North Uist

The waters west of North Uist meet a coast of sandy beaches, dunes and low islands exposed to the Atlantic. Behind the shore lies machair, fertile grassland formed from shell-rich sand, with shallow lochs among the dunes. Islanders have long grazed and cultivated this coastal ground. Reefs and changing tides make the approaches intricate, while the open sea stretches west towards the outlying islands of St Kilda.