The Wildlife Map of the Hebrides

21. Hushinish, Cravadale and Scarp

Hushinish beach has a higher percentage of shell fragments (92%) than any other beach in Scotland. Erosion seems to be threatening the road and blown sand often lies inch deep on the road leading to the pier. The machair here is famous for its creeping willow and its Scottish Bluebells (harebells). It is worth walking over the mountain path to Cravadale, from which there are fine views to the island of Scarp. Scarp was inhabited until 1970 and many of the former residents now live on the nearby mainland of Harris. No one should be tempted to wade across to the island at low tide. Though the water can become very shallow , the currents are vicious, so that communications between Scarp and Hushinish were often interrupted in the past. This led to a famous experiment in 1930 when there was attempt to transport the mail to Scarp by rocket, but the rocket exploded, damaging the mail.