Grenitote Headland, North Uist.

A 6 mile walk across multiple sandy beaches backed by dunes and machair with a small climb to the highest point on the headland for some stunning views of the surrounding islands and beaches.

I followed this by driving to the opposite side of the island alongside the sea Loch Euphort. Very much like many of the Western Isles, the east sides are a lot more rugged with sea lochs and mountains (although North Uist only really has a couple of mountain peaks).

Machair is a Gaelic word meaning "fertile plain", but the word is now also used in scientific literature to describe the dune grassland unique to Western Scotland and north-west Ireland.

Human activity has an important role in the creation of the machair. Archaeological evidence indicates that some trees had been cleared for agriculture by around 6000 BC.  Seaweed deposited by early farmers provided a protective cover and added nutrients to the soil. The grass is kept short by cattle and sheep, which also add trample and add texture to the sward, forming tussocks that favour a number of bird species.