When Thailand’s tourist board mistakenly used a photo of West Beach on the Isle of Berneray in Scotland to promote the tropical paradise of Kai Bae Beach, it took a British expat with a keen eye to spot the error.
But perhaps the confusion shouldn’t come as a surprise. With ivory dunes tumbling down to turquoise waters and the occasional chatter of a faraway pod of dolphins, the beaches of Uist, a collection of islands in the Outer Hebrides, could easily be mistaken for some of the most popular bays in the Seychelles or Caribbean. The only giveaways are the brisk breeze that nips your ears and the dearth of other visitors.
The beaches here are regularly voted some of the most beautiful in the world. And yet, despite their undeniable appeal, these islands remain stubbornly off the mainstream tourist map.
Perhaps it is the chilly summertime temperatures (an average of just 15°C in July).
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