70. Traigh Ear

My last day in the Western Islands and the plan was to tour the beaches of North Uist and Berneray before returning to Benbecula airport for the flight home. So it was an early start to check out of my hotel at the foot of South Uist and make the hour-long drive to the tiny village of Grenitote at the base of the Udal peninsula in North Uist, where I would embark on my first walk of the day. This short walk traverses up the eastern coast of the peninsula, along the tip and down the west coast, taking in three stunning beaches along the way. This is a rich natural environment and an unspoilt habitat for wild flowers, birds and animals, including otters. On this sunny morning, the tide was out as I made my way along the incredible Traigh Ear, with its low machair dunes to my left and seemingly endless flat sands to my right. Although the sun was shining, ominous clouds were gathering in the distance, getting ever closer, and I wondered if I was going to see the first rain of my short trip (I didn’t). Traigh Ear is actually two separate bays, and they are both magnificent.