White sand beach in the UK so beautiful that it gets mistaken for Thailand
A BEAUTIFUL beach in the UK is often mistaken for being in Thailand - just because it is that pretty.
Back in 2009, a picture of West Beach on the Isle of Berneray was mistaken for Kai Bae beach in Thailand, after it was included in a tourist campaign.
The Hebridean beach features white sands, pristine waters and mountains in the distance - which lead to the confusion that it was in Thailand.
At the time of the incident, the image was thought to have been taken off the internet to save someone travelling to Kai Bae for the campaign.
Even though the beach misses out on coconut groves, its beauty makes visitors feel as if they are in Thailand.
In 2022, Lonely Planet also shortlisted the beach on their top 20 beaches in Europe list.
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In their description of the beach, Lonely Planet wrote: "West Beach on the wee isle of Berneray is divine. Through dunes and wind-bent machair grasses, you reach this ravishing three-mile expanse of white sand, sliding gently into a turquoise sea."
Located on the Isle of Berneray, the beach's white sands are made up from broken shells, that have over time been ground down.
Machair, which is low-lying grassland, can be found running parallel to the beach and is the ideal spot for walking.
Whilst swimming is possible, the beach does experience large waves making it more of a surfing spot.
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To get to the beach, there is a car park by the island's village hall.
From here, visitors should see a small hill that is usually covered in wild flowers.
This leads down to sand dunes that boast amazing views of the expansive beach.
However, from here it is a steep climb down to the beach.
The whole island of Berneray is only 10 square kilometres, meaning it is possible to walk around the entire island within a few hours.
A gander around the island will also take in East beach, as well as Queen's beach.
There are a number of other things visitors can do on the island including seal spotting in Blackhill village.
In addition, there is a causeway that connects Berneray to North Uist making it possible to the island.
There is also a ferry to Leverburgh, which leaves two to three times a day in the winter and between three and five times a day in the summer.
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The World's 50 Best Beaches
The World's Best Beaches consulted more than 750 judges including travel journalists, influencers, and beach ambassadors to rank the beaches.
- Lucky Bay, Australia
- Source D'Argent, Seychelles
- Hidden, Philippines
- Whitehaven, Australia
- One Foot, Cook Islands
- Trunk, US Virgin Islands
- Honopu, Hawaii
- Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland
- Navagio Beach, Greece
- Balandra, Mexico
- Cala Goloritze, Italy
- Pipe Creek, Bahamas
- Pink, Indonesia
- Grace, Turks & Caicos
- Gardner, Ecuador
- Mcway, California
- Turquoise, Australia
- Le Morne, Mauritius
- Sancho, Brazil
- Seven Mile, Cayman Islands
- Lanikai, Hawaii
- Maya, Thailand
- Moro, Spain
- Kelingking, Indonesia
- Meads, Anguilla
- Flamenco, Puerto Rico
- Arena, Dominican Republic
- Little Hellfire, Australia
- Lazio, Seychelles
- Vaeroy, Norway
- Horseshoe, Bermuda
- Myrtos, Greece
- Hidden, Mexico
- Grand Anse, Grenada
- Xpu Ha, Mexico
- San Josef, Canada
- Matira, French Polynesia
- Capriccioli, Italy
- Pasjaca, Croatia
- Boulders, South Africa
- Salines, Martinique
- Champagne, Vanuatu
- Marinha, Portugal
- Balos, Greece
- Achmelvich, Scotland
- Kaputas, Turkey
- Radhangar, India
- Varadero, Cuba
- Piha, New Zealand
- Pink Sand, Bahamas
These are the best beaches in Scotland according to The Sun's readers.
Plus, Scotland's most underrated islands featuring shipwrecks, whale-watching opportunities and Caribbean-like sand.
