for its white sandy beach stretching for miles and greeny-blue water, and has great views of Taransay.

Alan MacKenzie, Island Manager at VisitScotland, said: “This is another wonderful accolade for Luskentyre Beach, but its inclusion on the list of best UK beaches is not surprising.

“The spectacular scenery surrounding the beach’s pristine white sands make it hugely popular among visitors and locals alike.

“The Outer Hebrides is a beautiful part of the world and making second place in the UK’s best beaches in the Travellers’ Choice Beaches Awards will help to further raise the profile of Luskentyre and of Harris, encouraging even more people to visit.”

Bournemouth Beach in Dorset took home the accolade for the UK’s best beach. The seven-mile stretch of sandy beach also places in the Europe and list at fifth.

Hayley Coleman, TripAdvisor spokesperson said: “Year after year UK beaches continue to beat many others located in exotic destinations around the globe, proving that it’s not just good weather that makes a cracking beach. Even with the lack of hot weather that the UK is known for, our beaches still stand up as some of the best rated in the world – and are all right on our doorstep.”

Travellers’ Choice Beaches award-winners were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor gathered over a 12-month period.