Lossit Bay I have to say that this is one of my favourite beaches on Islay and I am in two minds whether I will tell you how to get to it. It is a bit of a walk and it does involve a sandy scramble down a steep hill, however the place rewards this with one of the most attractive and varied beach on the island.

Traveling along the road from Portnahaven to Kilchiaran you will se a road marker to Octofad next to a “no dogs” sign. This sign is not just sour grapes, there are cattle with calves and sheep with lambs all over the route and dogs can cause havoc amongst these.

Follow the track to its end then bear right. You will see the beach below you, take care on the descent, the loose sand can make walking difficult.

Once you are down on the beach there is a small stream to cross, shallow enough for shoes and socks off and a wee paddle. There are interesting dunes, fantastic and varicoloured rocks and great surf.

This beach has seen three deaths by drowning in recent years due to the powerful rip tides, this is not the place for swimming or other water activities.

It is difficult to show the extent of this bay without doing large panoramas. In the left hand picture I am standing on a rock in the water and photographing back to the northern end of the bay and the dunes.

The sand is soft and white, the water is stunningly cold and I take my kids there whenever the weather allows.

In the evening the local cows gather at a brackish pool to drink and socialise. They are quite harmless provided you do not get between the mothers and calves and will soon wander off searching for forage along the beach.

The landscape of Islay, especially the Rhinns, has been altered extensively by ancient volcanism. The rocks too have been changed by intense temperature and force.

All round the coast you can see strata at odd angles, quartzite inclusions, interesting pink coloured rocks and sea eroded surfaces. I expect that it is all very interesting for geologists but makes for wonderful scrambling for children and adults alike.

At the southern end of the beach it becomes rocky with high cliffs. The rocks here are great for climbing over and a bit of effort will yield wonderful views.

Finally, a photograph to show that we do get intense blue skies and real heat here. The temperature was in the high 20s in the middle of July and the sky was clear and deep blue. One of my Vegas visitors was descending the dune face and I caught him in action.