‘Perfect for the soul’ Hebridean beach named one of the world’s best by TripAdvisor

A stunning Hebridean beach has been named as one of the world’s best.

Luskentyre beach in Harris has been named as the 13th finest in the world by travel review website TripAdvisor.

Famous for its gleaming white sands and turquoise waters, Luskentyre has great views of Taransay – the island where the seminal BBC series Castaway 2000 was filmed.

The award-winners of the website’s Travellers Choice Awards were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches gathered over a 12-month period.

Balmy conditions are a rarity in the Western Isles but that hasn’t stopped the far-flung sandy outpost – reached by a single track road – from beating off competition from sun-soaked beaches in Spain, the Caribbean and Florida.

According to the 2020 awards, the top three beaches in the world are Baia do Sancho in Brazil, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Playa Paraiso in Cuba.

Luskentyre was the only beach in Scotland and one of only two in the UK to make the top 25.

The other British beach was Woolacombe Beach in Devon, which was ranked 20th.

TripAdvisor ranks Luskentyre as the number one thing to see or do in Harris and its traveller reviews are full of praise for the beauty spot.

One said: “Stunning beyond belief. We went on a wet and windy day and it was still glorious.

“I shouldn’t really tell you about it because we want to keep people away.”

Another wrote: “The water is clearer than the Caribbean beaches I have been to and so unspoiled too.

“Just perfect for the soul.”

The best 25 beaches in the world, according to TripAdvisor

1. Baia do Sancho, Brazil
2. Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos Islands
3. Playa Paraiso, Cuba
4. Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy
5. Prainhas do Pontal do Atalaia, Brazil
6. Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
7. Eagle Beach, Aruba
8. Flamenco Beach, Puerto Rico
9. Varadero Beach, Cuba
10. Kleftiko Beach, Milos, Greece
11. Siesta Beach, Florida, USA
12. Radhanagar Beach, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
13. Luskentyre, Scotland
14. Playa de Ses Illetes, Spain
15. La Concha Beach, Spain
16. Saint Pete Beach, Florida, USA
17. Playa Norte, Mexico
18. Maho Bay Beach, US Virgin Islands 
19. Bavaro Beach, Dominican Republic
20. Woolacombe Beach, Devon, England
21. Elafonissi Beach, Greece
22. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
23. Cala Mariolu, Italy
24. Balos Lagoon, Greece
25. Black Sand Beach, Iceland