The UK's paradise beaches you never knew existed

Here's proof that the world's best beaches aren't always a plane-ride away. Feast your eyes on a selection of the UK's finest stretches of sand, from the coast of Cornwall to the wilds of West Scotland...

Luskentyre Beach, Harris, Scotland (pictured above & below)

As you can see, Luskentyre Beach, with its green-blue waters lapping at fine white sands, clearly has no place hanging around within UK boundaries. Yet somehow, however improbably, that's exactly what it does. Pop a wetsuit on, slather on the fake tan, and you could almost be in the Bahamas.

Pedn Vounder, Cornwall

Getting to Pedn Vounder requires some effort -- not only is it hidden away on Cornwall's extreme southwestern tip, but when you get there you'll find it's still only accessible by either boat or a long walk and a cliffside scramble. It's worth it to spend time on this near-perfect sandy crescent. At low tide, sand bars are often exposed, creating shallow pools that warm quickly in the sun.

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Tresco, Isles of Scilly

If by some curious twist of fate, you happened to wake up unexpectedly in Tresco on a random summer's day, you might consider the warm temperate climate, before taking in the powdery white sands and turquoise waters all around, and (quite reasonably) conclude that you were somewhere in the Caribbean rather than just off the coast of Cornwall.

Knockvologan, Isle of Mull, Scotland

Secreted away on the far western shore of Scotland's Isle of Mull, Knockvologan is home to whiter-than-white sands and crystalline water. If you're lucky you'll be sharing it with seals and no-one else.

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Achmelvich Bay Beach, Sutherland, Scotland

A lovely sheltered bay in the far northwest of Scotland, where the beach is split into sections by jagged granite outcrops. It's hard to reach and all the better for it, and the sand is of such excellent quality that they hold an annual sandcastle-building competition here in early July.

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