8. Claggain Bay

I’d been looking forward to this four-day trip to the Inner Hebrides for many months, especially after the pandemic had put a stop to my beach finding for 18 months. Arriving on the morning ferry into Port Ellen on an overcast but warm day, I headed straight for the east coast of the island to visit the first of what turned out to be 14 beaches during my trip. My project is not just about driving up to a beach, snapping a photo and ticking it off a list. I am a walker at heart and my project is ultimately about walking to, and on, Scottish beaches. So I parked at the famous Kildalton High Cross, a 1,300 year old carved Christian relic, and walked the two miles to Claggain Bay along a near-deserted single track. The beach itself has been described as one of the most beautiful bays in the whole of Scotland. With sweeping white shell sand, amazing views and backed by rolling farmland, it’s easy to see why.