A remote beach on the tiny Scottish island of Eigg has been ranked among the most picturesque locations in the UK. The Singing Sands, situated on the northwest coast of the island, came fourth in a list compiled by travel publication Time Out.
Eigg, one of the Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides, is home to around 100 people. The beach sits within Laig Bay and is known for its quartz sand, which produces a rasping or 'singing' sound when walked upon or brushed by the wind. Its setting, amid dramatic rock formations and with views across to the Isle of Rum, has been described as breathtaking.
Time Out writer Malcolm Jack said: "Trek or cycle northwest across the island to Laig Bay (you can hire bikes by the ferry pier) and you’ll find a secluded white crescent beach of such unspoiled beauty it’ll steal your breath away. The Singing Sands is so-called because its quartzite grains make a rasping or ‘singing’ sound as you walk on them or when they’re brushed by the wind."
Jack added: "Gaze out towards the distant craggy mountains of Rùm, take a bracing Atlantic dip if you’re feeling bold, or simply slip off your shoes and enjoy nature’s strange song as sand slips between your toes."
The list also includes other Scottish locations. The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye, famed for their vivid aqua colour, feature at number eight, while Loch Lomond, the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain by surface area, appears at number 11. The full list is available on the Time Out website.
