The Natural Environment

The Coast

There are two types of startlingly different coastal scenery in the Hebrides. On the west coast in particular, the slope from the land is very gentle which makes for shallow bays and offshore Islands.

Many of these bays are filled with fine, white sand, produced by the relentless action of the Atlantic waves. The sand on these beaches has a very high seashell content, the highest in Scotland, which explains the spectacular white colour.

In other parts there are miles of steep cliffs and the sea floor drops away sharply to give very deep water close to shore. Here we get our fjordic inlets and see the highest sea cliffs in the UK.

A major geological event, the sinking of the sea floor, was what helped to form the Minch. From the air in particular, you get the impression that the Hebrides is a drowned landscape, and the islands are in fact the tops of hills, flooded by the meltwaters from the last ice age.

Wildlife and birdlife along the coastline is just as diverse and fascinating: the Minch has the densest population of Otters in North West Europe and they can often be seen swimming amongst the seaweed and scrambling over the rocks.