20. Saligo Bay

When I talked to Islay locals about my project, the same two words kept coming up – Saligo Bay. This seems to be the beach the locals rate the highest. “You have to go to Saligo Bay”, they would say. A few miles up from the popular sweeping sands of Machir Bay, I finally come to see what the fuss is about. And it’s true, it’s a stunning hidden gem. It’s actually not that easy to find and not visible from the road. I park alongside a few deserted houses and begin to walk across a field in the direction of the beach but I turn back when I see the route blocked. I drive a little further up the road and now I can see a few parking spaces. I follow a track through a field of sheep and climb down the high dunes behind the bay. It’s a simply wondrous spot, famous for capturing the light at any time of day (particularly sunset). With rocky coves and a wide sandy shoreline, this is magical and probably my favourite beach so far.