Luskentyre is the beach people don't believe is in Scotland until they see it. The sand is white, the shallow water runs from turquoise to deep blue depending on the light, and the beach runs for several kilometres around the head of a sea loch on the west coast of Harris. In summer, on a clear day, it looks more like the Caribbean than the Hebrides — except for the temperature of the water and the Atlantic swell rolling in behind.
Getting there requires a car. From Tarbert, take the west coast road of Harris south; the beach is signed. The road winds through extraordinary rocky Lewisian gneiss landscape — the oldest rock in Britain — before the views open out over the bay. The beach itself is accessible from a small car park; walk as far as you can manage in either direction, and you will almost certainly find somewhere to sit alone.