THREE MORE WILDLIFE BEACHES

1. Formby Beach, Merseyside

Just north of industrial Liverpool and Crosby beach, where Antony Gormley’s haunting statues stare silently out to sea, is wild Formby. Wander through the dunes and spot nocturnal natterjack toads, sand lizards and northern dune tiger beetles.

2. Murlough Beach, County Down

Some 30 miles south of Belfast is one of Northern Ireland’s most precious nature reserves. Two distinctive types of dune exist here – one sustaining marram grass and the other carpeted by mosses and lichens. The beach is home to 600 species of butterfly and moth, along with a host of migrant birds.

3. Findhorn Beach, Moray

Close to Findhorn eco-village is a stretch of pebbles that spill on to the sand and into the sea. The area is frequented by seabirds and is a superb spot for watching seals on the beach at low tide, or dolphins out in the water.