A stunning beach in the Outer Hebrides has been voted the best in Scotland and the second best in the UK.
Luskentyre Beach on Harris was runner-up in the prestigious 2019’s TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards.
It was beaten by Bournemouth Beach in Dorset, which also came sixth in Europe and is among the top 20 in the world.
Luskentyre beat a number of other popular beaches thanks to its rave reviews on TripAdvisor over the last 12 months.
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Bournemouth was the best beach in the UK for the second year running and 20th in the world this year.
With its white sands and deep blue waters, Luskentyre was 12th in Europe and the only Scottish beach on either the UK or continental list.
The beach, located on the west coast, fought off European competition from picturesque locations including Corsica, the Turkish Aegean coast, Cyprus and Portugal.
Luskentyre is famous for its white sandy beach stretching for miles and greeny-blue water, and has great views of Taransay – which is the island where the seminal BBC series Castaway 2000 was filmed.
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.
Other top beaches around the UK include St. Brelade’s Bay Beach in Jersey, which was third.
Wales’ beaches are featured in the top ten three times, with Barafundle Beach, Rhossili Bay and Newborough Beach all included.
Rob McKinnon, chief executive of Outer Hebrides Tourism, said:”Luskentyre is a jewel among the country’s beaches, and it is easy to see why it has built such an enduring reputation with visitors.
“A walk on Luskentyre is simply magical whether the breakers are crashing in or the water is lapping gently at your feet.
“With around 50 outstanding white sand beaches stretching the length of the Outer Hebrides we are spoilt for choice with debates among islanders to choose the best running long into the night.”
Chris Taylor, VisitScotland’s regional leadership director, added: “This is the second year in a row that the stunning Luskentyre Beach has been voted number two in these awards of the UK’s best beaches, which is testament to this incredible jewel in Scotland’s tourism crown.
“The spectacular scenery surrounding the beach’s pristine white sands, makes it hugely popular among visitors and locals alike and has certainly led to it also placing in the top 15 beaches in Europe.
“The Outer Hebrides is a beautiful part of the world and ranking highly in the Travellers’ Choice Beaches Awards will encourage visitors to explore Luskentyre and other beaches throughout this amazing chain of interconnected islands, each with their own personality and sensational landscape to explore.”