Highland beach wins top-10 status
A STRETCH of the coastline in the far north-west of Scotland has been named as one of the best beaches in Europe.
Sandwood Bay, Sutherland, was chosen ahead of spots in Menorca and Greece on the top 10 list compiled by travel guide Lonely Planet.
Jaz Beach in Montenegro claimed the top spot, with Peniche in Portugal and Rondinara in Corsica in second and third place. The only other UK spot was Bantham Beach in Devon.
Sandwood Bay finished seventh on the top 10.
Meanwhile, the county of Kent was named Europe’s top spot for a family holiday. The so-called Garden of England was chosen as the best family destination by compilers of Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2015, with County Kerry in Ireland in second place.
Two other UK destinations – the island of Skomer off Wales’s Pembrokeshire coast and the nearby Marloes Sands – took ninth place in the 10-strong family holiday list.
Kent was seen as being “full of opportunities for time travel to intrigue curious young minds”.
Singled out were the resort of Broadstairs, s once home to Charles Dickens, the White Cliffs of Dover and the seaside town of Margate, which has become “gentrified without losing its personality”.
Lonely Planet editorial director Tom Hall, said: “The destinations have been chosen by our team of European experts. Some may be surprising, some are definitely under the radar, but all of them are great places to visit right now.”