7 things your beach life should include at least once

Land on the beach: The Outer Hebrides is home to the world’s only beach runway, Traigh Mhòr on Barra doubles as the island airport. As Logan Air advises the timetable is ‘subject to tides - flights work to a flexible timetable as the runway disappears twice a day under the incoming tide’. The Glasgow to Barra flight features regularly is aviation ‘best’ lists. The airport terminal doubles as a very popular café. Picnic: Doesn’t matter if it is just a can if Irn-bru and a packet of crisps or a fullblown beach barbecue, food tastes better on a beach. What could be better than food and drink eaten on a beach nearby where it is produced, or the catch landed. Sand castle: Build one with a child or just with your own inner-child along. Save different-shaped packaging to create shapes. A cut open washing-up liquid bottles makes a brilliant Scots baronial turret Go to the movies: Find the spot from your favourite movie, visit it and re enact the scene.

Rock pooling: There is a whole world in that tiny pool of water, waiting to be refreshed by each tide. Go explore – bring the Blue Planet out of the television right to your children’s finger tips. A trip to the Ocean Explorer Centre at the Scottish Association for Marine Science at Dunbeg, Oban, would help them get so much more out of the experience.

Fly a kite: Kite flying seems to have gone out of fashion – beat those bearded hipsters to it, by making kites cool again. Also a great way to gently wean kids away from their mobile phones; no way can you fly and kite and hold a mobile at the same time. Thank the beach: Say thank you to the beach for being such a gracious host and providing you with a wonderful day out by taking your litter home with you. Give the beach a thank-you gift by not only taking your own but having a quick litter pick of anything that other rude, ungrateful guests might have left behind.